350 US mayors pledge to electrify 50 per cent of their fleets
The initiative could lead to an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 new electric cars being put on the road for small and medium-sized municipalities and almost one million tonnes of CO2 emissions being avoided over the lifetime of the vehicles, according to an accompanying press release.
However, the climate mayors not only want to electrify the vehicle fleets, a key focus of the alliance is also on the charging infrastructure. The participants want to increase the number of charging points for electric vehicles in their municipalities by 500 per cent by 2035. The climate mayors see equal access to charging stations as crucial for the transition to the electric age. They therefore want to install 450,000 charging stations for public and municipal use – with at least 40 per cent of the charging infrastructure benefiting disadvantaged areas.
“This commitment to electrification not only underscores our drive for reducing our carbon footprint but also signifies the importance of bipartisan action on climate change,” said John Giles, Mayor of Mesa, Arizona. “By working together across party lines, Climate Mayors can achieve significant progress toward a safe, sustainable, and prosperous future. Embracing electric vehicles will bring long-term benefits to our community, and we are proud to lead this important transition as a united front.”
In the initiative’s press release, a number of mayors of smaller cities have their say. Several well-known metropolises are also involved: Miami, New Orleans, Portland and Seattle. In such cities, the fleets are logically much larger than in smaller towns, so these large cities carry particular weight.
Seattle’s mayor Bruce Harrell said: “In Seattle, we’re taking a multi-pronged approach centered around the needs of our residents and community members to ensure EV use and charging is accessible for all. We are launching dozens of new curbside charging stations, offering rebates for charging in multi-family buildings, and expanding businesses’ use of cargo bikes for urban delivery. These initiatives, driven by the ambitious goals set in Seattle’s Transportation Electrification Blueprint, are driving us towards a cleaner, greener future. In partnership with other Climate Mayors, I am committed to accelerating climate emission reduction, focusing on climate justice for those most impacted by environmental harm, and supporting the resilience of Seattle communities.”
Back in 2019, the Climate Mayors launched the EV Pooled Purchasing Collaborative to help cities electrify their fleets and plan for EV charging. Since then, more than 250 municipalities, counties, transport authorities, port authorities, colleges and universities have committed to purchasing over 4,000 EVs.
0 Comments