Friday, November 17th at 11am ET
PennFuture and ReImagine Appalachia held a press conference on Friday, November 17th at 11am ET that celebrated the over $36 million in federal funding for Pennsylvania to help build out more electric vehicle (EV) charging stations thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act! This took place at the McCaffery Terminal located in Pittsburgh’s Strip District at 1750 Spruce Way in front of the EV chargers built by IBEW Local 5.
With these critical federal investments, Pennsylvania can also make sure we take measures on the state-level that capitalize on these investments in order to protect our health and grow our economy. We heard from local and state elected officials and advocates to discuss active campaigns.
Pennsylvania already had 66,000 EVs currently registered in the state at the end of 2022, a 48% increase over 2021. Drivers switching to an electric pickup truck could save over $1700 per year in fueling and maintenance costs compared to a gasoline-powered truck. Drivers of smaller cars could save over $1200 per year. The Inflation Reduction Act will make it easier and cheaper to purchase an electric vehicle, with upfront discounts up to $7,500 for new EVs and up to $4,000 for used EVs, helping many Americans skip the gas pump and save on fuel costs.
We must also make sure Pennsylvania workers get a fair deal to good-paying, family-sustaining union jobs to share in this success and we show full support to the United Auto Workers on strike. The clean energy future is not possible without our workers.
In addition, a fully electrified Pennsylvania will see over $73B in public health benefits by 2050 and avoid 6,740 deaths due to vehicle pollution.
Pennsylvania going electric can be a win for auto workers, a win for the auto industry, a win for consumers, and a win for the climate.