Background
In 2021, over 5% of new vehicles sold in Canada were electric.1 E-bike sales are also on the rise worldwide including in Canada.2 The economic, social and policy signals are all pointing toward greater adoption of electric vehicles and e-bikes in Canada. These technologies are also important solutions to the estimated 19% of University of Waterloo emissions that are attributed to commuting.3 Action item 41 of the Shift Neutral climate action plan is the development of an institutional Transportation Demand Management Plan in which EVs and e-bikes will play a role. Furthermore, as more of our commuters adopt EVs and e-bikes, there will be increased demand for EV chargers, e-bike chargers and secure e-bike storage options, and this is something that the University of Waterloo must plan for.
Currently, the University of Waterloo has 18 EV chargers. Charging is free at these level 2 chargers, but vehicle owners must have a valid parking permit and are limited to 4 hours of parking in charging spots. There are no dedicated e-bike parking or charging stations.
The University of Waterloo is looking for an analysis of the projected uptake for electric vehicles, e -bikes and the support infrastructure required. This work will support the Sustainability Office’s Transportation Demand Management planning and work toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals 7, 11 and 13.
Scope of Work Could Include
- NOTE: This project could focus on EVs, e-bikes or both
- Perform a literature review to summarize projections for EV and e-bike adoption in Canada and Ontario.
- Research best practices from other institutions on the infrastructure investments needed to support the transition to electric transportation.
- Research best practices from other institutions for how to incentivize a shift to electrified transportation while also minimizing and/or recovering some of the infrastructure costs. This might include:
- Tiered parking rates based on type of vehicle
- Higher parking rates for internal combustion vehicles than for EVs
- Fees for charging
- Rates for secure bike parking
- Explore how the University could capitalize on vehicle to grid technology and what incentives might be required to enable this.
- Make recommendations for how the University of Waterloo can incentivize EV and e-bike use while minimizing the costs to the University.
Resources
The Sustainability Office can provide the 2017 summary report on “Opportunities for Increasing Sustainable Transportation Uptake by Employees at UWaterloo” and recent reports on staff commuting distances and travel options.
Stakeholders
- Sustainability Office
- Parking Services
- Plant Operations
Proposed Deliverables
The details of the deliverables are flexible but must meet the requirements set out by the course instructor. Some proposed deliverables include:
- A work plan early in the term outlining key milestones.
- Updates on progress at least once during the term.
- A final report outlining the outcomes of the study and recommendations.
- A final meeting to review the outcomes of the report and answer questions.
1 https://electricautonomy.ca/2022/02/15/ihs-markit-zev-adoption-canada-2021/
2 https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2020/12/02/e-bike-sales-to-grow-from-37-million-to-17-million-peryear-by-2030-forecast-industry-experts/?sh=53342db22876
3 https://uwaterloo.ca/sustainability/sites/ca.sustainability/files/uploads/files/shift_neutral_final_aoda.pdf