Local Government Approaches to EV Transition: A Comparative Study of Planning, Funding, and Infrastructure in Five U.S. Jurisdictions

Abstract

This study compares electric vehicle transition strategies in five local governments: Baltimore, Raleigh, Fairfax County, Rockville, and Prince William County. While all jurisdictions aim to electrify their public fleets and expand charging infrastructure, they differ in policy scope, funding sources, deployment strategies, and data availability. Raleigh has transitioned over 80 percent of its city fleet to clean fuels and uses solar mobile chargers in public parks. Fairfax County, with a suburban layout and dispersed demand, has committed to full fleet electrification by 2035 and installed over 100 Level 2 chargers at government sites. Baltimore passed a city law requiring a fully electric light duty fleet by 2030 and partnered with BGE for charger installation at no cost to the city. Rockville coordinates closely with Montgomery County and relies on microgrid infrastructure, scenario modeling, and energy as a service financing. Prince William County focuses on phased deployment tied to vehicle replacement cycles and has installed 10 Level 2 chargers ahead of major fleet expansion. All five regions use state and federal grants, equity-based site selection, and permitting reforms to support deployment. However, only some have conducted detailed cost analyses or updated standard operating procedures to reflect the operational demands of electrification. These findings show that while foundational strategies are often shared, localized factors such as fleet size, geography, existing infrastructure, and institutional capacity shape how EV transition plans are developed and implemented.