Electrification Coalition Praises Smart Columbus for Exceeding Electric Vehicle Adoption Goal
Columbus region car buyers purchased 3,323 EVs over three years, surpassing the program goal and exemplifying how community-based partnerships can increase EV adoption
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 28, 2020 WASHINGTON, DC — The Electrification Coalition (EC) today praised Smart Columbus for exceeding its goal of 3,200 electric vehicle (EV) purchases in the seven-county Columbus, Ohio region in fewer than three years. The EC serves as a strategic and technical advisor to the Smart Columbus Electrification Program, part of a smart city initiative co-led by the City of Columbus and Columbus Partnership that includes more than 100 public- and private-sector partners. “Smart Columbus has developed innovative programs and partnerships that will electrify the future of transportation in the region,” said Ben Prochazka, National Director of the Electrification Coalition. “As a longstanding partner, it’s been amazing to see how their hard work has influenced consumers, businesses, and both public and private fleets to take Columbus from zero to 60 for EV adoption. The Smart Columbus Electrification Program has not only shifted the market but will serve as a model for accelerating the market through broad community partnerships.” When Columbus applied to the Smart City Challenge in 2016, just 0.4 percent of vehicles sold in the region were battery electric vehicles (BEVs) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). The Smart Columbus Electrification Program set a goal of reaching 1.8 percent by March 2020. Sales reached as high as 2.34 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018. In addition to surpassing the Smart Columbus goal with 3,323 EVs sold between April 2017 and February 2020, consumer likelihood of purchasing an EV grew by 20 percent in the region, suggesting sustained future growth. Transitioning those 3,323 vehicles in the Columbus region to electric is estimated to reduce gasoline consumption by more than 208,000 gallons, or nearly 4,300 barrels of oil—resulting in the elimination of about 1,850 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. “The adoption of EVs and charging infrastructure result in significant health, economic and environmental benefits, and Columbus has created a playbook and model example for communities across the nation seeking to create a transportation electrification strategy with lasting impact,” Prochazka added. The Smart Columbus Electrification Program was developed and executed through a $10 million grant awarded to Columbus by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation as the winner of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Smart City Challenge. EC acted as a technical advisor to the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation during the Challenge, and to Smart Columbus throughout the program implementation. The Smart City Challenge grants have helped to galvanize an additional $720 million in regional aligned investments by private, public and academic institutions to support technology and infrastructure improvements and upgrade the area’s transportation network. More information on Smart Columbus can be found at smart.columbus.gov.# # #
About the Electrification Coalition: The Electrification Coalition is a nonpartisan, nonprofit group of business leaders committed to promoting policies and actions that reduce America’s dependence on oil by facilitating the deployment of electric vehicles on a mass scale. The members of the Electrification Coalition are leaders of companies representing the entire value chain of an electrified transportation system.
For more information, visit electrificationcoalition.org.
Media Contacts: Adam Snider, Electrification Coalition asnider@electrificationcoalition.org | 202-365-8971 Jennifer Fening, Smart Columbus jf@columbuspartnership.com | 614-309-4147