The results are in: plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging access at work has nearly doubled in the last two years! With the many benefits of workplace charging, It’s easy to see why. Workplace charging enables both large and small organizations to attract and retain talented employees, reduce petroleum use and greenhouse gas emissions, and demonstrate innovation, leadership, and environmental stewardship.

To boost their programs and share their best practices with others, leading employers from across the country partner with the U.S. Department of Energy through the EV Everywhere Workplace Charging Challenge. The Challenge aims to achieve a dramatic increase in the number of employers offering workplace charging by 2018. As the Challenge approaches its second anniversary, Challenge partners and ambassadors convened at a Summit in Alexandria, Virginia, to celebrate progress and share new resources for expanding their workplace charging programs.

Starting with 13 founding partners in January 2013, the Challenge has since grown to 150 partners. Currently, Challenge partners are providing access to PEV charging stations for more than 600,000 employees at more than 300 worksites all across the country.

Through a survey in August 2014, these leaders shared how their efforts are making an impact in their communities and helped identify best practices for workplace charging. At the Summit, the Energy Department released the Workplace Charging Challenge Progress Update, which highlights key findings from the survey.

According to survey respondents, employees of Challenge partners are 20 times more likely to drive a PEV than the average worker. In fact, 1 in 73 partners’ employees drive a PEV in contrast to the national average of 1 in more than 1,400.

Additional findings from responding partners include:

The number of partner workplace locations offering workplace charging increased by 40% in 2013 and an additional 45% in 2014.

90% of partners reported that their workplace charging stations are fully occupied at least 5 days a week

Partner charging stations in operation by June 2014 provide an estimated annual kWh usage of 6.7 million kWh. This usage would be saving 800,000 gallons of gasoline and 5.5 million pounds of GHG annually – the equivalent of removing nearly 1,500 average cars from U.S. roads.

In addition to the Progress Update, the Energy Department also released a number of new resources for employers, including a toolkit to inform employees, a charging station procurement guide, and a guide to meeting Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for workplace charging stations.

If 150 employers can do this much good, imagine what could happen if 500 employers made the commitment to provide workplace charging access. The U.S. Department of Energy invites your organization to join us making a difference for your employees, your community, and your nation. Learn more about how your organization can join the Workplace Charging Challenge or contact us at WorkplaceCharging@ee.doe.gov.