Houston EVA member Hosts Event at Johnson Space Center

EVA members all across the US have many different interests, careers, and hobbies outside of EVs. Frequently however, the two go hand in hand and the resulting events, projects, and people associated can be really unique! Emma Hwang, member of the Houston EVA, works at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas and shares her interest in space and EVs alike. Recently, she helped organize and hold an EV Show and Tell event at the center itself! The JSC Electric Vehicle Enthusiast Club (JEVEC) had a 2nd EV exhibit for JSC’s annual Safety and Health Day recently. The 1st EVent was an EV exhibit as part of the JSC Open House which had last been held in 2018 where the general public was allowed to tour JSC. The recent event garnered some attention for the variety of vehicles on display with a Rivian R1S, a Ford Mustang Mach E, a Hyundai Ioniq 5, and others available to check out.

Emma is doing regular events for the 11,000 employees at JSC at their new charging station. Executive Order (EO) 14057 (Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability), signed by President Biden on December 8th 2021, requires federal government agencies, including JSC, to meet the goal of 100% zero-emission vehicle acquisitions by 2035, along with other goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act (Pub. L. No. 114-94; 2015) provides funding to federal agencies for transportation infrastructure planning and investment, which has allowed JSC to purchase and install 8 dual port Level 2 EVSEs in 2023. The FAST Act grants JSC the authority to extend the usage of the EVSEs to privately-owned electric vehicles (PEVs) provided that there is no cost to the government, and PEV charging does not interfere with government EV charging. A charging plan for PEVs is still in the works with NASA headquarters and JSC.