This blog was updated from a blog originally authored by Diana McKeown on November 15, 2022.
In November of 2022, the Great Plains Institute launched the EV Smart program in Minnesota. EV Smart is a voluntary certification and recognition program funded by the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Clean Transportation Pilot Program. GPI designed EV Smart to provide communities with a road map to electric vehicle (EV) readiness and help them equitably achieve their EV-readiness goals through technical assistance and a peer cohort model.
Participating communities have the opportunity to be recognized for advancing EV readiness by rewarding them with bronze, silver, or gold levels of certification based on the actions they complete. The current Minnesota EV Smart cohort also serves as a pilot for the national EV Smart program being developed by GPI and national partners.
Due to the large number of communities that expressed interest in participating in the program, the current cohort is split into two levels of technical assistance provided:
- Full program: Participants have access to the full suite of technical assistance GPI offers, including one-on-one assistance. Many of these communities are early in or just starting their community EV-readiness journey.
- Lite Duty: Participants have access to group webinars and the program’s tools and guides, but don’t receive one-on-one technical assistance. These communities tend to be further along in their EV-readiness journeys and need less direct assistance.
Until March 2024, this current cohort of cities will work to equitably complete EV-readiness actions based on best practices that fall under six categories: planning, regulation, utility engagement, education and incentives, government operations, and shared mobility.
Examples of actions communities can complete include incorporating EV charging infrastructure into zoning ordinances, sharing information about EVs on their websites, developing shared electric bike and scooter opportunities, and electrifying city fleets.
EVs across the state
Below is a list of the 44 participating communities, which program component they participate in, and which region they are located in. In the process of selecting which communities to invite into the program, there was an effort to create as wide of a geographic representation throughout Minnesota as possible.
Full EV Smart participants
Greater Minnesota
Grand Rapids
Mountain Iron
Dilworth
Faribault
Kenyon
La Crescent
Winona
Zumbrota
St. James
Hutchinson
Lake Lillian
Morris
Staples
Twin Cities metro
Circle Pines
Cottage Grove
Falcon Heights
Hopkins
Inver Grove Heights
Oakdale
Richfield
Robbinsdale
Roseville
Shoreview
Champlin
Little Canada
Vadnais Heights
Lite Duty participants
Greater Minnesota
Breckenridge
Beaver Bay
Rochester
Twin Cities metro
Brooklyn Park
St. Louis Park
Woodbury
Eden Prairie
Coon Rapids
Golden Valley
Shakopee
Apple Valley
Lakeville
Burnsville
Maple Grove
Mahtomedi
North St. Paul
St. Paul
White Bear Lake
Getting technical
As part of the technical assistance provided by the program, cities can attend informational webinars hosted by GPI that provide resources to aid in the completion of common priority EV actions. Two recent opportunities where communities learned about EV-readiness topics include the following:
- Representatives from Drive Electric Minnesota gave a presentation and provided resources on how to host an EV ride and drive event. A panel of cities then gave presentations and shared their experiences in hosting ride and drive events in their communities.
- A representative from the Center for Energy and Environment and Xcel Energy’s Partners in Energy program gave a presentation on how to create community-wide EV visions. A community-wide EV vision is a statement that details how a community is preparing for EVs on their streets. They can be found in planning documents and often include goals. During the webinar, cities broke out into small groups to practice writing an EV vision.
The road ahead
As of June 2023, cities have assessed where their community is on their EV-readiness journey, what their community’s EV goals are, and which actions to prioritize. Most communities are working toward certification, with a few already pursuing the gold-level designation.
The rest of the program timeline will include more informational webinars, the release of additional resources, recurring office hours, and a mid-program check-in for full participants.
Cities will also continue to work on completing actions within their communities, so keep an eye out for updated ordinances, newly installed EV chargers, informational EV materials, and more from our participating communities. This first cohort will conclude the program and be awarded certifications in March 2024.
If you are a representative of a city and would like to learn more about the program or participate in future cohorts, please contact Rebecca Heisel at [email protected].
