On Thursday, November 17, the Transportation Management Association of Chester County held an Electric Vehicle Summit, where ESI Director Frank Robinson and Intern Kendra Hills presented and served on panels.
Robinson presented his keynote on unlocking potential economic benefits for low-income EV consumers.
The increased acceleration of electric vehicle (EVs) adoption has the potential to be skewed along socioeconomic lines, where lower income people are excluded from benefiting from the healthy environmental benefits EVs yield. The purchase and use of EVs is intended to mitigate the effects of climate change and environmental damage on a local level as well as a global one. However, when barriers like high price point rebates prevent low income and disproportionately impacted communities from purchasing EVs, their ability to mitigate local air quality with more efficient or electric vehicles is limited. Furthermore, the building of EV infrastructure can provide opportunities for low income and communities of color to participate and help secure more economic parity.
How can we address these barriers to use and purchase? Read our full Present Value blog post on the same topic here.
“When we make EVs more accessible to everyone, they will have a larger impact and help to remedy systemic environmental and economic injustices,” Frank Robinson, MBA
Robinson and Hills also spoke on a panel: Where do we go from here, which discussed how to move forward in creating equitable, efficient, and sustainable EV infrastructure in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Hills presented on equity recommendations for EV ordinances, planning, and deployment, panel. Review her presentation here.
“Attending and presenting at the EV Summit last week was a great experience. It allowed me to engage with other professionals in the field and present on issues I have dedicated my studies to.” Kendra Hills.
