Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Fleet type: Electric vanÂ
Narrative: In September 2024, the Consumers Energy PowerMIFleet program worked with the Grand Rapids National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Branch to onboard an electric van to help break down transportation barriers and support local communities. The fully electric 2023 Ford Transit can serve up to 8 passengers and includes a built-in ramp with space to accommodate up to 2 wheelchairs. Moreover, the electric van entered the NAACP fleet during an election year, so the van’s ADA-compliant accessibility features allowed the organization to transport individuals with disabilities to the polls and to political Black Caucus meetings. Lastly, the electrified van reduces transportation-sector carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, supporting the NAACP’s mission to address environmental injustices and climate risks that disproportionately impact Black communities and other communities of color across the United States. At the NAACP’s core, environmental and climate justice is a civil rights issue.Â
The Grand Rapids NAACP Branch pursued fleet electrification to advance a range of community-centered goals. Central to this effort was reducing tailpipe emissions that contribute to asthma, cardiovascular disease, and other health disparities that disproportionately affect underserved communities. The organization also recognized the economic benefits of electric vehicles (EVs), including lower fuel and operating costs that can be redirected toward community programs and services. In addition, the branch sought to amplify the voices and lived experiences of marginalized Black communities in climate and environmental justice conversations. Michigan Clean Cities works with the Grand Rapids NAACP Branch through the Michigan-based cohort of the Towards Equitable Electric Mobility (TEEM) community of practice to further environmental justice objectives in the state.
Expanding access to clean transportation has increased NAACP event turnout, connecting stakeholders to civic engagement, youth development initiatives at the Delta Project, and providing wheelchair-accessible rides to residents with mobility issues. One example is the NAACP Greater Grand Rapids Young Fellows Program, which uses the EV to transport participants ages 16 to 25 to leadership trainings, professional development workshops, and community events. These opportunities help young adults explore career pathways while building the soft and technical skills needed for long-term success. The branch’s 100% electric transit van demonstrates how clean mobility can deliver meaningful, real-world benefits. By providing reliable transportation for senior citizens, youth groups, and other community members, the vehicle supports greater access, inclusion, and dignity while advancing environmental and public health goals.
As an early electric van adopter, the NAACP faced several challenges in transitioning from traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. Electric vehicles (EVs) require more deliberate trip planning, particularly when traveling longer distances. Although Consumers Energy installed an on-site charging station at the NAACP’s Grand Rapids branch, the limited availability of public charging infrastructure in Grand Rapids and throughout Michigan initially raised concerns about vehicle range. To adapt, the organization invested additional effort in route planning and learned through experience that multi-stop civic engagement days could be constrained by battery capacity. Despite these operational adjustments, the electric van has proven to be significantly more cost-effective. Lower fueling expenses, combined with reduced maintenance requirements—such as eliminating oil changes and minimizing replacement of mechanical parts—have resulted in substantial operational savings.
Outputs & Outcomes: NAACP’s fleet electrification of their first electric van supports multiple outcomes for the NAACP events and the Grand Rapids community as a whole:Â
- Supports environmental justice, rallying for the meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, income, or background in clean transportation and climate action.Â
- The electric van provides users with a quieter, smoother ride than traditional vans, enhancing rider comfort and overall accessibility for seniors and riders using wheelchairs.Â
- As an early adopter, the NAACP faced charging infrastructure setbacks, but the electric van has brought great exposure to the organization across the greater Grand Rapids area.Â
Best Practices & Lessons Learned: The most important lesson the NAACP learned is that the electric van has narrative power, countering EV misinformation, and uplifting dialogue about clean transportation and public health. The NAACP will continue to support equitable EV infrastructure, utility programs, and incentives that reach overburdened communities by prioritizing deployments that reduce pollution where people live, learn, work, and vote.
About NAACP Grand Rapids Branch  Â
As part of the worldwide network of more than 2,200 branches of the National Association for the Advancement of colored people, the NAACP Greater Grand Rapids Branch is proudly dedicated to eradicating racial discrimination and building a stronger society in which all individuals have equal rights. Our mission is to achieve equity, political rights, and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminate discrimination, and accelerate the well-being, education, and economic security of Black people and all persons of color.
About Drive Electric Michigan
Drive Electric Michigan (DEMI) is dedicated to increasing electric vehicle adoption in Michigan by engaging with policymakers, utilities, dealerships, and most importantly consumers. Michigan Clean Cities (MICC), alongside our affiliate NextEnergy, leads DEMI by leveraging Michigan’s mobility ecosystem to reduce barriers to EV adoption for fleets and community members. DEMI is an affiliated state program of the DRIVE Electric USA initiative developing state-based DRIVE Electric programs across the U.S. that engage individuals, utilities, legislators, dealerships, and others toward removing adoption barriers and accelerating plug-in electric vehicle use.
