SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 18, 2025--
Veloz, a national nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit, announced that its Electric For All electric vehicle (EV) education program called 'The Way Forward is Electric' has reached hundreds of millions of consumers nationwide with educational, fact-driven creative messaging about the benefits of EV ownership in just the first two months of the year-long effort.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250918569556/en/
Launched July 1, the campaign began with key messages on the benefits of EVs, including cost savings, lower maintenance, ease of charging, and plenty of range. When Congress ended the federal EV tax credit early, Veloz quickly pivoted the campaign messaging to inform consumers of the incentive timeline and that they could still qualify by contracting and placing a down payment on an EV by September 30—even if they did not take possession of the vehicle by that date.
The campaign drives consumers to ElectricForAll.org as a resource to access federal, state and local incentives and rebates by zip code. This website resource will continue to provide state and local incentives and show drivers all the ways they can save by switching to an EV.
“Americans are deeply concerned about the cost of living right now,” says Josh D. Boone, Executive Director of Veloz. “So, we’re focusing on the financial benefits of EVs through both short-term incentives and long-term savings.”
This nimble, research-informed campaign has yielded impressive results. Since its launch, the campaign has generated 425.5 million paid media impressions, over 990,000 website visits to ElectricForAll.org, and over 220,000 visits to the incentive resources by consumers seeking information about how to make the switch more affordably. Consumers across the nation—from Texas and Florida to California, Georgia, Washington, New York and beyond—are visiting ElectricForAll.org to learn more about the benefits of driving electric.
“Just because the federal incentives are sunsetting doesn't mean EV adoption will stall,” continued Boone. “Veloz's mission with this education campaign is to ensure consumers understand the benefits beyond tax credits and to equip drivers with the information they need to make smart, confident choices.”
Automakers are seeing consumer interest increase this quarter. General Motors reported more than 21,000 EVs sold in August —its best month ever—and Ford EV sales jumped nearly 19% from July, as buyers raced to secure the $7,500 federal tax credit. Overall, national sales of EVs reached a record 146,332 in August. With the EV tax credit set to expire, Cox Automotive predicts September sales will result in an all-time record for EV sales in the U.S. for a single quarter.
“Although we are only a few months in, the campaign has already had incredible impact in cutting through misinformation and reaching consumers where they are,” Boone added. “EV sales will continue to grow if we spark interest and build consumer confidence by answering the tough questions: ‘Where do I charge?’ ‘How much money can I save?’ ‘What happens when federal incentives end?’”
With $43.5 million in funding from Electrify America, the Electric For All campaign is also supported by Veloz members including automakers, nonprofits, utilities, state agencies, ride-share companies, and charging providers—making it the nation’s largest and most collaborative EV public education program in the U.S.
At its core is ElectricForAll.org, which is a multilingual hub available in 15 languages, including English and Spanish. It offers easy tools to find gas and maintenance savings, compare new and used EVs, find available state and local incentives by ZIP code, locate charging stations, and understand long-term cost savings, making EV ownership more accessible and affordable for every community.
“Working with industry, policy, and advocacy experts, we’ve shown that when the EV industry comes together, we can build momentum that lasts beyond a single policy or incentive,” concludes Boone.
About Veloz
Veloz is the power behind the nation’s largest and most inventive multi-partner public awareness campaign for electric vehicles, the architect of events and programming garnering both state and national attention, and the organization bringing together a high-powered, diverse board and members from the public and private sectors.
The organization was launched in 2017 and is built on the success of the California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative founded in 2010. Veloz is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit.
About Electric For All
ElectricForAll.org, powered by Veloz, helps consumers understand how to switch to electric transportation and provides consumers a way to easily find an EV and see all federal, state and local incentives by zip code. Other tools on ElectricForAll.org include:
The Way Forward is Electric
WASHINGTON (AP) — Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday even as he has questioned her credibility to take over her country after the U.S. ousted then-President Nicolás Maduro.
The Nobel Institute has said Machado could not give her prize to Trump, an honor that he has coveted. Even if it the gesture proves to be purely symbolic, it was extraordinary given that Trump has effectively sidelined Machado, who has long been the face of resistance in Venezuela. He has signaled his willingness to work with acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who had been Maduro’s second in command.
“I presented the president of the United States the medal, the Nobel Peace Prize," Machado told reporters after leaving the White House and heading to Capitol Hill. She said she had done so "as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom.”
Trump confirmed later on social media that Machado had left the medal for him to keep, and he said it was an honor to meet her.
“She is a wonderful woman who has been through so much. María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done,” Trump said in his post. “Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you María!”
The White House later posted a photo of Machado standing next to Trump in the Oval Office as he holds the medal in a large frame. A text in the frame reads, "Presented as a personal symbol of gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people in recognition of President Trump’s principled and decisive action to secure a free Venezuela.”
Trump has raised doubts about his stated commitment to backing democratic rule in Venezuela, giving no timetable on when elections might be held. Machado indicated that he had provided few specifics on that front during their discussion.
She did not provide more information on what was said.
After the closed-door meeting, Machado greeted dozens of cheering supporters waiting for her near the White House gates, stopping to hug many.
“We can count on President Trump,” she told them without elaborating, prompting some to briefly chant, “Thank you, Trump.”
Before her visit to Washington, Machado had not been seen in public since she traveled last month to Norway, where her daughter received the peace prize on her behalf. She had spent 11 months in hiding in Venezuela before she appeared in Norway after the ceremony.
The jubilant scene after her meeting with Trump stood in contrast to political realities in Venezuela. Rodríguez remains in charge of day-to-day government operations, along with others in Maduro’s inner circle. In her first state of the union speech Thursday, the interim president promoted the resumption of diplomatic ties between the historic adversaries and advocated for opening the state-run oil industry to more foreign investment after Trump pledged to seize control of Venezuelan crude sales.
Trump has said it would be difficult for Machado to lead because she “doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country.” Her party is widely believed to have won 2024 elections rejected by Maduro.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Machado “a remarkable and brave voice” but also said the meeting didn’t mean Trump’s opinion of her changed, calling it “a realistic assessment.”
Leavitt told reporters that Trump supported new Venezuelan elections “when the time is right” but did not say when he thought that might be.
Leavitt said Machado had sought the face-to-face meeting without setting expectations for what would occur. She spent about two and a half hours at the White House.
“I don’t think he needs to hear anything from Ms. Machado," the press secretary said while the meeting was still going on, other than to have a ”frank and positive discussion about what’s taking place in Venezuela.”
After leaving the White House, Machado went on to a closed-door meeting with a bipartisan group of senators.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said Machado told them that “if there’s not some progress, real progress towards a transition in power, and/or elections in the next several months, we should all be worried.”
“She reminded us that Delcy Rodríguez is, in many ways, worse than Maduro,” he added.
Asked if Machado had heard any commitment from the White House on holding elections in Venezuela, Murphy said, “No, I don’t think she got any commitment from them."
Sen. Bernie Moreno, an Ohio Republican, was exultant following the meeting, saying Machado "delivered a message that loud and clear: What President Trump did was the most important, significant event in Latin America. That getting rid of Maduro was absolutely essential.”
Machado's Washington stop coincided with U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea seizing another sanctioned oil tanker that the Trump administration says had ties to Venezuela. It is part of a broader U.S. effort to take control of the South American country’s oil after U.S. forces captured Maduro and his wife less than two weeks ago at a heavily guarded compound in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas and brought them to New York to stand trial on drug trafficking charges.
Leavitt said Venezuela's interim authorities have been fully cooperating with the Trump administration and noted that Rodríguez's government said it planned to release more prisoners detained under Maduro. Among those released were five Americans this week.
Trump said Wednesday that he had a “great conversation” with Rodríguez, their first since Maduro was ousted.
Just hours after Maduro's capture, Trump said of Machado that “it would be very tough for her to be the leader.” Machado had steered a careful course to avoid offending Trump, notably after winning the peace prize, and had sought to cultivate relationships with him and key administration voices like Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The industrial engineer and daughter of a steel magnate, Machado began challenging the ruling party in 2004, when the nongovernmental organization she co-founded, Súmate, promoted a referendum to recall then-President Hugo Chávez. The initiative failed, and Machado and other Súmate executives were charged with conspiracy.
A year later, she drew the anger of Chávez and his allies again for traveling to Washington to meet President George W. Bush, whom Chávez considered an adversary.
Almost two decades later, she marshaled millions of Venezuelans to reject Chávez’s successor, Maduro, for another term in the 2024 election. But ruling party-loyal electoral authorities declared him the winner despite ample credible evidence to the contrary. Ensuing anti-government protests ended in a brutal crackdown.
Garcia Cano reported from Caracas, Venezuela. Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Stephen Groves, Michelle L. Price and Matthew Lee in Washington, and Megan Janetsky in Mexico City contributed to this report.
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is welcomed at the Capitol before a meeting with senators, from left, Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., as the Nobel Peace Prize recipient visits American leaders two weeks after President Donald Trump toppled Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in a stunning military raid, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, center, leaves the Capitol, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, center, is welcomed by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., left, Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., far left, and Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., right, as the Nobel Peace Prize recipient visits American leaders at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado gestures to supporters on Pennsylvania Avenue as she leaves the White House after meeting with President Donald Trump Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado waves to supporters on Pennsylvania Avenue as she leaves the White House after meeting with President Donald Trump Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado smiles on Pennsylvania Avenue as she leaves the White House after meeting with President Donald Trump Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado waves to supporters on Pennsylvania Avenue as she leaves the White House after meeting with President Donald Trump Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
FILE - U.S. President George Bush, right, meets with Maria Corina Machado, executive director of Sumate, a non-governmental organization that defends Venezuelan citizens' political rights, in the Oval Office of the White House, Washington, May 31, 2005. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
FILE - Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gestures to supporters during a protest against President Nicolas Maduro the day before his inauguration for a third term, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, file)
