Guest blog and Stan Cross | October 6, 2022
| Clean transportation, Electric vehicles, Energy Justice
This article was co-authored by Stan Cross, director of electric transportation policy for SACE, and Dr. Shelley Francis, co-founder and director of EVHybridNoire, the largest national network of electric vehicle drivers and enthusiasts.
Electric cars, trucks and buses will provide safer, cleaner and cheaper transport while stimulating economic development and job opportunities. We must ensure that all North Carolina residents can enjoy the benefits of electric transportation, regardless of race, income, and geography.
For two years, the Southern Clean Energy Alliance (SACE) and EVHybridBlack (EVHN) have partnered to expand electric vehicle (EV) awareness in North Carolina, better understand consumer EV knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, and amplify underrepresented voices to inform North Carolina EV plans, policies and programs.
Today’s transportation sector still reflects the prejudices of decades of discriminatory policies, the demarcation of ethnically diverse neighborhoods and the building of freeways that shattered previously thriving minority communities. Our research and engagement seeks to understand how historical inequalities shape the current statewide transportation landscape, particularly for Black, Latino/a, and communities struggling with environmental injustices.
For example, in the Raleigh area, EVHN examined the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and experiences of Black and Latino/a residents regarding transportation and electric vehicles. The findings included information:
- Black and Latino communities are generally interested in electric vehicles
- Study participants reported reliance on personal vehicles to meet mobility needs
- Latino/a participants shared the importance of carpooling in their community;
- Participants expressed concerns about the limitations of public transport and language barriers;
- Black and Latino/a participants made it clear that messaging and messenger are important because they want to learn about electric vehicles from individuals who reflect their communities;
- Black women were more likely to own an electric vehicle than black men
- It requires culturally appropriate education and sensitization tailored to the specific needs of each community.
These nuanced understandings can help guide clean transportation planning, policies, and programs to move the state toward an equitable and accessible future for electric vehicles.
Equitable access to electric vehicle ownership is financially critical, because as electric vehicles become more widespread, not having access to them will disadvantage consumers. Owning an electric vehicle saves consumers money. We know this because we drive electric vehicles. Ask any electric vehicle driver and they’ll confirm that we save over $1,000 a year by using electricity instead of gas. And the more expensive gasoline becomes, the more we save by driving with cheap electricity at a stable price. Low-income and rural communities stand to benefit the most, as a higher percentage of their household income is spent on transportation expenses.
Owning an electric vehicle saves consumers money. We know this because we drive electric vehicles. Ask any electric vehicle driver and they’ll confirm that we save over $1,000 a year by using electricity instead of gas. And the more expensive gasoline becomes, the more we save by driving with cheap electricity at a stable price.
As investments in the electric vehicle industry create thousands of new jobs, providing traditionally underserved communities with access to these new job opportunities should be a priority. North Carolina is home to more than 40 electric vehicle-related companies, providing more than 13,300 jobs and growing. These companies touch every link in the electric vehicle supply chain, including vehicle manufacturing, construction and installation of charging stations, research and production of batteries, and innovation of hardware and software components. . We must invest in workforce training to ensure that electric vehicle employment opportunities reach all communities in the state.
And when we talk about equal access to clean air, we recognize that, according to the American Lung Association’s review of more than 700 scientific studies, gasoline and diesel exhaust emissions lead to many health risks, including childhood asthma, impaired lung function and premature death. These risks intensify for low-income people and communities of color who live disproportionately close to polluted air. Electric cars, trucks and buses have zero tailpipe emissions, so prioritizing the deployment of electric vehicles where transport pollution loads are highest will provide the greatest public health benefits.
We must seize this once-in-a-century innovation opportunity to deliver on the promise of a fair and equitable electrified transportation system: one that provides equal access to financial savings, job opportunities, and public health benefits. at hand. Anything less is unacceptable.