Exclusive: Ron Swanson helps jump-start big new EV push

Axios

2 days ago

Electric vehicle advocates on Monday are launching a $43.5 million campaign that touts EVs' benefits — and has a star pitchman in actor Nick Offerman.
Why it matters: The nonprofit EV group Veloz's effort lands as the new budget law ends federal consumer tax credits this fall and Trump 2.0 dismantles other Biden-era EV policies.
The advertising and public awareness push, funded by charging network Electrify America, marks a major effort by Veloz to expand its work beyond California.
"Electric for All" is the "first and largest nonprofit-led EV education campaign in the U.S.," an announcement to be released Monday states.
The big picture: Veloz executive director Josh D. Boone tells Axios exclusively there's no direct tie to the recent legislation, noting Veloz has eyed going national since its launch almost nine years ago.
But he said it's "good timing" because "more Americans are interested in EVs than ever" and need factual info.
He said Veloz is encouraging people to tap federal incentives before they vanish.
But it's also highlighting local and state incentives that remain, and more broadly making the case for moving from gasoline to electrons.
"They have long-term benefits beyond just getting a federal tax credit," Boone said in an interview.
"There's cost savings from gas. There's total cost of ownership — they're just cheaper to own and operate and fuel than gas vehicles," he said.
How it works: It's a 50-state campaign that targets people seeking their next vehicles within six months to two years, Boone said.
It includes TV, radio, search results, podcasts, social media and more, and it's aimed at buyers across income levels.
The spots steer people toward a multilingual Veloz site that helps them find incentives and browse models, among other features.
Zoom in: One spot shows the deconstruction of a gas-powered engine with the overlay of Offerman's voice making the case for EVs.
"When you take away the spark plugs, the oil filter, belts, the alternator, and, oh yeah, the gas tank, you tend to take away other stuff, like headaches," he says.
"EVs have fewer parts, fewer repairs and are less expensive to drive," adds the comedian, best known as the irascible Ron Swanson of "Parks and Recreation."
Threat level: U.S. EV sales growth was slowing even before the new federal law.
EVs (including plug-in hybrids) were 9.6% of light-duty sales in Q1, per the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, an auto trade group.
Q1 sales commonly drop from Q4, but the 1.3% decline was steeper than prior dips, the group's latest report states.
Flashback: Volkswagen created Electrify America in 2017 under the settlement of its diesel emissions cheating scandal.
It agreed to invest $2 billion over 10 years in infrastructure, access, and education initiatives.
The intrigue: The Veloz campaign will feature in-person events.
"You've ... got to give people the opportunity to touch electric vehicles, get in an electric vehicle, take a ride and drive, because that's where you really start getting the 'aha moment' when people's faces light up and they get excited about electric vehicles," Boone said.