We’ve come a long way since the days when would-be electric vehicle owners were limited to Teslas or a few other models.
At an electric vehicle showcase hosted by the U.S. Department of Transportation on June 9, I checked out pick-up trucks made by Rivian and Ford, the new all-electric Volkswagen ID-4, a new updated Chevrolet Volt, a Lucid sedan, plug-in hybrid Toyotas and Jeep Wranglers, Mazda’s first electric car (the MX-30 crossover), yes, a Tesla, and many more. We even got to see a massive Peterbilt electric regional hauler. Alongside the cars and trucks, manufacturers displayed electric vehicle charging stations featuring contactless payment, off-the-grid charging and other new features.
The showcase coincided with Charging Forward, U.S. DOT’s EV Charging Symposium, to provide guidance on new charging programs created by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The law, which PIRG supported, provides $7.5 billion for electric vehicle charging infrastructure nationwide plus $2.5 billion for electric school buses.
Tell the Governor: make all state-owned vehicles electric
State government fleets operate thousands of vehicles, and agencies can use their purchasing power to invest in more electric vehicles. Ask your Governor to lead by example by directing state agencies to purchase electric vehicles.