This post and my attendance at Fully Charged LIVE was sponsored by Resource Media, Inc. All opinions are my own.
I had an amazing time this weekend at Fully Charged LIVE North America. This electrifying exhibition has its roots in the UK and brought its show to the US for the first time ever. I learned loads about electric vehicles, wind & solar energy and more.
Fully Charged LIVE: My Thoughts on African American Involvement in the EV World
One thing that was immediately apparent upon entry and admittance to the show was the lack of diversity that existed there in terms of attendees, exhibitors and speakers. My photographer and I had one exchange with an older White man who asked us if we were the “Diamond & Silk” of the EV World. This let us know that our Blackness and our presence still stood out. (For those who don’t know Diamond & Silk are 2 very popular Black Trump supporters. We did not consider his comment a compliment) Growing up in Indiana I’m actually used to being one of the few Black faces in the room. But I still wondered why there weren’t many of us in the house. African American people love nice cars and expensive vehicles. There are just as many of us who like to spend money as there are who like to save.
In a previous post titled, Expanding Opportunities for African Americans in The Energy Sector, here at TheSistahCafe.com we discussed the releasing the White Paper Report regarding the expansion of opportunities for people of color specifically, African Americans, in the energy sector. We were aware of the shortage on the other end of the spectrum with lack of training for many jobs that are in decision making positions within the electricity and solar industries. A lot of it has to do with educational disparities that exist in lower income and working class neighborhoods. This is one of the reasons why STEM courses and degree programs are being highlighted for girls and minorities now.
We have also covered the trillion dollar spending power of African American women here on the blog. That being said, it made me wonder why none of the African American people I knew were driving EV’s. And also why there were only a few Black faces in this Fully Charged LIVE space.
My interests in cost, safety and availability led me to sessions that focused on that. I was bummed that I missed the panel discussion called Driving EV Diversity. regardless of my opinion on who was attending Fully Charged LIVE I still had my own story to share about what I learned and how I would implement that when I returned home.
Lucky for me I was approached by Terry Travis, CoFounder of EV Hybrid Noire. His non profit organization actually works to promote driving EV’s and also to teach African Americans about the dangers of driving gas vehicles and the money saving costs and incentives that are associated with the EV. His large following on Facebook is filled with Black EV owners. In other words they disrupt the narrative of what EV Ownership looks like.
This exchange allowed me to walk away with my 3 reasons why African Americans should be more concerned with Clean energy and electric vehicles.
#1. Health
…fine particulate matter air pollution (known as PM2.5) created by on-road vehicles that burn gasoline and diesel. The findings …show that people of color disproportionately breathe dirtier air than white people do… ~ucsusa.org
These facts have everything to do with federal and local policy makers and many years of deciding when and where minorities live, where highways and roads would be built and who would build them. All of this has caused generational respiratory sickness in our communities. I mean imagine for a moment how many fumes you breath in when commuting back and forth to work every day.
#2. Safety
As insurance prices soar higher and higher every year you have to wonder why people aren’t more interested in safer vehicles. Electric vehicles carry no combustible fuel! Teslas for instance have front crumple zones and floor mounted batteries are just 2 ways that a lot f EV car makers stabilize their vehicles which virtually stops them from rolling over in a crash. I’m sure there are many more safety measures that are put in place but those two are what stood out to me most.
It was a pleasure to meet, Russell Corbin, Director of Student Affairs for @electricautoassoc and Panel Host. He answered my questions regarding the safety and affordability of #electricvehicles .
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.#fullychargedUSA #ev #cleanenergy @FullyChargedShw pic.twitter.com/uz7DzIznWw— The SistahChick (@TheSistahChick) February 4, 2020
#3. Cost Effectiveness/Long term savings
When most people hear TESLA they think of it as the only all electric car maker and an expensive car that we cannot afford. In reality there are many other EV auto makers who offer competitive pricing. The pre owned or used market is also very wide and offers many options for purchase. EV owners save so much money in gas that it does not take long to make the money back that they spent on the vehicle. For me affordability is essential so this was an important aspect.
Attending Fully Charged Live in Austin made me think about the lack of African American involvement in the EV industry both as consumers and creators. I learned all of the facts and myths associated with electric vehicle ownership. Of course there will have to be many changes on the state and local levels when it comes to a national EV transition but we as African-Americans must absolutely play a part in it. I am glad to have gained enough knowledge to make my own informed decisions when it comes to possibly purchasing one for myself. I am also happy to be able to share this information. I hope this helps anyone else who is considering making the switch from a gas vehicle to an electric one.
If you missed the 2020 Fully Charged LIVE show in Austin check out my experience in this Fully Charged Video Recap!
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