Employers will be required to assess the demands of their workforce for electric vehicle charging, before developing and installing a supporting infrastructure for at least one of their workplaces. The Department of Energy will provide technical support and establish a forum through which participants can share information.

The first 13 employees include 3M, Chrysler, Duke Energy, Eli Lilly, Ford, GE, GM, Google, Nissan, San Diego Gas & Electric, Siemens, Tesla and Verizon, while the California PEV Collaborative, CALSTART, Electric Drive Transportation Association, Electrification Coalition, International Parking Institute, NextEnergy, Plug In America and Rocky Mountain Institute have joined as industry stakeholders.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu said: ‘The market for electric vehicles is expanding dramatically, giving drivers more options to save money on gasoline while reducing carbon pollution. These 13 companies are taking strong steps to make charging infrastructure more broadly available to their workforce – setting an example for others to follow and helping America lead the global race for a growing industry.’

The Workplace Charging Challenge is designed to support the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge, an ongoing project to make electric vehicles as convenient as conventional cars within ten years.