Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) and clean energy nonprofit VEIC announced today a new consumer education initiative to increase the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), especially in underserved communities. The comprehensive campaign will include custom information hubs for residential customers, commercial entities, dealerships, and communities served by municipal electric companies. 

The new content will be hosted through two websites, MassCEC and Clean Energy Lives Here, and include user-specific resources for purchasing light, medium, and heavy-duty vehicles such as model options, costs, availability, federal incentives, local rebates, and tax credit eligibility. Customer support will also be available for equipment decisions like charging stations, installation considerations, and best practices to make clean transportation easy and accessible for individuals and organizations.  

Scaling the websites to meet the needs of accelerating EV demand is part of MassCEC’s broader mission to help Massachusetts meet its Clean Energy and Climate Plan targets, which aim to reduce the Transportation sector’s greenhouse gas emissions 18% by 2025 and 34% by 2030. The content will focus on addressing barriers to adoption for under-represented EV buyers such as women, BIPOC communities, renters, and low-income households to improve equity in the market. Content will be developed in multiple languages, and the websites will be fully ADA-compliant. 

“If we want people, organizations, and municipalities to switch to electric vehicles, then it’s important we create accessible and easy-to-navigate online resources where they can learn more about how EVs will help them reduce carbon emissions and save money,” said Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO Dr. Emily Reichert. “All consumers deserve a clear rundown of costs and benefits before making major financial decisions like a car purchase. MassCEC and VEIC’s consumer education initiative aims to address information gaps that exist today with a special focus on expanding EV awareness in communities that have been previously underserved.”

VEIC, which has managed Drive Electric Vermont since 2012 and is the lead consultant for the MassCEC ACT School Bus Advisory Services Program, will lead the development of all content and webpage designs for the statewide consumer awareness campaign. In addition to its clean transportation and creative services experience, the nonprofit also administers large-scale decarbonization programs such as the DC Sustainable Energy Utility and Efficiency Vermont.

“Massachusetts is a national leader in decarbonization, and VEIC is proud to help the state simplify EV adoption for the diverse communities it serves,” said Brian Kealoha, VEIC’s Chief Growth and Impact Officer. 

As part of the campaign’s focus on equity, VEIC is also partnering with Green Path Strategies to conduct content reviews, focus groups, and surveys that ensure under-represented EV buyers are engaged throughout the entire experience. 

The new content is scheduled to launch later this year through the MassCEC and Clean Energy Lives Here websites. For more information on Clean Transportation in Massachusetts, visit the MassCEC website or contact VEIC’s transportation electrification team at www.veic.org.