December 14, 2021
EVs in the Twin Cities: Carver
Carver, Minnesota is a town of about 5,200 people located in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area and has recently made big strides in fleet electrification. I caught up with Erin Smith, the community development director for the City of Carver, to hear about the progress Carver has made in electrifying their fleet.
December 7, 2021
EVs in the Twin Cities: Woodbury
Woodbury, Minnesota, a city of about 75,000 people located in the Metro region of Minnesota and has adopted many electric vehicles (EVs) into their city fleet. I caught up with Jen McLoughlin, the sustainability specialist for the City of Woodbury, to learn about the city’s journey of electrifying its fleet. McLoughlin shares Woodbury's process and highlights how staff experience with EVs changed perceptions over time.
December 6, 2021
Electric Vehicle Programs in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill
In November, President Biden signed the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the single largest infrastructure investment in American history. The bill includes significant funding at the federal and state levels for electric vehicles (EVs) and the infrastructure needed to support EV deployment. As state and local governments look to increase transportation electrification, this bill provides investment in several critical areas for deployment.
November 30, 2021
EVs in the Twin Cities: Eden Prairie
Eden Prairie, Minnesota, a suburb of about 64,000 people, is among the first wave of cities in the nation to use an electric vehicle (EV) as a patrol vehicle for the city’s police department. I caught up with Jennifer Hassebroek, the sustainability coordinator for the City of Eden Prairie, to hear about the city’s new patrol vehicle and their process of electrifying the city’s fleet.
November 29, 2021
Charging Medium- and Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicles: Plugging into the Future Part II
The medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicle (EV) market is growing. However, mass electrification of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles will require charging infrastructure and standards tailored to meet their high energy needs. Leaders have an opportunity to increase electrification of these vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by closing this infrastructure gap.
November 23, 2021
EVs in Greater Minnesota: Faribault
As electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming more mainstream and in the national focus, Minnesota cities are increasingly looking to jump onboard. Faribault, Minnesota, is a town of about 24,000 people located in southeastern Minnesota that has been an early adopter of EVs. I caught up with David Wanberg, a city planner for the City of Faribault, to hear about Faribault’s progress towards electrifying its fleet.
September 30, 2021
The Medium- and Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicle Market: Plugging into the Future Part I
Electric vehicles (EVs) are the future! You have probably seen that headline before. The last decade has seen all-electric and plug-in hybrid EVs from many automakers become part of the…
September 21, 2021
How to Use the Electric Vehicle Resource Database
Drive Electric Minnesota maintains an Electric Vehicle (EV) Resource Database on Airtable, which categorizes EV resources so users can easily filter resources to their needs. The purpose of the database is to help connect users to resources about EVs that are in one easy-to-use location.
September 8, 2021
How to Host a Covid-Safe In-Person Ride and Drive
National Drive Electric Week is on the horizon, from September 25 through October 3, 2021, and organizers are considering a move back to in-person events. Ride and drives, a popular type of National Drive Electric Week event, have been a way for the electric vehicle (EV) industry to promote the transition to EVs and for the public to learn about and experience what it is like to drive electric. Because of the pandemic, ride and drives shifted to the virtual world with pre-recorded test drives and virtual panels of EV owners. Now, using proper safety measures, it is possible to host outdoor events in-person again where people can get behind the wheel of an EV.
June 4, 2021
EV Boot Camp Webinar: Community Best Practices and Resources
On April 29, the Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) and the Great Plains Institute (GPI) co-hosted Cities Charging Ahead: Electric Vehicle Boot Camp. The webinar shared electric vehicle (EV) best practices and resources drawn from the two previous successful peer cohorts of cities working together to learn and take action to accelerate EV adoption in their communities. The topics covered included city roles and EV charging, an overview of adding EVs to city fleets, and EV readiness for cities.