“I am one of you.” That’s what Secretary Pete Buttigieg told me last month when I met him at our Washington D.C. event and explained that Plug In America members are EV consumers. I told him our goal is to represent the interests of consumers as Congress moves forward (hopefully) with the budget reconciliation legislation, infrastructure bill and the package of EV support programs that they include.
In late October, Plug In America put on an EV showcase event at the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington D.C. with a range of the latest electric cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, and e-bikes, intended to keep hammering home the message that a wide range of EVs are here now on American roads. We were joined by Secretary Buttigieg and White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy. I had the honor of escorting them around the displayed vehicles. Secretary Buttigieg let me know that, not only is he strongly committed to the EV transformation of our country, but he has an EV himself.
We also talked about how important it is that federal investments in charging infrastructure be done in a way that supports consumers and ensures a positive EV charging experience.
The event was intended to keep the pressure on Congress to keep the EV funding in the budget reconciliation and infrastructure bills as they wind their way through the legislative process. In fact, that process is still going on, so if you haven’t told your elected officials how much you care about EVs lately, please remind them now!
Watch video of speeches at this event:
