The criticism that EVs are playthings for the rich is one that resonates with local government officials and community groups. Many of them want to implement measures to advance EV adoption, but they don’t want to advocate policies that leave lower-income groups behind.

The high up-front cost of EVs and the difficulties of providing charging infrastructure to apartment residents may be holding back adoption of these vehicles in communities that arguably need them most.

A new online toolkit from The Greenlining Institute offers advice to advocates and officials on how to help right that imbalance.

“Electric Vehicles for All: An Equity Toolkit” includes recommendations for increasing EV awareness and making EVs more affordable, as well as information about specific tools and resources for policy-makers. It discusses purchase incentives, financing assistance, EV car-sharing and charging infrastructure, and provides examples of how California has helped low-income residents get into EVs via the state’s Charge Ahead California Initiative.

“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. “EVs can help clean the air and 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.”

Source: The Greenlining Institute