About
Who we are
Chicago For EVs is a group of plug-in electric vehicle owners and allies from the Chicagoland area.
The mission of Chicago For EVs is to promote and accelerate the electrification of transport in Chicagoland and the state of Illinois. Our work can be split into two broad categories:
- Education. We hold outreach events to inform the general public about the benefits they would see if they switched to an electric car, host talks, and spread knowledge about EVs.
- Policy. We organize grassroots actions and work with state and local politicians, officials, and stakeholders to make our city, neighbouring communities, and the state as a whole into a place where sustainable transportation is accessible and convenient for all.
We think both of those are crucial.
People who want to get an EV may face barriers to owning one (say, if they can’t charge at home), so our city or state should adopt policies that would eliminate or reduce those barriers. At the same time, even the most robust policies will do little on their own, if the most people don’t know that electric transportation can be a better option for them.
This is why Chicago For EVs is both a group for people who already understand how great EVs are, and want to spread the word to others, and also a group for people who want to work on systemic improvements to help our city and state reach its full potential in adopting clean transportation.
Do we only care about cars?
We focus on personal cars because that’s where our group can achieve the greatest effect.
Multiple people have replaced their gas vehicles with EVs after attending one of our events. That means there are now that many fewer gas vehicles on the road, and both carbon emissions and local air pollution are that much lower.
But not everyone should have to buy an EV to enjoy cleaner, more reliable, and comfortable transportation. That’s why we support the electrification of mass transit, and investment into cleaner and more innovative solutions to transportation overall — and recognize that many of those solutions won’t be about private cars.
Our group is grassroots, brand-neutral, and run by volunteers. We welcome everyone — current EV owners and those who don’t own electric cars but want to help the cause of electrifying transportation.