Drive Electric USA
Drive Electric Maine
Drive Electric Maine (DEM) is brought to you by Maine Clean Communities. The Drive Electric Initiative is part of the Drive Electric USA program. The DEM website is a one stop shop to learn about electric vehicles and understand how to buy one. The Drive Electric Maine campaign brings together all the necessary players, including current EV drivers, communities, utilities, and more, to help break down the barriers to electric vehicle ownership and use in the state of Maine to ultimately accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles.
Maine Won't Wait EV Goals
Transportation is responsible for 49 percent of Maine’s carbon emissions from fossil fuels, making the sector one of Maine’s largest opportunities to combat climate change. Most of those emissions come from the tailpipes of passenger cars and trucks as many drivers travel long distances across our large, rural state. Continued progress will depend on faster adoption of cleaner electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, improved public and active transportation options, and better land use planning for new development that helps Mainers avoid or reduce driving (Maine Won't Wait).
Put 150,000 light-duty battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles on the road in Maine by 2030
Launch new EV education and awareness campaigns for Maine communities, consumers, car dealers, school districts, and employers.
Develop an incentive program for zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
Advance policy options, including collaborative utility and regulatory approaches, that accelerate the
adoption of zero-emission medium- and
heavy-duty vehicles.
Lower the cost of new and used electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) for low- and moderate-income drivers, ensuring that at least 50 percent of all funding for light-duty EV rebates reaches those drivers.
Train Maine’s first responders to be prepared to safely handle fires involving EV batteries.
Launch near-term fleet advisory services to help medium- and heavy-duty vehicle fleets adopt clean vehicles.
Work with the Maine Transit Association to increase transit ridership by 5 percent annually to reach or exceed pre-COVID-19 ridership levels by 2029.
Expand public EV charging infrastructure with a goal of more than 700 publicly funded EV charging ports installed by 2028, including in underserved and rural communities
Advance policies that make lower- and zero-emissions vehicles more attractive choices for consumers and improve overall vehicle efciency, including through infor mation on the emission and efciency bene fts of non-plug-in hybrids.
By 2028, launch pilot projects for zero-emission trucks, municipal and school buses, ferries, and boats to demonstrate and evaluate performance, reliability, and cost savings.
Increase access, performance, funding, and use of shared and public transportation systems in Maine, in partnership with municipalities, transit providers, the New England Passenger Rail Authority, state agencies, and other partner organizations.