EDF Launches Million-Dollar Ad Campaign about Benefits of Clean Cars

(Washington, D.C. – October 19, 2023) Environmental Defense Fund today launched a million-dollar ad campaign emphasizing how federal policies, like EPA's proposed clean car standards and the tax credits and infrastructure investments in President Biden's clean energy plan, will lead to wider choices in electric vehicles for consumers.

The ad campaign involves television and digital buys in Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., complemented by social and print advertising, to reach key audiences. The ads are set in Scranton, PA, known as the Electric City for introducing electric trolley lines in the 1880s. Pennsylvania for EVs features Mayor Paige Cognetti, who utilized state and federal funding to create an electric vehicle fleet for the city, while Love for EVs shares the story of a northeast Pennsylvania couple who decided that driving an EV is just common sense because it’s cheaper to operate and more reliable.    

“We’ve already reached a tipping point for price parity, with some electric vehicles less expensive to own than many gas-powered cars,” said Elizabeth Gore, Environmental Defense Fund’s Senior Vice President for Political Affairs. “Adopting these strong standards will provide drivers with more choices and greater affordability while reducing pollution that harms people’s health and the climate.” 

The Biden administration in April proposed standards that will help encourage automakers to offer many more affordable EV options. These changes by EPA will help ensure about two-thirds of the new cars and passenger trucks sold in the U.S. will be pollution free at the tailpipe a decade from now.  

There are already substantial tax rebates for buying an electric car or passenger truck – as much as $7,500 for a new one or $4,000 for a used one – because of the Inflation Reduction Act. Some models available today can save their owners more than $18,000 over the life of the vehicle in avoided fuel and maintenance costs, an Environmental Defense Fund and WSP analysis found. In Pennsylvania, those savings can exceed $25,000 with some popular EV models.