Learner

1.2    Educate DOT leadership on PEVs

Reason for action

Interest from leadership (e.g., division head, deputy secretary, secretary) can catalyze work on PEVs. Leaders in relatively flexible offices (e.g., public-private partnerships, innovative delivery, sustainability, or economic development) are best positioned to catalyze work on PEVs. Staff can build institutional knowledge, but stronger PEV efforts (i.e. Actor and Leader actions) require the support of top leadership within the agency. Spotlight: Washington State’s Transportation Partnerships Office and Ohio’s Office of Jobs and Commerce are leading work on PEVs within DOTs.

Implementing the action

  • Arrange briefing with top-level officials or high-level staff on PEV and charging technology. Leadership is most likely to conduct PEV work when the work can be tied with larger goals. For example, even if PEVs are not an executive priority, the governor may have a broader emissions reductions goal for transportation. Top leadership can then find that PEVs are an effective way of reducing transportation emissions.
  • Make the case for PEVs from different angles to attract interest from high-level leadership. Depending on leadership preferences, the staff may present the public value proposition of electric vehicles from several different angles: public health and air quality, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, energy security, jobs, and more (see Action 1.4). Spotlight: Some state DOT staff received support from leadership on PEVs by presenting PEV deployment as an opportunity to create jobs at the same time that the state business community requested more public support of PEVs.

Outcomes

DOT leadership and staff now have institutional knowledge that enables work on PEVs. The DOT staff could explore some of the other Learner actions and should eventually proceed to Action 1.4.

Related Actions