GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Greater Grand Rapids NAACP branch has a sweet new ride to mobilize their cause. In an effort to get more electric vehicles on the road, Consumers Energy gifted the organization a fully-electric van at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday.
“This really ties into the work that we have done as an organization, NAACP, around environmental justice and climate issues,” Greater Grand Rapids NAACP president Cle Jackson told 13 ON YOUR SIDE. “And so again, when we look at the environmental justice issues with the high emissions rates, this is what we as a community, as a society, really need to to lean into and put more of these vehicles on the road.”
The electric van seats up to 10 people and comes equipped with a built-in ramp and space to accommodate up to two wheelchairs. With the new wheels also arriving ahead of the general election, the executive director of 100 Shades of Diverse Abilities said it can increase voting accessibility in November for citizens with disabilities.
“Well, we are in a voting season this year, and we're voting for president,” Kimberly Barrington said. “And there are more than 2 million persons with disabilities in the state of Michigan, about 350,000 over here in West Michigan, it will give them an opportunity to get out to vote.”
The organization’s president added that he views this new feature as a new educational tool to reach Black and Brown communities and those impacted by the slowing West Michigan economy as reported by Grand Valley State University economists. Their goal, Jackson said, is to have a fleet of vehicles to address the needs of those communities.
This also comes on the heels of the inaugural clean cruise hosted during the summer in Ferndale, Mich. by the Michigan Electric Vehicle Alliance. Consumers Energy said its goal is to have at least one million electric vehicles on the road by 2030. As of 2024, they have more than 30,000. While research proved electric vehicles have reduced carbon emissions compared to their fossil fueled counterparts, Jackson still believes there is work to be done to eradicate environmental injustices disproportionately affecting communities of color.
“And we also know, just to be clear, that it's just not about electric vehicles. It's about a whole list of other environmental injustices that need to be addressed too,” Jackson said. "But this is really a step in the right direction, and it is simply amazing that we're here today.”