Climate Mayors push for EV adoption in the U.S.

Electric vehicle advocates from the public sector were out in full force this past June, with representatives from 127 US cities gathering for the second annual Climate Mayors Summit in Honolulu, Hawaii.

See also: The keys to EV adoption

Who are the Climate Mayors?

The Climate Mayors are a network of more than 400 U.S. city leaders working together to fight climate change. Their aim is to meet Paris Agreement objectives, by committing to the purchase and use of electric vehicles (EVs), and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the process.

This collaboration seeks to achieve real change now, by following more environmentally sustainable practices and transition to electric.

See also: A simple guide to EV charging

Climate Mayors commit to purchasing more than 2,100 EVs by 2020

The one-day Climate Mayors Summit covered various topics in climate change, such as renewable energy and the financial costs and risks of global warming. Keynote speakers at the event included Eric Garcetti, Founder and Co-chairman of Climate Mayors, and Kirk Caldwell, mayor of Honolulu.

In addition, the Climate Mayors officially announced the launch of this year’s Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative. The purchasing collaborative aims to accelerate the conversion of municipal fleets to EV fleets by lowering the costs of electric vehicles and charging stations in all American cities, states, and counties. The EV Purchasing Collaborative provides cities with single pricing for EVs and charging infrastructure. The Collaborative also offers training programs, educational resources and best practices for EV fleets across the country, as well as facilitates the purchasing and procurement of EVs.

Major announcements of the Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative include:

• Commitment by members to purchase more than 2,100 EVs by the end of 2020.
• Take action to help make electric school buses more affordable for public schools.

Members of the Climate Mayors association, the Electrification Coalition, and Sourcewell partnered last year to promote the adoption of EV fleet for ground transportation including cars, buses, and trains. The collaborative is also working together with the American Cities Climate Challenge, a coalition of 25 U.S. Leadership Cities focused on cutting carbon emissions.

Those involved in the initiative included cities and counties from east to west coast and beyond, such as New York City, Washington D.C., Columbus, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, and Honolulu to name a few.

The Collaborative has the potential to make major progress on the environmental front, including:

• Reduce gas usage by up to one million gallons a year.
• See up to 25 million EV miles driven each year.
• Add more than $75 million in purchasing power to the EV market

Learn more about transitioning to electric vehicles by downloading our ebook "The complete fleet electrification roadmap".

Related:

Fleet Electrification Knowledge Center

Electric vehicle adoption in the UK: Why make the transition?

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