Exclusive: Ron Swanson helps jump-start big new EV push
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Nick Offerman attends a Tribeca Festival premiere in June. Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival
Electric vehicle advocates on Monday are launching a $43.5 million campaign that touts EVs' benefits — and has a star pitchman in actor Nick Offerman.
Why it matters: The nonprofit EV group Veloz's effort lands as the new budget law ends federal consumer tax credits this fall and Trump 2.0 dismantles other Biden-era EV policies.
- The advertising and public awareness push, funded by charging network Electrify America, marks a major effort by Veloz to expand its work beyond California.
- "Electric for All" is the "first and largest nonprofit-led EV education campaign in the U.S.," an announcement to be released Monday states.
The big picture: Veloz executive director Josh D. Boone tells Axios exclusively there's no direct tie to the recent legislation, noting Veloz has eyed going national since its launch almost nine years ago.
- But he said it's "good timing" because "more Americans are interested in EVs than ever" and need factual info.
- He said Veloz is encouraging people to tap federal incentives before they vanish.
- But it's also highlighting local and state incentives that remain, and more broadly making the case for moving from gasoline to electrons.
"They have long-term benefits beyond just getting a federal tax credit," Boone said in an interview.
- "There's cost savings from gas. There's total cost of ownership — they're just cheaper to own and operate and fuel than gas vehicles," he said.
How it works: It's a 50-state campaign that targets people seeking their next vehicles within six months to two years, Boone said.
- It includes TV, radio, search results, podcasts, social media and more, and it's aimed at buyers across income levels.
- The spots steer people toward a multilingual Veloz site that helps them find incentives and browse models, among other features.
Zoom in: One spot shows the deconstruction of a gas-powered engine with the overlay of Offerman's voice making the case for EVs.
- "When you take away the spark plugs, the oil filter, belts, the alternator, and, oh yeah, the gas tank, you tend to take away other stuff, like headaches," he says.
- "EVs have fewer parts, fewer repairs and are less expensive to drive," adds the comedian, best known as the irascible Ron Swanson of "Parks and Recreation."
Threat level: U.S. EV sales growth was slowing even before the new federal law.
- EVs (including plug-in hybrids) were 9.6% of light-duty sales in Q1, per the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, an auto trade group.
- Q1 sales commonly drop from Q4, but the 1.3% decline was steeper than prior dips, the group's latest report states.
Flashback: Volkswagen created Electrify America in 2017 under the settlement of its diesel emissions cheating scandal.
- It agreed to invest $2 billion over 10 years in infrastructure, access, and education initiatives.
The intrigue: The Veloz campaign will feature in-person events.
- "You've ... got to give people the opportunity to touch electric vehicles, get in an electric vehicle, take a ride and drive, because that's where you really start getting the 'aha moment' when people's faces light up and they get excited about electric vehicles," Boone said.
What's next: It's initially 12 months but could be significantly extended, depending on fundraising, he said.
