Electric Vehicles for All: New Toolkit Shows How to Make It Happen
Guide Shows Advocates, Government and Corporate Officials How to Bring EV Benefits to Underserved Communities
Contact: Bruce Mirken, Greenlining Institute Media Relations Director, 415-846-7758 (cell)
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA – Widespread adoption of electric cars and trucks can help clean the air and stem climate change, but the up-front cost of passenger EVs along with limited charging infrastructure and awareness have restricted the adoption of these vehicles in the communities that need them most. A new online toolkit from The Greenlining Institute shows advocates and officials how to design and advocate for policies – many first pioneered in California – that can help right that imbalance.
“Low-income communities and communities of color often breathe the dirtiest air and are most vulnerable to climate change,” said Greenlining Institute Environmental Equity Legal Counsel Joel Espino, who led the creation of the toolkit. “EVs can help clean the air and even save low-income drivers money on gas and repairs. We know how to design policies that make clean cars a real option for underserved communities, and we hope officials and advocates nationwide will take these ideas and run with them.”
“Electric Vehicles for All: An Equity Toolkit” is divided into sections, including “Making EVs Affordable,” “Increasing EV Awareness,” “The Curious Case of Selling EVs,” and “Diversify the EV Market,” with information about specific tools and helpful resources that can expand EV benefits. Each chapter also includes tips for success and an equity guide that will help users ensure that policies effectively promote access to EVs for underserved communities.
Among other options, the toolkit explores purchase incentives, financing assistance, EV carsharing, and charging infrastructure. It also shares examples of how California has helped low-income Californians get into EVs via the Charge Ahead California Initiative (Senate Bill 1275, De León).
###
THE GREENLINING INSTITUTE
A Multi-Ethnic Public Policy, Research and Advocacy Institute
www.greenlining.org
@Greenlining