LeasePlan and smart charging partner PowerD launched “ChargeUpNow,” a global initiative calling on local and national policymakers to implement five specific policy recommendations to ensure a universal, affordable and sustainable charging infrastructure.

The new initiative comes ahead of Climate Week NYC and the United Nations General Assembly in New York. ChargeUpNow’s five policy recommendations are to:

• Implement a network of publicly available fast charging stations to reduce the speed ofcharging from hours to minutes and reduce burden on urban charging spaces

• Remove red tape and make it easier to obtain permits for private charging stations near residences and offices

• Include charging infrastructure in all newly constructed residential and commercial buildings

• Increase use of green energy by EVs through smart charging solutions that use zero-emission solar and wind power

• Develop public-private partnerships between business and local governments to facilitate fast charging infrastructure in commercial zones

To kick off the Global ChargeUpNow Initiative, a petition has been created on Change.org, advocating for the implementation of all five ChargeUpNow policy recommendations. The petition is targeted at international and national governments and can be accessed at GlobalChargeUpNow.com“Drivers are fed up with government inaction on EV charging infrastructure. This is a major roadblock holding back the mass adoption of EVs, which are crucial to fighting climate change and improving air quality in our towns and cities,” said Tex Gunning, CEO of LeasePlan. “That’s why we are launching our Global ChargeUpNow Initiative. Together, we want to give a clear and direct message to national and local policymakers about the urgent need for a universal, affordable and sustainable EV charging infrastructure. The solutions already exist – all that is missing is action from policymakers.”

LeasePlan is a founding partner of Climate Group’s EV100 initiative, launched around the UN General Assembly in September 2017. LeasePlan’s zero-emission mobility strategy is to achieve net zero tailpipe emissions across our entire global fleet by 2030

Earlier this year, LeasePlan Energy, a smart charging solution, was launched in the Netherlands by PowerD. With LeasePlan Energy, EV drivers reduce their carbon footprint through smart charging, using a mobile app that integrates with their EV charging station and car battery. Based on custom algorithms, the app automatically chooses renewable energy sources when they are most abundant, passing the CO2 savings onto the customer.