WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Climate Alliance announced that the governors of Wisconsin and Hawaiʻi have joined the Affordable Clean Cars Coalition — a growing partnership among governors to help sustain America’s transition to cleaner and more affordable cars, support U.S. automotive manufacturers and workers, and safeguard states’ clean air authority.

Governors Tony Evers (WI) and Josh Green, M.D. (HI) join 11 other governors who launched the coalition earlier this year, including Governors Gavin Newsom (CA), Jared Polis (CO), Matt Meyer (DE), Wes Moore (MD), Maura Healey (MA), Phil Murphy (NJ), Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM), Kathy Hochul (NY), Tina Kotek (OR), Dan McKee (RI), and Bob Ferguson (WA).

“All Wisconsinites deserve to be able to drive the newest and cleanest cars on the market, especially those that save money and pollute less,” said Wisconsin Governor Evers. “We need to make it easier, not harder, for consumers to upgrade to electric vehicles — and that’s exactly what we’re doing through this state-led partnership.”

“Hawaiʻi is committed to a clean energy future that protects the health of our people,” said Hawaiʻi Governor Green. “By investing in electrification, we can put more electric vehicles on the road and give our families more choices and lower costs, while safeguarding our communities from harmful pollution.”

States participating in the Affordable Clean Cars Coalition are collaborating to:

• Develop solutions that make cleaner vehicles more affordable and accessible to all Americans who want them, including by reducing cost barriers, increasing availability of options, and expanding accessible charging and fueling infrastructure at home and in our communities.
• Continue making progress toward states’ existing clean vehicle policies and programs.
• Explore opportunities to develop and adopt next-generation policies and programs to reduce vehicle pollution, such as solutions that increase consumer access to cleaner cars and low-carbon fuels.
• Foster meaningful engagement with manufacturers, suppliers, dealers, labor unions, business associations, utilities, community-based organizations, charging and fueling infrastructure providers, and others in developing and successfully implementing state transportation solutions.
• Prioritize efforts that bolster America’s ability to compete and innovate in a growing global market.
• Collaborate with one another, share evidence-based practices, engage experts, and develop solutions that can be shared across state lines and eventually scaled by the federal government.
• Defend states’ longstanding authority to adopt transportation solutions that best meet their needs and most effectively support their families and communities.

To support these goals, the Alliance is providing resources to help members tackle vehicle pollution and lower barriers for consumers to more affordably own, drive, charge, and maintain clean cars. The effort is one of several multi-state partnerships hosted by the Alliance that provide a platform for states and territories to deepen collaboration, participate in peer-to-peer learning, engage experts and stakeholders, and develop scalable solutions. Additionally, the Alliance launched a nationwide effort last month to encourage Americans to take advantage of federal clean energy incentives — including thousands of dollars in tax credits for EVs and EV charger installations — before they expire.

State-led action on clean vehicles has a demonstrated track record of supporting and creating good-paying jobs, promoting energy independence, and expanding consumer choice to more vehicle models, while simultaneously reducing America’s vehicle pollution and helping tackle the climate crisis. Thanks to sustained action and commitment from climate-leading governors across the country, 71 percent of the nation’s registered clean cars and 68 percent of publicly available chargers are currently located in U.S. Climate Alliance states and territories. U.S. Climate Alliance members’ greenhouse gas emissions from transportation are also falling at a much faster rate than the rest of the country.

Today’s announcement comes amid record sales of clean cars in the U.S., which more than quadrupled between 2020 and 2024, and rapidly expanding charging infrastructure, which is more widely available than ever before. Importantly, clean cars are saving people money at the pump — with an estimated $1,200 in annual savings on fuel costs alone and an average of $10,000 in savings over a car’s lifespan.

The Affordable Clean Cars Coalition builds on past multistate efforts, including the Nation’s Clean Car Promise, the Multi-state Zero-Emission Vehicle Memorandum of Understanding, and the Multi-state Medium- and Heavy-duty Vehicle Zero-Emission Vehicle Memorandum of Understanding. States will customize efforts to address their own individual challenges and opportunities while working together to achieve the coalition’s collective goals.