Our Dayton chapter was recently represented by Rap Hankins and Chris Celek at the National League of Cities Centennial City Summit in Tampa, Florida, on November 13-16. “Our conclusions are that elected officials at the local level are motivated to electrify their fleets. They: 1. Lack the information to do so. 2. They lack the funds or fear that available funds will soon be eliminated by the newly elected administration. 3. Many elected officials own EVs, personally, and are willing to listen if the information is clearly stated.”

This highlights the importance of having representation at various local, state, and national events that help demonstrate the benefits of EVs. One of their big takeaways was that “Elections Matter. Local Needs Matter More.” They discovered that city leaders get their information about EVs from the same misleading cable news shows and online sources as their constituents. The lack of accurate knowledge about EV safety, costs, and availability of charging infrastructure for public and private fleets is astounding. Elected mayors, and city council members in attendance expect anti-EV policies and federal funding cuts from the incoming administration and Congress. But they remain interested in electric vehicles that can help them save taxpayers' money, increase fleet reliability, and improve air quality to enhance the health of their residents.

“Equity and Environmental Justice are at the heart of what we do. We know we must focus our work on local elected officials nationwide if we are to continue our work promoting EV adoption in underserved communities.” said Hankins.