Identifying pathways toward electric mobility through community engagement

From October 2022 to March 2024, Hennepin County participated in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Communities LEAP (Local Energy Action Program) pilot program, which partners with low-income, energy-burdened communities that experience environmental justice challenges and/or direct economic impacts from reducing their historical reliance on fossil fuels to build community-driven action plans for clean energy-related economic development. This was part of a national effort with 24 participating communities across the country.

Hennepin County’s project team consisted of the cities of Brooklyn Park and Minneapolis, the Great Plains Institute, Minnesota Clean Cities and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL ) and six community-based organizations including African Career Education and Resource Inc , Minnesota Institute for Nigerian Development, Community Partnership Collaborative 2.0, 1 Day at a Time, Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association, and Whittier Alliance. NREL worked on behalf of the project team to conduct 47 events and six workshops between May and September 2023.

These events focused on how electric mobility priorities of climate vulnerable communities can inform transportation plans and projects through community-guided decision-making.

Through these engagement efforts, NREL created a report identifying community informed strategies for collectively building more equitable pathways toward electric mobility in Hennepin County.

Key results from the report

High community interest in electric mobility: Across diverse demographic groups and areas of Hennepin County, residents expressed strong interest in electric mobility, especially personal EVs, electric buses, and electric bikes.
Cost and affordability as the biggest barrier: Although interest is high, cost surfaced as the primary barrier to adopting electric mobility. Workshop participants also underscored lack of charging infrastructure, time constraints, and limited user-friendly information as additional hurdles.
Shared modes matter: Many residents who do not regularly rely on a personal vehicle showed interest in micromobility (e-bikes/scooters), carshare, and e-bus options. Supporting a multimodal system, and making these services more visible, affordable, and easier to use, was highlighted as a key solution.
Inclusive engagement is critical: Community members emphasized that authentic, long-term partnerships with local community-based organizations are necessary. They want to see transparent follow-up on how their input shapes funding, programs, and local transportation planning.
Nine community-identified strategies to increase access:
The report details nine community-prioritized strategies to advance equitable electric mobility. These include:

Lowering upfront costs (e.g., EV rebates at point of sale)
Expanding electric mobility education and “try-it” events
Scaling e-bus fleets
Improving micromobility safety (helmets, protected lanes)
Continuing and strengthening community-led engagement so local voices guide both planning and implementation.

Learn more about the results of these engagement efforts: