New Campaign Aims to Spark EV Converts

If they try it, they’ll love it. That’s the concept behind a new electric vehicle (EV) promotional campaign approved by MTC in September 2013. Spearheaded by the California Center for Sustainable Energy, the $845,000 campaign is intended to reduce regional greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by encouraging residents to experience electric vehicles first-hand — the hope being that once they’ve steered a Volt, a Leaf, a Tesla, or any other EV, they will become converts. The Bay Area EV campaign will also promote high-tech innovation and green culture in the Bay Area.

“What we’re recommending isn’t a traditional marketing campaign,” said Ursula Vogler, project manager for MTC’s Climate Initiatives Outreach program. Instead, the Center for Sustainable Energy will host interactive Ride-and-Drive opportunities at workplaces and neighborhood venues around the Bay Area, where drivers will have the chance to test-drive electric vehicles and share their experience using social media, all without the sales pressure of a traditional showroom. About 6,500 drivers are predicted to participate in a series of two dozen Ride-and-Drive events from February through July, 2014.

The Bay Area is already “a bright hot spot for EV adoption within California and throughout the country,” says Chuck Colgan, a Center for Sustainable Energy spokesman. Of the 34,019 electric vehicles registered with California’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Program, more than 1/3 are owned by Bay Area residents and Colgan notes that locals already have “a high awareness of EV basics” from seeing the cars in advertising, around town or at one of the charging stations sprinkled throughout the region. Still, there are persistent barriers to electric vehicle adoption, as MTC found after conducting market research in partnership with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQM), the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM), City CarShare and the EV Strategic Council.

According to this research, “the public’s lack of meaningful experience with electric vehicles is a major barrier to increased use.” MTC Commissioners noted that existing barriers also include local towns’ electric capacity and the availability of charging stations. These additional issues are being addressed by BAAQMD, which has been conducting a detailed analysis of the region’s electric vehicle situation, and is currently finalizing recommendations for future enhancements, including improvements to the charger network.

The Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE) was chosen to lead the EV promotional campaign based on “the depth and breadth of its experience, understanding of the project elements and connections in the electric vehicle industry,” Vogler said. CCSE has previously worked on implementing electric vehicle infrastructure plans for the City of San Diego and San Joaquin Valley. For the Bay Area EV Campaign, they will collaborate with Plug-in America, Charge Across Town and Shift Communications. In addition, CCSE will coordinate with BAAQMD and the Bay Area EV Strategic Council.

MTC Commission approved the contract with CCSE as part of MTC’s $80 million Climate Initiatives Program, which promotes education about emissions-reduction strategies while actively reducing both transportation-related emissions and vehicle miles traveled. Vogler’s data suggests that if just 500 people converted to electric vehicles, Bay Area emissions would decrease by more than 3,300 tons annually.