IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lindsi Mailler, Executive Assistant
Lmailler@easthamptonma.gov
Mayor Nicole LaChapelle Partners with MoveEV to Become First Mayor in U.S. to Offer an Employee Benefit for EV Adoption and Transition all City-Owned Vehicles to Electric Vehicles
Easthampton, MA - Mayor Nicole LaChapelle has partnered with MoveEV, an AI-powered green technology solution that aims to make electric vehicle (EV) adoption practical and affordable for municipalities and municipal employees. As part of this partnership, MoveEV is giving Easthampton’s employees a benefit that enables them to switch to EVs while simultaneously transitioning all municipal-owned vehicles to electric. This is a significant development for the region as it strives to achieve its comprehensive Climate Action Plan, which targets net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. The EV initiative will help Easthampton’s city-owned vehicle fleet save roughly $360,000 annually on gas and eliminate 600 MTCo2 in the next five to ten years. An Earth Day event will mark the beginning of Easthampton’s 100 percent EV transition.
The partnership with MoveEV has immense economic and environmental savings potential for the city of Easthampton and its employees. Collectively, city employees could claim up to $3 million in federal and state incentives and save $900,000 on gas annually by switching to EVs. Swapping out these vehicles for clean EV alternatives cuts an average of 4.7 metric tons of carbon dioxide (MTCo2) a year per vehicle and collectively could remove 1,500 MTCo2 annually. The planned transition over the next 5-10 years for the city's fleet vehicles should save the city $360,000 a year on gas alone and will remove 600 MTCo2 annually.
"We are excited to partner with MoveEV to help Easthampton reach our sustainability goals. In a fast-moving industry, this public-private partnership with MoveEV gives Easthampton the technical support necessary to move toward vehicle decarbonization,” said Mayor Nicole LaChappelle. “Electric car by electric car, the City will see a measurable material impact - environmental and financial - while leveraging government and private incentives.”
The announcement coincides with the city of Easthampton’s Earth Day event for employees, which will take place on April 20th. It is an essential and concrete step toward the city's commitment to local carbon reduction. The event will be held at City Hall, 50 Payson Avenue, from 12 pm-4 pm and is open to all municipal employees with remarks from Mayor LaChapelle and MoveEV CEO David Lewis at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
"We are thrilled to be working with the City of Easthampton to help them halve their emissions by 2030,” said MoveEV's founder and CEO, David Lewis. “Electric vehicles are a game-changer for the environment and will save the city and its taxpayers a tremendous amount of money. With the combination of MoveEV's fleet and HR programs, we are confident that Easthampton will be a leader in helping Massachusetts reach its sustainability goals."
Municipal employees who attend the event at City Hall will be able to test-drive electric vehicles on-site. At the event, the MoveEV portal for employee benefits will be presented, assisting employees in comprehending the financial and environmental effects of their current gas vehicles and commuting behaviors. The portal offers an easy-to-use, personalized, sequential process for employees to make the transition to an electric vehicle and take advantage of government incentives at the federal, state, and local levels. MoveEV’s conversion planning and management software walks employees through the EV adoption process, including calculating the value of switching to an EV, suggesting the right vehicle, monitoring supply, order placement and delivery, installing charging, and filling out incentive paperwork.
The need to pursue sustainable and climate-conscious initiatives, such as the partnership between Easthampton and MoveEV, has been a focus for the Easthampton community since the City Council passed a resolution declaring a climate emergency in 2021.
MoveEV is an AI-driven green tech solution that helps organizations and municipalities accelerate electric vehicle (EV) adoption, reduce their carbon footprint, save money, and achieve net-zero emissions targets by 2035. MoveEV offers software and services for both fleet and employee vehicle electrification.
MoveEV provides AI-backed fleet conversion, planning, and management software for fleets, with a team of experts and project managers overseeing the entire process. They also offer new KPIs and metrics for reporting to constituents on the transition, vehicle GHG emissions reductions, cost savings, and future charging infrastructure needs.
For employees, MoveEV offers a groundbreaking HR benefits solution that guides employees through the entire EV adoption process, including finding the right vehicle, monitoring supply chain issues, suggesting appropriate charging, and navigating applicable incentives.