Ed de la Fuente, Senior Program Manager at Forth, gave this presentation at the Forth Going Mainstream – How to Accelerate EV Adoption Beyond the Early Adopters webinar on July 22, 2025.

1. Accelerating EV Adoption Community
Focused Outreach and Education
Ed de la Fuente
Access to Electric Cars
July 2025
Forth Webinar: Going Mainstream

2. Forth builds programs for drivers who have traditionally faced the most barriers to electrification.
Community Driven Outreach and Education
04
OUTREACH &
EDUCATION
EV CARSHARE
GIG DRIVER &
WORKFORCE
Focus Area: Access to Electric Cars
Demonstrate and scale models
for organizations to offer
shared EVs.
Help gig drivers and other
underserved driving dependent
workers transition to electric
vehicles.
Demonstrate a replicable model for
effective EV outreach nationwide.

3. EV Adoption Varies by Community
While some states see 25%+ sales rates, others are
still under 1%. Current sales, is not the same as
overall market adoption.
● CO & CA had highest (26%+) share in Q4-2025
● Adoption - share of Vehicles in Operation, is
lower at 4% - 6.5%
Still low adoption with high mileage vehicle users
- Low-income exurb commuters
- Rural drivers
- Driving dependent workers
Need to segment and target awareness building and
education programs
- Specific EV Benefits
- Communication needs
Community Driven Outreach and Education
2.1% U.S.
EV share of VIO
(Vehicles in Operation)
Alliance for Automotive Innovation, Q1-2025
Over 7M
Plug-in EV Sold in US
through June 2025
Light Duty Vehicle PEV
Share by State
Rogers’ Innovation Adoption Curve
State
Q4-2024
Sales
Share*
2024 PEV
Share of
VIO**
CO 26.4% 3.9% (1)
CA 26.2% 6.5% (2)

4. Accelerating EV Adoption - Focus Areas
Awareness and Education
Accelerating the EV Market
Charging Availability &
Reliability
● Incentives
● Public
● Residential
● Multi-family Housing
● At Work
Charging:
● A different refueling
mindset
● Tools that make
accessing charging
easier
● Benefits of Value and
Convenience
● Total cost of ownership
● Vehicle Availability
● Pricing (going down)
● Used vehicle market
● Incentives (state, local,
utility
● Myth busting
Enablement
$
Affordability
● Pricing: New, Used
● Financing
● Incentives

5. WA EV Instant Rebates Program
Objective:
● P1: Understand low income and rural
community needs
● P2: Increase awareness and understanding of
the new WA EV Instant Rebate Program in
traditionally underserved communities
Implementation:
● Listening sessions with community partners
● EV Ride & Drive events:
○ Low-income housing communities
○ Rural communities
● Multi language materials, on-site interpreters
Key Learnings:
● <$200/mo is key for lower income drivers
● Low awareness of State & Federal incentives
● Bridging language barrier drives engagement
Community Driven Outreach and Education

6. CO Rural County Fair Ride & Drives
Objective:
● Understand rural vehicle needs & EV perceptions
● Test effectiveness of EV R&D at rural county fairs
Implementation:
● Exhibit and R&D within rural county fair
● Exhibit at fair, promote off-site R&D another day
● Community partners
● Conversations focused on listening
Key Learnings:
● Vehicle needs differ across rural communities
● Fair logistics difficult for R&D access
● Display vehicle and cash incentives engage people
● Off-site R&D event showed more engagement
○ Focus on EV discussion
○ Time for deeper individual Q&A, and display
exploration
● Off-site event showed larger shift in future EV
consideration post engagement
Community Driven Outreach and Education

7. Gig Driver Outreach & Education
Objective:
● Increase EV awareness and education for this group of
High-Mileage Vehicle Users
● Gain insights into driver needs, perceptions of EVs
Implementation:
● EV R&D at SEA airport rideshare staging lot
● Survey drivers regarding vehicle use, and EV views
Key Learnings:
● Fuel and Maintenance cost are keys to EV purchase
● Concerns around charging access, and range
● Multi-language information and interpretation a plus
● 25% of those surveyed drive an EV for their work
● 50% of non-EV owners are interested in EV purchase
Recommendations:
● Provide purchase incentives: TNCs, Gov’t, etc.
● Subsidized fast charging in key areas: TNCs, DOTs, Airport
Authorities, CPOs, etc.
● Direct EV education programs: EV driver case studies,
champion programs, R&D events, etc.
Community Driven Outreach and Education

8. Community Driven Outreach and Education
Thank You
Ed de la Fuente
edd@forthmobility.org
503-358-1619