Climate Mayors Celebrates 10 Years of Action with New #Electrify50 EV Commitment

During the second anniversary of the historic Inflation Reduction Act, I’m excited to share that nearly 350 Climate Mayors have committed to collectively electrify 50% of city fleets by 2030 and increase electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure by 500% by 2035. Equitable access to charging stations is crucial to a seamless transition, that’s why we aim to install 450,000 chargers for both public and municipal use – with at least 40% of charging infrastructure benefitting disadvantaged communities. The #Electrify50 could lead to an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 new light and medium municipal EVs on the road and nearly 1 million tons of CO2 emissions avoided over the course of the vehicles lifetimes.?

As Climate Mayors celebrates its 10-year anniversary, we’re excited to use this momentous occasion to highlight the importance of transportation decarbonization in the climate fight – sending a powerful market signal that EV demand is only growing. And as we’ve grown from three to 300+ member Mayors, we choose to use our collective power to build on our EV legacy. In 2019, we launched the EV Purchasing Collaborative that has helped cities electrify their fleets and create plans for EV charging infrastructure. Since then, over 250 municipalities, counties, and more have participated and raised their community standard. With this new commitment, our organization will continue to uplift the work of local leaders by providing policy, technical, and analytical resources to cities.

From coast to coast, Mayors are sending a message that cutting transportation emissions, creating green jobs, and delivering health benefits for all communities is a priority for the well being of their cities. And luckily, thanks to unprecedented federal support for electrification and green infrastructure projects, Mayors can drive change at a speed and scale never seen before.

In addition to supporting Mayors in fully leveraging incentives, grants and tax breaks included in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), we are forming national partnerships to ensure success. This includes collaboration with manufacturers and capital funding organizations who received funding from the historic Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund – a $27 billion investment that is mobilizing capital to address the climate crisis. The Climate Mayors team will also work closely with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to deliver on this commitment and usher in a new era of clean air and transportation in cities.

Climate Mayors is proud to bolster this bipartisan effort to deliver a host of economic and health benefits to communities, while striving for equitable access to clean transportation. We’re taking advantage of this historic moment for climate action and committing to go further and faster, together.?

Sincerely,?

Kate Wright