Five Midwest Governors Sign MOU to Foster EV Adoption

The governors of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin at the end of September signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at accelerating vehicle electrification in the Midwest.

The Regional Electric Vehicle for the Midwest Memorandum of Understanding (REV Midwest MOU) provides a foundation for cooperation on fleet electrification along key commercial corridors. The parties to the agreement also say it will help ensure that the Midwest will be able to compete for new private investment and federal funding for vehicle electrification.

Under the MOU, the participating states agree to evaluate strategic challenges and opportunities in fields such as manufacturing, logistics, transportation, and energy. The participating states also agreed under the MOU to coordinate on regional electric vehicle infrastructure siting and deployment strategies with an initial focus on target routes of commercial significance.

They also agreed to share best practices to inform the standardization of regulatory schemes and public communications, to develop a common customer experience across state lines, and to coordinate on best practices for working with energy providers to ensure sustained electricity supply and grid resilience.

The participating states also agreed to identify and engage with historically disadvantaged communities to understand the challenges to bringing the benefits of electrification to those communities.

Each of the participating states agreed to maintain a task force of senior leadership and to meet regularly to share updates and input and to complete progress reports at regular intervals.

The MOU is not legally binding, and any participating state may withdraw at any time at its sole discretion. This MOU may also be modified, terminated, or expanded by unanimous agreement of the participating states.