Sierra Club
We’re in the midst of a transportation revolution. Have you -or your friends and family- been thinking of switching to a plug-in electric car?
Sierra Club has launched the “Rev Up EVs Campaign,” which gives people the opportunity to both check out EVs near you and help us understand what is working well and what could be better to serve consumers in the EV marketplace. We hope you’ll sign up!
There are now about 425,000 plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) on roads across the nation. It’s no surprise why—EVs are cleaner, cheaper and more efficient than their gasoline-fueled counterparts.
While momentum is building, this is only a fraction of the way to our goal of more than 10 million EVs by 2025. A switch to plug-in electric vehicles presents a critical opportunity to slash pollution, create American jobs, and reduce oil dependence. Even when factoring in the emissions from the electricity used to power EVs, they are still significantly lower in emissions than conventional vehicles. As we shift to more renewable sources of power, EVs become even cleaner over time.
Within the first few days of online sales, the all-electric Tesla Model 3 recently garnered 325,000 pre-orders. For contrast, Toyota sold 429,355 Camrys, the most popular car in the country, in one year. If Tesla’s Model 3 sales continue to rise as expected, it will well surpass Camry sales. Even before the Tesla 3 pre-order period began, electric vehicles were gaining momentum. In March, when gas prices were nearly their lowest since 2009, U.S. consumers bought more electric vehicles (EVs) than in any month ever, and that follows four previous months of U.S. EV sales records.
Meanwhile, monthly EV sales still make up less than 1 percent of total U.S. auto sales, and many automakers are lobbying regulators to weaken zero emission vehicle regulations, saying they are doing everything they can to sell EVs. We know some automakers and auto dealers are doing a great job developing, marketing, and selling EVs to consumers-- they have several EVs on their lots, informed salespeople, and strong EV advertising. But many others are falling short..
That’s why we’re asking people to visit car dealerships and stores, learn about the EVs for sale, test drive one if possible, and fill out a short survey to report back to us about the experience. We’re particularly eager for people to participate in the “Zero Emission Vehicle” mandate states of California, Oregon, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Vermont, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. But anyone in any state can participate.
We’ve made it easy. We’ve provided you with a list of dealerships near you, a brief how-to video, and a simple online questionnaire about your experience.
The combined results from the consumer surveys will help us, the auto industry, and government agencies learn from what is working well and what could be improved. Only with your first-hand accounts can we ensure that our EV goals are reached and that emissions standards are protected for years to come.
To join the electric vehicle revolution, visit www.sierraclub.org/rev-up-evs-signup today to visit a car dealership near you or contact mary.lunetta@sierraclub.org to sign up or to learn more.
Before you go, head over to our updated online EV Guide. The guide includes a pick-a-plug-in quiz to help you find the best EV for your lifestyle, information about all of the plug-in cars on the market, including how much you can reduce emissions, fueling costs, and oil consumption as well as what consumer incentives are available in your area. .
There are about 30 EV models available today with many more expected soon. Automakers like BMW and Hyundai are announcing plans to convert virtually their entire lineup of vehicles to plug-in models within the next 10 years. Chrysler announced the first plug-in minivan Pacifica, which goes on sale later this year. More affordable plug-in models with increasing ranges, like the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Bolt, Ford Fusion Energi, and Chevrolet Volt, are moving EVs into the mainstream.
To help avoid the worst impacts of climate disruption and protect our communities, it’s critical that we ensure a widespread and rapid switch to electric vehicles. Join with us to Rev Up EVs today.