All Posts By

Erin Rathe

In Community, Electric Vehicles, Recharge Minnesota

Test Drive EVent in Albert Lea!

Recharge Minnesota held a very successful event at Design Ready Controls (DRC) in Albert Lea on May 5! With test drive cars from Tesla, Ford, VW, and Nissan, plus showcase cars from those manufacturers and more, the attendees had a wide range of options for learning about EVs. VIP guests were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of DRC and a ride around town on an electric school bus, courtesy of Interstate Truck Centers. 

Attendees completed 86 test drives, and DRC estimated delivering close to 400 tours of their facility. Exhibitors included Nuss Trucking, Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative, Austin Utilities, Riverland College, Albert Lea Chamber of Commerce, MN DOT, and Heliox. Freeborn County 4-H brought kits for kids to assemble their own mini EVs, and food trucks from Nel’s Diner and Just Take the Cake Too were on hand with snacks and lunch options. 

Every test drive generated a donation to Alden-Conger High School’s Supermileage Club and VEX Robotics, student organizations that were also on hand to show off what they do. The Supermileage Club is headed to the world championships in India later this year! The student groups will each receive $2,500 as a result of sponsorships and donations from exhibitors and the community.

In Community, Electric Vehicles, Recharge Massachusetts, Recharge Minnesota

Recharge America – Securing the Promise of EVs for Everybody

Reporting from our annual recognition ceremonies and inaugural symposia in Minnesota and Massachusetts this spring

Recharge America has annually hosted recognition events in Minnesota and Massachusetts honoring leaders in EVs. This year also marked the first-ever statewide symposia in each state, aimed at providing an opportunity to share lessons learned among Recharge participants. Taking place on March 22 on the campus of Minnesota State University Mankato and on April 12 on the campus of University of Massachusetts Boston, these two events incorporated presentations from state officials, nonprofits, energy partners, and manufacturers on their advances and programs in the EV space. The centerpiece of each gathering was a video showcasing the impact Recharge participants have had across their respective states.

Learners eager to replicate successes in their communities participated in small breakout sessions led by industry leaders working to ensure that the rollout of EVs remains innovative and accessible, providing opportunities to everyone:

  • State officials from the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Massachusetts  Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs outlined their priorities and opportunities for implementing National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) plans. 
  • Representatives from energy partners like Xcel, Connexus, Fermata, Eversource, and National Grid outlined their programs for commercial customers that encourage EV charging installation and support grid resilience and planning. 
  • Businesses including Voltrek in Massachusetts and Design Ready Controls in Minnesota described their public-private partnerships that are driving economic and workforce development.
  • Researchers, policy analysts, and students from higher educational institutions — including MSU Mankato, Riverland Community College, Boston University, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute — engaged with participants describing the hurdles ahead so they could lend their expertise to help solve those problems.
  • Stakeholders from community groups, like PLACE, HourCar and Good2Go carsharing services, Native Sun Community Power Development, and the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts, shared their efforts to bring EV access and innovation to Environmental Justice communities. 

The goal? Build on the promise that one of the best ways to boost EV adoption is to harness lessons learned from each other. Conversations during these events identified a variety of new initiatives for the coming year:

  • Aligning various incentive programs that provide grants and rebates with populations who can’t access them: overnight street parkers, deed-restricted parking spaces, and multifamily rental complexes;
  • Conducting outreach to Environmental Justice Communities (EJCs) to bring both EV cars and infrastructure into those communities in ways that truly serve the constituents who live in them;
  • Converting fleets of buses, trucks, and service vehicles to Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) and supporting their adoption with flexible charging solutions that keep those fleets active on demand;
  • Connecting workforce development programs with manufacturing needs, particularly in economically disadvantaged communities;
  • Identifying further ways to reduce overall Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMTs) by connecting bike trails, providing micromobility opportunities, and growing carsharing and ridesharing programs.

Building off community engagement work across these states, the collaborative framework Recharge America is building demonstrates the power of positive storytelling to help realize the promise of an electric transportation system that can serve us all. We’re already looking forward to and planning next year’s symposia!