On Wednesday, I got the news that MGM Resorts was installing 27 electric vehicle charging stations at its Las Vegas resorts and corporate headquarters. It wouldn’t have caught my eye if, in the preceding week, I hadn’t already stumbled on three parking lots with EV charging stations — at Clark County Government Center, Las Vegas City Hall and Las Vegas Cyclery — and gotten at least one other press release about a recent installation, at Desert Research Institute. But I had. And so, being the curious type, I had questions…
What’s going on?
This: The Nevada Electric Vehicle Accelerator (NEVA). In 2011, a public-private partnership shepherded by the nonprofit REA250 undertook the job of facilitating a well-networked electric vehicle infrastructure in Nevada. MGM, the City of Las Vegas and DRI are collaborators in the initiative.
Is the demand there? Do we really need this many charging stations?
Tough to say, as far as Las Vegas in particular goes. (Closest thing I could find is this indication we’re not a top market for hybrid sales.) Nationally, however, electric car demand is on the rise. According to the Electric Drive Transportation Association, 15.5 million electric cars were sold last year in the U.S., up from 14.4 million in 2012. They represent 3.8 percent of the total vehicle market share, and that number is on a steady upward climb ( chart alert!).
Could I buy an electric car without the fear of being stranded, powerless, in the hinterlands of Clark County?
Pretty much. This map reflects fair citywide saturation of charging stations, with some 50 of them spread across the valley.
So, which one should I get?
