EAA board member Guy Hall fights the good fight every day

Electric Auto Association (EAA) board member Guy Hall, chair of our national Policy Committee, has made a significant contribution to the successful efforts to pass electric vehicle (EV) legislation across the country. This is particularly true in Hall’s home state of California, where he is the longtime President of the Sacramento Electric Vehicle Association (SacEVA) chapter.

“For more than the last decade we’ve made remarkable progress educating the public and business about the EV lifestyle,” Hall said. “Car ads on TV now frequently show families plugging in cars at home and promoting EVs. This is a great achievement, but it’s not enough.”  

Hall, a global technologist with three decades of research and development leadership for Hewlett Packard, has many goals when it comes to expanding the use of EVs, including addressing the inequity between wealthier homeowners and those living in apartments, condos, or even older homes.  

“So many families are excluded from adopting EVs because they cannot charge at home,” Hall explained. ”This shows up in governmental regulation. In California, we have a state building code that all new single-family homes since 2017 must have EV charging capable service. As we frequently point out, those homeowners can charge while they sleep, while millions of other Californians cannot.”

A decade on the EV road

Hall’s involvement in the EV world began when he purchased a Nissan LEAF in 2011. He soon joined SacEVA, and when he later became the chapter president, he played a major role in expanding membership from 60 to 600. This made the chapter among the largest in the EAA.

“It’s all about getting out and showing the cars,” he said. “One year we did 30 outreach events. We’ve turned a whole lot of people into EV owners, and we’ve turned a lot of EV owners into EV activists.”

“It’s important to measure effectiveness,” he said of outreach activities. “You always want to know how many people you’re engaging because you need that number when you’re asking for support from government or business.”

Unfortunately, “It’s been hard for folks to remember how many conversations they’ve had at these events, and sometimes their numbers have been wildly diverse,” he continued. “One volunteer might say he spoke to 10 people, and another, who was standing right nearby, might report 50.”

In order to better quantify the results, Hall and his fellow chapter members have turned to hand-held tally counters. “At the end of the day, we add it all up,” he said.

Tijuana to the tundra

Hall’s EV advocacy took another form when he became the first person to drive an EV from the U.S. Mexican border to the Canadian Yukon and into Alaska. Along the way, he attracted constant attention, both from those he encountered and the media.

Launching the record-breaking trip in Tijuana in 2015, Hall headed his 2014 Tesla Model S up the U.S. West Coast. “That was the easy part,” he said of the charging network availability. “There were enough Superchargers by then, and it all went very smoothly.”

But the situation changed at the border, where the Canadian officials “Looked into my trunk for prohibited food and found the battery,“ he said. This was followed by a rapidly disappearing charging infrastructure as he drove north. 

“I kept seeing an image in my head of my Tesla on the back of a tow truck,” Hall said. “Someone had attempted the trip just three months earlier, quit in the middle, and announced it was impossible.”

“I had to be creative,” Hall continued. “I had to rely on the kindness of strangers. I discovered that in British Columbia and the Yukon, and also Alaska, you can actually find electricity easier than gasoline.”

When in need of a charge, Hall would head into a small town and stop at a restaurant, an auto repair shop, an RV park, or another establishment where he could plug in his car. 

“First thing, I’d show off the Tesla, and believe me, showing off wasn’t difficult,” he said. “Mine was usually the first EV anyone had ever seen, and they’d jump at my offers for test drives. Afterwards, I’d ask if I could buy some electricity and they almost always agreed, and very few would take my money. It seemed like they wanted to contribute to the cause.“

Two local Alaskan newspapers featured Hall on front pages above the fold, and he also made it a point to talk with local utilities and electrical works unions whenever possible.

“I still can’t believe how nice everyone was,” he said, referencing a ferry company in Skagway, Alaska that agreed to hold up scheduled departure so photos could be taken of Hall and his Tesla embarking on an inlet crossing.

At a stop in the Canadian Yukon, when Hall lacked the correct charging adapter for a 240v outlet at an auto repair shop, the owner contacted a friend who drove Hall to his electric appliance warehouse. Here, the electrician collected parts for what he fashioned into the adapter Hall needed.

Guy documented the trip with a video, and hopes to do the same when he repeats the Mexico to Fairbanks, Alaska trip next summer, this time with a passenger. “My wife couldn’t go with me last time, so I’m doing it again with her,” he said. “I’m expecting a whole different set of stories, but I’m sure they’ll be just as colorful.”

Looking to the next steps

Hall’s main focus in Sacramento lately has been the support of expanding California’s CalGreen Building Standards Code that raises the percentage of required EV access in multi-unit buildings and the workplace.

“Right now, it’s just 10 percent of all residential multi-unit buildings that must be EV capable,” he said. “The next proposed building code for apartment construction in 2023 would bring that level up to 40 percent. It’s still far from what’s needed, but we’re pushing hard to expand this for the next cycle out in July.”

The second focus of Hall’s attention is working with municipalities attempting to reduce their carbon footprint. That starts with updated building codes, but then expands out to assisting cities and counties across the country to understand how transitioning to electric transportation can be a key contributor to climate action plans and air quality. 

“EVs have attention on the national stage. So now we need to work with state and regional government entities to ensure the right policies are in place,” Hall concluded.  And we must reach out in a positive way that engages as many people as possible. To achieve both of these goals, we need to step up the passion for our volunteer efforts.” 

All EAA members who would like to join the EAA Policy Committee are encouraged to express their interest here.