When Dr. Shelley Francis bought her first electric vehicle, she was thrilled that she would no longer need to buy gas. And as a public health professional, she says she was excited to drive a car that does not emit harmful tailpipe pollution.
“Once I purchased my gently used – which was new to me – electric vehicle, I wanted to tell everybody in my community about how much money this was saving me, as well as talking with them about the impact that it would have on community health,” Francis says.
She realized people need to talk about these benefits more — especially in communities that are plagued by air pollution.
“For far too long, communities of color as well as other frontline communities, rural communities, have been left out of discussions about transportation electrification solutions, even though it’s these very communities whose health and well-being are being most impacted by fossil-fuel burning vehicles like trucks and buses,” Francis says.
So to help change that, she and her friend Terry Travis started a nonprofit called EV Hybrid Noire.
The organization brings together a diverse group of electric vehicle drivers from across the country who want to share their passion for EVs with others. And it conducts outreach and advocacy to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in a more equitable and inclusive way.
Also see: A brief introduction to climate change and transportation
Reporting credit: ChavoBart Digital Media