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Electric Vehicles at the NIH

​​The NIH is transitioning to a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) fleet to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and meet requirements from Executive Orders (EOs) 14008 and 14057​. According to the General Services Administration (GSA), the types of ZEV vehicles are battery-powered electric vehicles and hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles. ZEV adoption will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by decreasing the use of gasoline and diesel. By 2027, 100% of federal light-duty fleet vehicle acquisitions must be ZEVs.

To sustain a fleet of this nature, the NIH and other government agencies are taking steps to improve their campus infrastructure. This includes increasing the amount of charging stations available for both fleet and employee vehicles.

Employee vehicle charging is regulated by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The FAST Act requires government agencies to recoup the costs of employee charging for personal EVs. Currently, the Bethesda campus has employee charging stations sponsored by the NIH Federal Credit Union. These designated charging stations are well-marked with signage. 

The NIH is working on expanding employee EV charging options at Bethesda, Poolesville, Research Triangle Park and Rocky Mountain Laboratories locations. Options for charging stations are also being factored into leased facilities, construction and renovation projects and locations without extensive infrastructure upgrades. Commitment to this initiative, as well as others presented by EO 14008 and 14057, can help limit the impacts of climate change and improve the quality of life at the NIH. 

It is critical that employees follow appropriate practices for charging EVs on campuses to prevent any inadvertent fire risks due to plugging into outlets not designated for charging electric vehicles. Parking garage outlets were designed for light and periodic use, such as for cleaning and/or maintenance. Charging of electric vehicles at these standard outlets greatly increases the risk of fire and is not permitted. Consequently, when lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles ignite, the “stranded” energy in the damaged cells can cause thermal runaway, which results in continuous reignitions.¹

As new policies and guidelines are developed, continuing to support the transition to ZEV will be greatly appreciated. Stay tuned as we provide updates on the new employees’ charging stations in the near future. Additional information on electric vehicles can be found in this NIH Record article.

​Spotlight                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

​	Biking to Work with Dr. Jeffrey Cohen Dr. Jeffrey Cohen is a Senior Investigator in the Medical Virology Section at NIAID. For the past decade, he has biked his 10-mile commute to and from work.​​ LEA​RN MORE​​​​

​​Take Action                                                                                                                                                                              ​                                                                                                

​	Bike to Work Day!​ ​ ​The NIH is once again taking part in the annual Bike to Work Day. This year, the event will take place on Friday, May 17 in the traditional pit stop location on the Bethesda Campus in front of Building 1.​ ​​LEARN MORE​​​​

NEMS Training                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
Did you know? ​Biking to work is one of many ways to reduce your carbon footprint, along with public transportation, carpooling and  teleworking. To learn more about greenhouse gas emissions, please visit the NEMS T​raining webpage to view a short (20 minute) NIH environmental awareness training video.