Plug In America

Background

In 2005, a group of electric vehicle drivers formed DontCrush.com and SaveEV1.com to oppose automakers destroying leased vehicles produced under California’s 1990s zero-emission vehicle mandate. The campaigns saved about 1,000 Ford and Toyota units, but General Motors still crushed its EV1 fleet. In August 2008, these advocacy efforts consolidated into Plug In America. ²

Advocacy

Plug In America has conducted advocacy through protests, media outreach, and the 2006 documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? Since 2011, it has co-hosted National Drive Electric Week (later expanded to Drive Electric Month) with the Sierra Club and Electric Auto Association. The organization pushes for federal and state electric vehicle incentives, the extension of the $7,500 tax credit, zero-emission vehicle mandates, electric vehicle charging infrastructure expansions, and high-occupancy-vehicle lane access for plug-in vehicles. ²

Plug In America joined over 500 nonprofits in a July 16, 2025 open letter opposing U.S. Congressional inquiries into groups receiving federal grants, calling them attempts to “weaponize” power against organizations advancing policies contrary to those of the second Trump administration. ^{3  4  5}

In 2026, Plug In America participated in a coalition of environmental, consumer, and community organizations supporting litigation that challenged the federal government’s suspension of funding for electric vehicle infrastructure. The lawsuit, led by Earthjustice in partnership with multiple states, contested the freeze of approximately $5 billion allocated to the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, which had been authorized by Congress to expand EV charging networks nationwide. A federal judge ultimately ordered the restoration of the funds and barred the U.S. Department of Transportation from withholding or interfering with the program, allowing previously delayed charging projects to proceed. ⁶

Financials

In 2023, Plug In America reported $2,175,270 in revenue, $2,736,719 in expenses, and a net loss of $561,449, leaving net assets at $1,059,746. Contributions accounted for 65.3 percent of revenue ($1,420,760), while program services generated 32.8 percent ($714,057). Other revenue was $40,453 (1.9 percent). Expenses totaled $2,736,719, with salaries and wages comprising 43.9 percent ($1,200,963) and executive compensation amounting to 12.7 percent ($346,774). Total assets stood at $1,458,582 against liabilities of $398,836. ⁷

In 2023, the United States Energy Foundation, a left-of-center “pass through” foundation, reported a $305,000 grant to Plug In America to “support education and outreach to build a clean energy future” and to “promote education and analysis on the benefits of clean transportation.” ^{8  9}

In 2023, the McKnight Foundation, a Minnesota-based foundation that funds left-of-center advocacy groups, reported a $30,000 grant to Plug In America to “expand access to electric vehicles and clean transportation through education and advocacy.” ^{10  11}

People

Joel Levin works as executive director of Plug In America as of November 2025, a position he has held since 2015. He chairs the Global EV Drivers’ Alliance and sits on the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Sustainability Council and the California Energy Commission Clean Transportation Program Advisory Committee. He previously was vice president for business development at the Climate Action Reserve. Earlier, Levin managed USAID-funded programs in Central Asia that included $17 million for civil society support and $1 million for businesswomen’s technical assistance. He holds an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business and an MA in international economics from Johns Hopkins University. ^{12  13}