How can you communicate the benefits of electric vehicle infrastructure to stakeholders?

1 Know your benefits

Before you communicate the benefits of EV infrastructure, you need to have a clear and concise understanding of what they are. Depending on your context and goals, you may want to emphasize various advantages, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality, supporting economic development and innovation, enhancing mobility and accessibility, increasing energy security and resilience, or creating new jobs and opportunities. To make your claims more convincing, it’s important to provide evidence like data, facts, or examples. But try not to overwhelm your audience with too much information or technical jargon; instead, focus on the most pertinent and compelling benefits that align with your purpose and vision.

3 Know your tools

When communicating the benefits of EV infrastructure, you should consider various tools and channels, such as reports, brochures, websites, blogs, presentations, webinars, workshops, meetings, events, campaigns, and demonstrations. It's important to select the tools that best suit your objectives, audience, and resources. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each tool in terms of effectiveness in conveying your message and benefits, accessibility to your audience and stakeholders, interactivity in engaging your audience and stakeholders, and credibility in establishing your authority and trustworthiness. Additionally, using a combination of tools can help you reach a wider and more diverse audience while reinforcing your message through multiple channels.

4 Know your barriers

Even if you have a clear message, a targeted audience, and a suitable tool, you may still encounter some barriers or challenges in communicating the benefits of EV infrastructure, such as lack of awareness or understanding, resistance to change or innovation, conflicting interests or agendas, misinformation or myths, and limited resources or capacity. To overcome these barriers, you should educate and inform your audience and stakeholders about EV infrastructure, emphasize the positive impacts and outcomes, collaborate and partner with other stakeholders and allies, address and debunk common misconceptions or myths about EV infrastructure, and seek and secure funding or support. Additionally, it is important to monitor and evaluate your communication efforts while also being flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances. By following these tips, you can communicate the benefits of EV infrastructure to stakeholders successfully and persuasively, advancing your transportation planning goals.