Connecting Cities Along Their EV Journey with the EV City Resource Database

Minnesota cities interested in electric vehicles (EVs) can now connect more easily to up-to-date resources on local governments who are becoming EV ready through a new database. The City Resource Database draws on learning from the Cities Charging Ahead! peer cohort efforts among Minnesota cities and tribal nations, facilitated by the Great Plains Institute and Clean Energy Resource Teams.

Cities Charging Ahead! was a series of peer cohorts, including 41 cities and three tribal nations across Minnesota that worked together to explore EV readiness. The cohorts included technical assistance and best practices based on the EV Ready framework and GreenStep Cities program. The Great Plains Institute and Clean Energy Resource Teams facilitated the cohorts to help cities explore how they could take action to incorporate EV readiness. Working through ideas together, cities and their peers made plans to install EV chargers, address EVs in ordinances and incentives, and purchase fleet vehicles.

Following the Cities Charging Ahead! cohorts, GPI tracked cities’ actions and compiled them into the City Resource Database. The database tracks which pathways cities have taken to obtain and operate their EVs and chargers. It tracks other information, such as maintenance contracts and who has access to installed chargers. The database also documents how EV ordinances and vehicle action plans have been addressed across participating cities. The database will serve as a connecting resource for cities to help each other to achieve EV readiness.

Suggested uses for the database:

• Identifying a city that has purchased a certain model of EV to get their review
• Finding and communicating with cities that have completed a fleet analysis to see if it is right for your city
• Viewing other city’s EV webpages to get ideas for information to include on your webpage
• Understanding the options for owning and operating your city’s potential EV fleet vehicle

Access the City Resource Database online and use the information to advance your own city’s EV readiness!

Learn more about Cities Charging Ahead! or for more information contact Diana McKeown, Metro CERT Director at the Great Plains Institute. Additionally, sign up for the Drive Electric Minnesota newsletter for EV updates in Minnesota.