AT&T, Amazon, IKEA, others join new Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance

Boston-based sustainability nonprofit group Ceres has launched the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance, a new group to help companies accelerate the transition to electric vehicles.

The Alliance’s flagship members are Amazon, AT&T, Clif Bar, Consumers Energy, DHL, Direct Energy, Genentech, IKEA North America, LeasePlan, Lime, and Siemens.

The Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance will help its members commit to EVs, and it’s expected to boost the EV market by expanding the business case for the production of a more diverse array of EV models. It will also provide a platform to coordinate support for EV-friendly policies.

Ceres’ VP of climate and energy Sue Reid said:

The climate crisis demands we decarbonize transportation — the highest-emitting sector in the US — and electric vehicles are an essential component of this transition.

With companies controlling more than half the vehicles on the road in the US today, they have a tremendous role to play in leading the transition to electric vehicles — both in terms of electrifying their own fleets and in leveraging their buying power to send a strong market signal to automakers and policymakers alike. The Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance is where the rubber hits the road.

The Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance leverages collective corporate demand to:

• Produce new and increased volumes of EV models
• Achieve EV market growth and economies of scale
• Adopt supportive policies and remove policy barriers
• Encourage peer-to-peer learning with regard to industry best practices

Kara Hurst, head of worldwide sustainability at Amazon, said:

As part of The Climate Pledge, which includes the purchase of 100,000 Rivian electric delivery vans and a commitment to deliver 50% of shipments with net zero carbon by 2030, we are pursuing the highest standards in transportation sustainability. But we can’t get there alone.

We’re looking forward to working with fellow Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance members to share best practices to remove carbon emissions from our transportation business.

Mike Parra, CEO of DHL Express Americas, said:

DHL is very excited to be joining the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance as a founding member.

As part of our commitment to achieve net zero emissions from transport activities by 2050 globally, we have set the ambitious interim target of performing 70% of first- and last-mile operations with green vehicles by 2025. Electric vehicles will play an important role in reaching that target, so we very much welcome the Alliance’s efforts to realize the potential of EVs and accelerate their production and integration into transport networks around the world.

Electrek’s Take

To put it succinctly, this is a fantastic initiative. These are big, powerful companies, and when they join together and work toward the common goal of shifting to electric vehicles, they can truly make an impact on reducing pollution and fighting the climate crisis.

Once again, where the momentum is lacking at the US federal government level, it’s growing at the local and corporate level. Great idea, Ceres.