Bay Area to Launch Regional EV Promotional Marketing Campaign

Initiative to Accelerate Adoption of Electric Vehicles through “Ride and Drives” and Other Outreach

OAKLAND, CA, June 13, 2013 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) announced today that it issued a Request for Proposals for a consultant to assist in the implementation of a region-wide electric vehicle (EV) promotional campaign to accelerate adoption of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs). MTC developed the campaign plan in partnership with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) and the Bay Area EV Strategic Council, an executive leadership group comprised of local business, government and non-profit leaders.

“The EV Promotional Campaign is part of the Climate Initiatives Program, which is designed to promote a variety of new techniques for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and vehicle-miles traveled around the Bay Area,” explained MTC Legislation and Public Affairs Director Randy Rentschler. “The acceleration of EV adoption in the Bay Area will help us meet Bay Area GHG emission reduction goals. It will also help reduce consumer spending on fuel and boost job creation in the region, two important benefits.”

“Adoption of more electric and plug-in electric vehicles will advance our clean air goals, reduce asthma and boost public health,” said Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. “This effort will help us meet the region’s Clean Air Plan goals of deploying 100,000 plug-in vehicles by 2020. The smarter our transportation choices, the better it will be for air quality around our neighborhoods and the more money from gas savings in our pockets.”

The EV Promotional Campaign, which is scheduled to launch early next year, will focus on increasing awareness of EVs in the Bay Area through education and outreach, including “ride and drive” events that enable Bay Area residents to experience the “electric feeling” of driving the new generation of EVs available from an increasing number of manufacturers -- ranging from Tesla and BMW to Chevy, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and many others coming to market later this year. Marin County Supervisor and MTC Commissioner Steve Kinsey, who co-chairs the Bay Area EV Strategic Council, noted, “This campaign will provide another jumpstart for the EV market in the region, which already is emerging as the EV Capital of the U.S. We look forward to partnering with all the EV manufacturers, major employers and other industry partners to ensure these ride and drive events are a success.”

MTC, which launched its Climate Initiatives Program in October 2010, has invested approximately $8 million to date in regional EV demonstration projects, including pilot programs for charging infrastructure and incentives for municipal and car-sharing fleets.

“Meeting the region’s targets could reduce Bay Area drivers’ fuel costs by $120 million a year or more,” explained BACC’s Executive Director, Rafael Reyes. “While EVs are in an early stage of adoption, their share of the total vehicle market is actually growing more quickly than conventional hybrids did when they were first introduced. Each quarter there is sales growth of EVs in California, so we know this market will accelerate quickly as consumers experience the high performance, low operating costs, and environmental benefits of EVs.”

Currently there are approximately 10,000 EVs in the nine-county Bay Area, and the region accounts for 36 percent of all plug-in vehicles in California. Building on work by EV Strategic Council members such as Plug In America, San Francisco’s City CarShare and other groups, the EV Promotional Campaign will target potential “early adopters” to encourage drivers to buy or lease EVs or to use plug-in EVs through car-sharing outlets. The campaign will provide opportunities for the public to try EVs at company campuses and public locations throughout the region, and will include integrated media promotion.

About the Bay Area EV Strategic Council
The Bay Area EV Strategic Council is an executive forum created to establish the Bay Area as an “EV Capital” region, as measured by the mass adoption of EVs. In addition to Broadbent and Kinsey, members of the EV Strategic Council include San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates, MTC Executive Director Steve Heminger, ABAG Executive Director Ezra Rapport, and senior executives from the Silicon Valley Leadership Group; Tesla; PG&E; Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers; ChargePoint; ECOtality; City CarShare; Plug In America; the Clean Cities Coalitions of the Bay Area; and the Monterey Bay EV Alliance. The EV Strategic Council is co-facilitated by the Bay Area Climate Collaborative and the EV Communities Alliance.

About the Bay Area Climate Collaborative
The Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC) is a public-private initiative of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and established by the Mayors of San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland to accelerate the clean energy economy. Major partners include Bank of America, PG&E, Environmental Defense Fund, and local governments representing over 70 percent of the Bay Area population. In addition to co-facilitating the Bay Area EV Strategic Council, the BACC is driving electric vehicle innovation through the Local Government EV Fleet National Demonstration Project, the largest collective municipal all-battery EV fleet deployment in the US, and Ready, Set, Charge, California! A Guide to EV-Ready Communities delivering key guidance on EV preparedness. For more information on the BACC, please visit: www.baclimate.org

Release by: Bay Area EV Strategic Council

Press release courtesy of Online PR Media: http://bit.ly/150AH06

Claire Barton
Bay Area Climate Collaborative
408-634-4554
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