Public Information and Awareness (2)

Editor’s Note: These series are selected from manual Electric Vehicle Community Market Launch Manual: A Guide to Prepare Your Community for Electric Vehicles which was prepared by the Electric Transportation Coalition (ETC) and the Electric Vehicle Association of the Americas (EVAA) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

IDEAS FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION ACTIVITIES TARGETING EVs AND INFRASTRUCTURE

The following is a sampling of some of the activities a community could consider as part of a public information and awareness action plan:

  • Provide speakers to, and organize speaking engagements at, local business groups and chambers of commerce to educate members about EVs and EV infrastructure developments
  • Create a display highlighting the community’s progress in the EV arena to use at local fairs and events
  • Demonstrate charging technologies at community events
  • Hold news conferences to unveil new public charging stations
  • Provide elected officials and the news media the opportunity to take an EV home overnight to realize the benefits of charging at home
  • Conduct EV ride-and-drives for policymakers and the general public
  • Develop a slogan for the publicity program to enhance its recognition factor
  • Develop materials to inform various stakeholders about EVs and their associated infrastructure (see Volume III of this Manual for examples of such materials)
  • Determine organizations with which your community could form an alliance
  • Identify a grassroots coalition
  • Place visible signage at public EV charging facilities
  • Develop a quarterly newsletter geared toward certain stakeholder groups to discuss EV issues

This case study describes an aspect of one utility’s communications plan:

Virginia Power ‘‘electroexpo ’95’’

The tremendous economic, technical, and efficiency advantages of EVs guarantee they will be a major component in the nation’s transportation future. To heighten EV awareness in private and public sectors, VP, in conjunction with GM, sponsored an exposition to showcase commercially available EVs. ‘‘electroexpo ’95,’’ dedicated to market ready technology, attracted nearly 3,000 visitors who toured displays, attended seminars, and experienced one of the largest gatherings of electric cars, trucks, buses and off-road vehicles ever assembled. The event attracted people from around the world—members of the public, federal, state, and local officials, private fleet operators, and representatives of other utilities.

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May 24, 2008 · Filed Under Electric Car Conversion Blog

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