Comment Log Display

January 25, 2024

California Air Resources Board
1001 I St.
Sacramento, CA 95814

RE: Support for Electrify America's Cycle 4 Investment Plan

Dear California Air Resources Board Members,

I am writing on behalf of EVHybridNoire in support of Electrify
America's Cycle 4 California ZEV Investment Plan. This significant,
$200 million investment in California over 30 months will bring the
state closer to achieving its zero emission vehicle (ZEV)
deployment and emissions reduction goals to combat climate change
and improve air quality by transitioning to zero emission
transportation. 

As the voice of diverse EV drivers and enthusiasts, EVHybridNoire
engages with communities often left out of e-mobility discussions,
advocates for e-mobility solutions in underserved communities, and
works to shift the narrative about e-mobility to be more inclusive
of diverse populations. Our work involves a mix of grassroots
engagement; advocacy and decision-maker education; media outreach;
speaking engagements; and research. EVHybridNoire envisions a world
where all communities are free of air pollution from cars and
trucks, and everyone can reap the benefits of electric vehicles and
multimodal e-mobility solutions. We believe that the Cycle 4
California ZEV Investment Plan will not only create a better and
cleaner California, but also help lead the way toward a
zero-emission future for the nation.

This is the fourth and final investment cycle by Electrify America
as part of its initial $800 million commitment over 10 years to
accelerate transportation electrification in California. The Cycle
4 ZEV Investment Plan will continue to advance ZEV adoption in
California by further building out public ultra-fast charging
infrastructure in metropolitan areas and along highway corridors,
and continuing to invest in brand neutral education and awareness
efforts, including supporting and sponsoring ZEV education, STEM
programing and workforce development training. To date, Electrify
America has invested $9 million in community-based organizations
and nearly $3 million in STEM and workforce development programs
over Cycles 1-3.

Importantly, the plan continues Electrify America's commitment to
providing benefit through its investments to rural, disadvantaged,
and low income communities, to ensure that all communities can
access charging and participate in the transition to electric
vehicles. Currently, over 50% of Electrify America's public
ultra-fast charging stations at various stages of development are
in disadvantaged or low-income communities, exceeding the company's
35% target. 

We believe that the Cycle 4 Investment Plan is critical to
continuing to grow EV adoption in California at this important
juncture. People of color are 3.7 times more likely than white
people to live in a county with three failing air quality grades.
Not only are the existing inequities appalling, but polluting cars
and trucks are making these disparities worse. Light-duty gasoline
vehicles and heavy-duty gasoline vehicles were found to be two of
the sectors that produce the greatest disparity in levels of
pollutants impacting communities of color compared to other
communities. These results hold regardless of income level,
urban/rural settings, states, and exposure levels. By investing in
charging infrastructure, particularly in low-income and
historically disadvantaged communities (such as Black, LatinX,
Indigenous communities, rural communities, elderly populations, and
the LGBTQ+ communities), Electrify America's work supports
California in reaching the goal of 100% of new car sales being
electric by 2035. EVHybridNoire works to ensure that all Americans,
regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, income, or location, can
access the benefits of clean vehicle technology, and we believe
this plan is crucial to realizing these goals.

We respectfully urge you to approve Electrify America's Cycle 4
California ZEV Investment Plan, in order to keep California on the
forefront as a leader in the fight against climate change.

Respectfully,
Dr. Shelley Francis
Co-Founder and Managing Partner, EVHybridNoire