EV Smart Communities is a recognition program designed to provide communities with a roadmap to electric vehicle (EV) readiness, including securing funding and getting projects off the ground. The path to becoming EV ready involves a portfolio of best practices and actions that include both simple steps and more complicated initiatives that makes it possible for any community to participate.
The program provides flexibility for individual community priorities and institutional capacity. Participating communities will create an environment of peer communities to work together and establish new EV markets and benefit residents and businesses in their local communities.
Successful community participants will be recognized for their work to accelerate local adoption of EVs, while benefiting the economic, social, and environmental vitality of their community. Communities pursuing EV Smart certification will receive the following benefits:
- Technical assistance
- Roadmap for securing both state and federal funding sources
- Partnership development with local electric utilities and other private partners
- Recognition as an “EV Smart Community” program participant
To participate in this program, a letter of commitment needs to be approved by the governing body of the organization. The program will pick 25 communities to participate, half of which will be rural based.
The EV Smart Communities program is led by Clean Fuels Ohio, the Ecology Center, Michigan Municipal League, and the Great Plains Institute. It is funded by General Motors’ Climate Equity Fund.