Our Work

Veterans for EVs

Veterans for EVs is an initiative of the Electrification Coalition that serves as a rallying point for advocacy and action by U.S. military veterans in support of transportation electrification. The initiative allows veterans to network with and learn from one another on issues of oil dependence, national security, American jobs in EV-related industries, energy security, and economic prosperity.

To learn about upcoming events and opportunities to get involved, contact EC Campaigns Director Aaron Viles.

Veterans: Tell the EPA to adopt strong emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles.

Webinar: How Vets are Moving Transportation Forward

In November 2023, the Electrification Coalition’s Veterans for EVs webinar included how not to get drafted in the war on EVs, a video short on military electrification from the American Resilience Project, and great updates about veteran-led initiatives in transportation electrification.

Webinar: Veterans and Mobility Solutions

In November 2022, SAFE and the Electrification Coalition’s Veterans for EVs initiative hosted a webinar about the breakthroughs and barriers for utilizing the next generation of autonomous and electric vehicles to create greater mobility options for veterans with disabilities. 

Webinar: EVs, National Security and American Jobs

In November 2021, the Electrification Coalition hosted a panel discussion by and for U.S. veterans to explore the national security benefits of transportation electrification and the job opportunities associated with American leadership in EV innovation and manufacturing. Leading experts revealed how U.S. investments in EVs and charging infrastructure can mitigate geopolitical security challenges. Speakers also discussed how U.S. veterans can leverage their skills for the EV jobs of the future.

EVs and National Security

Because the fate of the U.S. economy is so closely tied to petroleum, the United States is forced to expend tremendous resources to secure the word’s oil supply. The U.S. military spends about $81 billion per year to protect oil infrastructure and oil transit routes. In addition to the financial cost, this puts the lives of our servicemembers at risk to protect the flow of oil. Reducing oil use in the transportation sector allows for the possibility of shifting U.S. military priorities toward more critical strategic threats.

Electricity, on the other hand, is ubiquitous and domestically produced from a diversity of energy sources. Electricity is also cheaper than gasoline and diesel fuel, and its pricing is far less volatile. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, even though domestic oil production has increased substantially in recent years, the global oil market is still heavily influenced by OPEC, a cartel of 13 petroleum-exporting countries in the Middle East, Africa, and South America. As a result, domestic fuel prices are highly sensitive to the dealings of these actors, who share neither our values nor our interests.

Transportation is the United States’ largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, the pollution that drives climate change. The U.S. Intelligence Community assesses that “climate change will increasingly exacerbate risks to U.S. national security interests as the physical impacts increase and geopolitical tensions mount about how to respond to the challenge. Meanwhile, environmental degradation will increasingly intersect with and worsen climate change effects in many countries, particularly low-income countries.” Read more in the U.S. Intelligence Community Annual Risk Assessment (p. 21).