Our current transportation system is the largest source of air pollution in the United States. Exposure to transportation pollution in low-income communities of color is tied to decades of government policy that relegated communities of color to areas surrounded by busy roads, freeways, ports, and other freight corridors filled with toxic tail-pipe emissions at high rates.

To meet these challenges and for the benefits of electrification to reach the communities most impacted by transportation emissions, the electric mobility transition needs to center social equity.

The Towards Equitable Electric Mobility (TEEM) Community of Practice is a collaborative that includes Center for Neighborhood Technology and 30 other organizations across the country. Other Illinois partners are Respiratory Health Association, Bronzeville Community Development Partnership, Active Transportation Alliance, and Elevate Energy.

The coalition also includes groups in Colorado, Michigan, North Carolina and Virginia, and is coordinated by California-based groups The Greenlining Institute and Forth. We joined the Together for Equitable Electric Mobility community in 2021.

We helped release the TEEM platform in February 2024. It offers recommendations to ensure a “just transition” – aimed at advancing racial and environmental justice through equitable electric mobility.

New Equitable Electric Vehicle Framework in a Time of Federal Funding Cuts

In light of recent federal funding shifts and censorship on progressive language, it is more important than ever to channel the power of local-level work in electric mobility to ensure equitable processes and outcomes. The recently published Equitable EV Action Plan Framework offers a pathway for municipalities and communities to do just that.

The Framework was created by the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, a climate policy research institution at the University of California-Berkeley School of Law, which started its Electric Vehicle (EV) Equity Initiative to develop tools for local governments to play a leading role in ensuring equity through the ongoing EV transition. Their recently published Framework is a central part of this effort, gathering examples from equity-oriented local EV leadership from across the country and providing a template for action. Our partners in TEEM, Greenlining and Forth co-authored the framework and provided input and ideas at multiple stages. 

The Equitable EV Action Plan Framework introduces a set of strategies for developing equity-focused local electric vehicle (EV) action plans, emphasizing stakeholder-informed zero-emissions investments and decision-making. The goal is to initiate a process for policy development, facilitate community and other stakeholder engagement, and accelerate local efforts to secure public and private investment in EV and electrified mobility infrastructure that serves all communities. 

What’s in the Equitable EV Action Framework? 

The framework includes a range of strategies to inform local planning for an equitable EV transition. Here are a few that resonated with us:

• The second section of the plan highlights the need to include communities in multiple steps of the planning process around electrification, and gives direction for funding them. 
• The framework details how an agency can prioritize equity in EV planning through forming community advisory boards and compensating CBO participants, provisions we stand by in our own projects. 
• The framework outlines ways funding streams can be set up to go beyond state and federal funding (crucial now more than ever). This aligns with the TEEM Illinois state cohort priorities of conducting outreach to leaders of state and local agencies interested in electric mobility that might not have the resources to prioritize equity, or who are unsure how to navigate the current funding landscape. 

The framework acts as a valuable resource for agencies to think critically about how to include communities in a meaningful way while establishing sustainable ways to fund environmentally sustainable work. 

The Equitable EV Action Framework, Center for Neighborhood Technology and TEEM Illinois

We're glad to add the framework  to our EV Resource Library (see below) given the framework’s useful recommendations and resources for local governments who want to equitably plan for the EV transition. We need local governments to continue the progress on equitable vehicle electrification, directly grounded in community mobility needs and priorities. In 2025, TEEM Illinois plans to conduct outreach with state agencies, utilities, community-based organizations, and small municipalities to better understand the current state of funding for EV transition and to connect community-based organizations with resources that support an equitable transition. 

More on the electric mobility / racial equity connection

Historically redlined communities have long been targets for highway and transportation developments cutting through their neighborhoods. These inequitable transportation policies put communities of color at higher risk of health disparities because of tailpipe emissions and ongoing disinvestment, increasing the need for mobility equity and clean transportation access.

As federal and state investments in electric mobility increase, there’s an opportunity to fund transportation and climate solutions at the intersections of mobility equity, transportation electrification, and community building–particularly in communities of color. 

Currently Center for Neighborhood Technology and our partners in Illinois are working to develop statewide maps to identify freight electrification needs and statewide outreach to better understand the needs of smaller municipalities navigating the electrification transition.

We’ve also created this Electric Vehicle Resource Library for use by municipalities, community groups, drivers, and others looking for a place to start with navigating electrification in your community.

Electric Vehicle Resource Library

Are you wondering how to approach electrification in your community? The Illinois Cohort of TEEM has pulled together a resource library for individuals, organizations, and municipalities looking for a place to start with transportation electrification.

Please contact Julia Hage with questions, comments or suggestions for the resource library.