SALT LAKE CITY – The storm is expected to clean the air, for now. However, clean air advocates say the pollution will come back. One company is hoping to help other business leaders encourage their employees buy electric cars.
Packsize CEO Hanko Kiessner noticed he was having a problem recruiting talent to Utah because of bad air quality. While speaking with other business leaders, he noticed that other companies were having the same issue. “The air pollution problem we have in the valley is one of the number one inhibitors of growth,” Kiessner says.
So, he bought an electric car and had a charger installed at his company. Then, he installed more. After a while, Kiessner says they noticed more employees were also buying electric cars. He says, “We have now 20-25 percent of our employees create zero emissions driving to and from work. If Packsize can do it, anyone can do it.”
He also started the group Leaders For Clean Air. That group started providing charges for businesses for free, but, now they speak to business owners to show them how they can have them installed. Program Administrator Erin Strahm says many people avoid buying an electric car because they fear they won’t have enough of a charge to get to and from work. “When they know that chargers are available at their work and they can get a charge while they’re working, they are much more likely to adopt. It’s really a motivating factor,” Strahm says.
They’ve also partnered with Rocky Mountain Power to teach company owners how they can qualify for rebates. “They’re offering a 75 percent incentive rebate on the cost of electric vehicle chargers if [it’s] a workplace,” she says.