Charging Smart — Transportation Electrification for Local Governments
Course Details
Charging Smart, a program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office, offers free technical assistance to local governments to facilitate and speed transportation electrification in a way that ensures its benefits are universally accessible. This work is built on a framework of best practices — covering planning, regulation, utility engagement, education and incentives, government operations, and shared mobility — that are informed by the expertise of the project team and industry partners and the real-world experience of the communities. The program’s technical assistance providers use this resource to create custom pathways for communities to prepare for electric vehicles (EVs) and other electrified modes, which also prepare them for national recognition through the Charging Smart designation.
This presentation reviews available resources, discusses the benefits of the program-inspired peer-to-peer cohort model, and shares examples from local governments that have used these resources to advance EV-related work in their communities.
The Charging Smart program has been piloted in Colorado, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, and Virginia, as well as parts of Texas, California, and Illinois. It will expand nationwide in the fall of 2024.
Learning Outcomes
- Learn about the Charging Smart technical assistance and designation program and how it can support the equitable development of electric vehicle charging.
- Find out how the peer-to-peer cohort approach can accelerate community action in EV charging.
- Learn about local community examples of EV-related actions and innovations from the Charging Smart program.