Washington, D.C.— In response to President Biden’s signing of an executive order that directs federal agencies to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, Electrification Coalition Executive Director Ben Prochazka made the following statement:
“The Electrification Coalition applauds the administration for setting these ambitious commitments to accelerate the electrification of the federal fleet. Our nation’s transition to electric vehicles is now only a question of when – not if. The federal government’s leadership establishes a path forward to reduce the economic, public health and national security risks that stem from a transportation system that’s tethered to oil.
“The federal fleet is a heavyweight customer with immense purchasing power. This announcement sends a clear signal to industry and the markets that the United States will be a leader in the transition to electrification – it’s time to take electric vehicle production, charging infrastructure development and charging equipment manufacturing to the next level. The federal government’s sharp increase in demand for EVs will spur market activity that reverberates far beyond the federal fleet. Consumers and private-sector fleets will drive electric vehicles, and American workers will be at the forefront of a historic transformation in vehicle manufacturing.
“A broad and diverse community of advocates has been pressing for this kind of commitment for more than a decade, and we are thrilled that President Biden is leading the federal government to take action. In August, we released a federal fleet analysis in partnership with Atlas Public Policy, showing it is feasible to electrify the federal fleet on the timeline the Biden Administration has set forth, at a cost savings to taxpayers. We know that these urgent steps will save taxpayer dollars, reduce our reliance on unreliable global oil markets, strengthen our national security, improve public health and curb climate change. We look forward to working with federal agencies on the exciting steps ahead to meet these ambitious but achievable goals.”
The Electrification Coalition has a broad set of tools and resources developed to support fleets in their transition to electric vehicles. Learn more at www.electrificationcoalition.org.
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About the Electrification Coalition: The Electrification Coalition is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that advances policies and actions to facilitate the deployment of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) on a mass scale in order to reduce the economic, public health and national security risks caused by America’s dependence on oil. For more information, visit electrificationcoalition.org.