Major automakers team up to launch electric vehicle marketing effort in the Northeast

At the New York International Auto Show this week, over a dozen major automakers have teamed up to launch a marketing campaign “to increase electric car use throughout the Northeast.”

But the effort is led by the automakers’ lobbying groups who have historically been anti-EV.

They describe the effort:

The Drive Change. Drive Electric. campaign will focus on the benefits of electric cars and advancing consumer awareness, understanding, consideration and adoption of these vehicles in the region. Together, states and automakers are working towards a sustainable future with more battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles on the roads and infrastructure support in place. The campaign launch coincides with the NYIAS, where automakers are featuring a broad range of electric cars.

Here are the automakers involved:

But the effort is led by the Association of Global Automakers and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, two auto industry lobbying groups who have repeatedly asked Trump’s administration to lower the already agreed upon fuel consumption standards that would require them to produce more electric vehicles.

It’s unclear what form this new campaign will take aside from the current social media accounts and website, but they say that their goal is to communicate the benefits of electric vehicles.

Electrek’s Take

If they end up putting some decent amount of money into marketing electric vehicles, it sounds like this is going to be a good thing, but it’s too vague at this point and I smell some greenwashing.

They are launching this just as the EPA is about to release its decision over the fuel consumption standard that those same organizations have been pressuring them to lower.

If it does get lower, they wouldn’t have to mass produce electric vehicles for a few more years and continue to focus on smaller numbers of EVs in CARB states, like in the Northeast.

Maybe I’m just too pessimistic, but I think the timing is suspicious.

What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.