ACTNow

Plug In America: Boosting EV Sales and Workforce Training

Plug In America expanded its Plugstar Training and Credentialing Program and EV Sales Platform to accelerate EV sales across the Commonwealth. PIA worked with 16 dealerships to increase EV sales, decrease the cost of EV customer acquisition, and increase customer satisfaction with the EV buying experience. Read the Final Report to learn more about how participating PlugStar-certified dealerships sold more EVs than non-certified dealerships during the pilot.

• Awarded $200,000 to expand EV dealer training.
• Educational organization promoting the use of plug-in vehicles.

Good2Go: Electric Carsharing Pilot in Roxbury

Good2Go – Boston based EV carsharing company launched an income-tiered electric vehicle (EV) carsharing pilot in Roxbury, an Environmental Justice Community, directly addressing transportation inequities. The program purchased four electric cars and successfully delivered crucial local benefits: improving clean transportation access, reducing the burden of private car ownership, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions in the neighborhood. Read the final report to learn more about the pilot’s successes and challenges, including vehicle cost and revenue, team structure, and carshare insurance.

• $200,000 was awarded to pilot this equity-focused electric carsharing program in Metro Boston.
• The project successfully delivered cleaner transportation options and reduced the reliance on expensive car ownership for residents in Roxbury.

Zoo New England: Free Hybrid Shuttle Service

• $175,000 was awarded to procure and convert a hybrid electric shuttle bus.
• The free shuttle service addressed a critical community transportation need by providing "first-mile/last-mile" access from the Forest Hills MBTA station while reducing emissions.

Enel X & MBTA: Optimizing Electric Bus Fleets

Enel X partnered with the MBTA to pilot a crucial electrification planning tool on 120 buses in Quincy. This investment directly attacks major obstacles to cleaning up public transit by using specialized software to cut planning costs and lower operational expenses. The result is a system that significantly reduces the MBTA’s overall costs and greenhouse gas emissions, creating a scalable blueprint for transit agencies across the Commonwealth.

• $200,000 was awarded to Enel X North America to pilot a fleet electrification planning tool in partnership with the MBTA.
• The project successfully demonstrated a software platform that reduces public fleet planning costs and lowers the MBTA’s total costs of ownership and greenhouse gas emissions.

Enel School Bus: Lowering the Cost of Clean Student Transportation

Enel X secured $200,000 for Cohasset Public Schools to deploy a pioneering vehicle-to-grid project using two electric school buses. This demonstration directly addresses the major financial barrier—the high upfront cost of converting diesel fleets—by proving a new financing model. This initiative helps the community modernize its infrastructure and transition to cleaner, safer transportation for local students.

• $200,000 was awarded to Cohasset Public Schools to deploy a vehicle-to-grid demonstration project with two electric school buses.
• The core goal was overcoming the high initial cost of electric school buses by testing Enel X’s innovative financing model.

PowerOptions: Retrofitting Arlington School Buses

PowerOptions secured $200,000 for Arlington Public Schools to demonstrate how to convert a diesel school bus to electric. This pioneering retrofit project, completed in partnership with AMPLY Power, successfully tested a financial leasing model that lowers the high initial cost of electric buses and managed charging services. This proven, replicable model offers a direct pathway for modernizing and cleaning up student transportation across the state.

• $200,000 was awarded to deploy this critical electric retrofit demonstration project for Arlington Public Schools.
• The project used a financial leasing model to electrify an existing diesel bus, creating a scalable blueprint for other members to transition to cleaner transportation.

Highland Electric and Beverly Public Schools: Affordable Electric Buses

Highland Electric received $176,045 for a pioneering electric school bus project in Beverly. This initiative, partnering with the school district, tested a third-party ownership model to overcome the high upfront costs of clean transportation. The goal was to prove a regional model for group purchasing, creating a scalable path for wider adoption of electric buses.

• $176,045 was awarded to demonstrate a 3rd party school bus electrification model with Beverly Public Schools.
• The project successfully tested a way to reduce high initial costs for school districts and explore a viable regional model for group procurement of electric buses.