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Cool the Earth pitches expanded EV discounts, webinars and multifamily outreach at Larkspur forum
Summary
Annika Osborne of Cool the Earth told Larkspur's Feb. 11 Climate Action Forum the group's "Ride and Drive Clean" programs offer time-limited EV discounts through brokers, webinars, and income-based grants, and are pivoting to reach renters and multifamily residents amid local rebate pauses.
Annika Osborne, director of programs and community outreach for Cool the Earth, spoke to the Larkspur Climate Action Forum on Feb. 11 about scaling community EV outreach and discount campaigns aimed at broadening Bay Area electric-vehicle adoption.
Osborne said the nonprofituses limited-time "EV discount" campaigns with broker partners such as Cartelligent and Emotion Autos to secure pricing that often stacks with rebates and financing incentives. "When Cartelligent can negotiate some really good pricing on EVs, we run these campaigns," she said, noting the program has helped "thousands of people save" and that current campaigns can yield substantial discounts on certain models.
The presentation highlighted multiple outreach channels including frequent webinars (Osborne said one recent noon webinar drew 75 sign-ups with 55 attendees) and an active newsletter reaching roughly 25,000 followers across the Bay Area. Osborne said the group is shifting to target "middle and lower income drivers, renters and people in multifamily" housing to address a persistent gap in charging access for apartment and condo residents.
Osborne warned of recent funding volatility: Marin Community Energy (MCE) paused a rebate stream after budget pressures, and she said MCE had funded prior programs that helped tide outreach efforts. She also noted a state-level development: "Governor Newsom announced he's putting $200,000,000 into a California state rebate," but said details were not yet available.
On income-based incentives, Osborne described two programs: a swap rebate for qualifying lower-income residents (she cited examples up to $12,000 in Marin County for trade-in programs and up to $10,000 on new/used purchases in some cases) and a $7,500 drive-clean assistance program that does not require a trade-in but is income qualified.
Forum participants asked about outreach to renters, developer partnerships and rideshare fleets. Osborne said Cool the Earth partners with local jurisdictions to co-sponsor EV shows and webinars and has done outreach to developers and regional groups. She encouraged local jurisdictions to host events and share contacts for multifamily property managers.
The presentation concluded with a call to partner: "Partner with us, cohost events, help us promote events," Osborne said, and she asked forum members to consider shared funding for public events as MCE and other funders reassess grants.
Next steps: Cool the Earth plans EV shows and webinars in April and May and said it will continue outreach to multifamily owners and renters to pilot scalable charging solutions.
