About Us

Our Story

At the epicenter for electric vehicle adoption, California has more electric cars on the road than any other region in the U.S, and is home to some of the greenest cities in the nation and the world. Unfortunately California has some of the least healthy air quality in the country, including the San Joaquin Valley basin, the Bay Area, and the inland empire metropolitan area in Southern California. When we factor in the “new normal” annual wildfire season, California air quality can sometimes be the worst in the world, as we saw in 2018.

One of the largest sources of GHG emissions in California is from the transportation sector, accounting for 41% from commercial trucks and automobiles – and in the San Francisco Bay Area, almost 40% of greenhouse gas emissions come from cars and trucks.

The good news is California’s commitment to strong environmental standards. In 2016, California released the ZEV Emission Vehicle Plan and expanded it in 2018, with a target to put 5 million electric cars on California roads by 2030. In order for the State of California to reduce transportation greenhouse gas emissions by 20% from 1990 levels, it needs to promote electric transportation and cutting edge programs and technologies. With EVs sales in California at about 650,000, California has a long way to go to reach its ZEV goals. This is where Charge Across Town comes in – we have helped move the dial towards a 25% adoption rate at our statewide events.

Our Work

Over the past seven years, Charge Across Town (CAT) has been working across the state directly with consumers, community organizers, local government and the automotive industry to get people excited about driving and purchasing electric vehicles, and educating them about charging. Our approach has been to produce fun, user-friendly events, in a non-sales environment, for people to ask questions, talk to EV owners, learn about incentives, and of course take the cars out for a test-drive. Since 2012, we have conducted over 10,000 test-drives of all types of electric cars, surveyed over 20,000 consumers on EV attitudes and buying trends, worked with every major automotive company and local dealerships, and partnered with energy and infrastructure players to demonstrate charging solutions. Our data shows that when people can get behind the wheel of an electric car, and take it out for a spin, they are more likely to purchase an EV. As a matter of fact, over the past seven years, Charge Across Town has seen a 25% adoption rate of new and used EVs due to its educational test-drive events.

Some of the seminal work Charge Across Town has done include our annual EV Week(s), Driving on Sunshine, MTC’s Experience Electric #thebetterride, Veloz’ Best.Drive.EVer!, SMUD’s Drive Electric, The Governor’s Global Climate Action Summit Zero Emission Vehicle Showcase, and the Electrify America ZEV Awareness and Education Program for Disadvantaged and Low-Income Communities, where CAT is working with ValleyCAN Tune In and Tune Up and GRID Alternatives, on their ride and drive events across the state.

Our Team

Maureen Blanc

Founder

Maureen brings business and marketing acumen, and non-profit expertise to Charge Across Town, leading the charge in EV adoption.

Maureen is a successful high-tech businesswoman and environmental entrepreneur. She spent 25 years in the private sector as a leader in high tech marketing and communications. Most recently, Maureen was director of Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) Northern California from 2007-2010.

Maureen built one of the largest high tech PR firms, Blanc and Otus Public Relations, and sold the firm in 2000 to WPP, a world leader in marketing communications services. Blanc and Otus launched over 200 companies into emerging markets from enterprise computing, salesforce automation software, mobility, web-based broadcasting to Web 2.0, and clean technology companies. Maureen has spent the past 10 years in the non-profit sector working on domestic and international issues, and is an advisor and board member to world affairs, philanthropic, educational, and environmental organizations.

SHOW LESS

Meg Ruxton

Partnerships Manager

Meg has established valuable alliances and partnerships with the EV sector and brings her strategic thinking to Charge Across Town.

She is the principal of MNR Consultants, applies more than 20 years of experience in law, public affairs, city government, and sustainability to help clients develop strategic business opportunities, create contractual relationships and promote products and services.
Her focus is on sustainable transportation. She provides her clients with thorough research while developing creative business proposals. Meg is particularly passionate about initiatives which encourage electric vehicle adoption and establish the infrastructure to support clean cars and fleets in the Bay Area and throughout California. An active member of the State Bar of California since 1986, Meg practiced at San Francisco law firms for a decade and has served for three terms as a Commissioner for the Assessment Appeals Board.

SHOW LESS

Karen Weber

Data Analyst

Karen oversees all data collection and reporting metrics to track and measure Charge Across Town’s impact on EV adoption across California.

Karen worked in the securities and management consulting industries before completing a Master of Nonprofit Administration degree at the University of San Francisco. Karen has been involved with many facets of nonprofit organizations including strategic planning, marketing, program evaluation, operational analyses, and fundraising. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of two local nonprofit organizations.

SHOW LESS

Jenny Matchell

Northern California Event Manager

Jenny manages Charge Across Town’s EV educational and outreach events in Northern California.

Jenny has over 15 years experience in the event management industry. As a graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with a degree Environmental Sciences she works mainly with nonprofit organizations, focusing her time on public health and sustainable event management. Through the years she has worked in all aspects of the industry including special events, youth programs, bike rides, and running events. She believes in the collaborative approach to event management and works closely with community partners, organizations, volunteers, and vendors to produce exemplary events.

SHOW LESS

Bill Bright

EV Consumer Marketing and Ride and Drive Team Leader

Bill coordinates and executes our electric vehicle test drive efforts with partners, dealers, and educational organizations across the state.

Bill is a seasoned event marketing project manager, with extensive consumer event marketing experience in the areas of EVs and alternative fuel vehicles. As a founding and principle member of the AAA Greenlight Initiative from 2005-2012, Bill designed and delivered a wide range of public and internal educational event campaigns including sales personnel training on the Greenlight Initiative. Since 2012 Bill has been a valuable member of the CAT team as a leader in managing EV test drive event components of CAT-led campaigns.

SHOW LESS