Pete Buttigieg’s Vision for America’s EV Future: Equitable Access, Cleaner Air, Zero Range Anxiety

Interview by Jenni Doering, Living on Earth

DOERING: How does this help advance environmental justice, a priority for the Biden administration

BUTTIGIEG:  The lion’s share of these funds are going to disadvantaged, historically excluded or overburdened areas. First of all, it’s just making sure that everybody can afford to take advantage of the savings. So we’re lowering the sticker price of EVs through the Inflation Reduction Act, and making sure the chargers are out there. We’ve got to make sure that this is not just a luxury item or rich person’s game, that anybody can take advantage. That means making sure the chargers are literally physically in the neighborhoods where people live. 

The second thing that’s very important in terms of environmental justice is health. A lot of Americans live close to a highway or another facility or area where there’s a lot of traffic. And that means there’s a lot of pollution, a lot of public health issues. We can systematically find, for example, how many neighborhoods with many Americans of color are more likely to have children with asthma, simply because of the particulates going into the air as a result of the traffic. Obviously, that changes when you have those cars running on electricity—ideally, renewable electricity.

Further reading:

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $623 Million in Grants to Continue Building Out Electric Vehicle Charging Network

Funding will deploy chargers in communities and along major travel corridors, while promoting American jobs and leadership in EV charging