Through this event, ZETA EF aimed to bring state, federal, and local government offices together with AZ business and community leaders to foster a deeper understanding of Arizona’s place as a leader in the domestic electric vehicle (EV) supply chain. Instead of viewing EV infrastructure projects as discrete investments, ZETA EF’s business roundtable intended to emphasize to elected officials the idea that EV investments in Arizona are part of an interconnected, broader effort to establish the U.S. as a major player in the EV ecosystem. Our primary intended outcome was that officials would come away from this event with a strong sense of ownership over the industry’s success and a strong understanding of Arizona as a hub for advanced manufacturing and EV policy development. Recognizing the continued leadership and support from the community and elected officials will lead to further investment and workforce opportunities across Arizona. 

Further, ZETA EF sought to maximize the value of our time on the ground in a major EV investment state to build our arsenal of photos, videos, first-hand accounts, talking points, and strategic relationships. In doing so, ZETA EF endeavored to build on the momentum after the event’s conclusion (e.g. through the circulation of photo and video content in paid digital campaigns, published articles in local media publications, and videos at future events).

• In-state events yield crucial relationship building across the supply chain and between government and industry that has lasting positive impacts for ZETA EFs work in DC. 
• There is no substitute for the excitement and education generated by first-hand experience with the supply chain. some text
  • The inclusion of a joint site tour on Day 1 generated excitement surrounding Arizona’s role in the EV supply chain, increasing the value and energy of Day 2 conversations. 
  • Touring both a critical mineral and vehicle manufacturing plant positively increased end-to-end supply chain visibility for community and sustainability organizations that are supportive of electrification, but may not typically engage in critical minerals issues. 
• Support for the EV supply chain is energized and bipartisan at the state and local levels. Testimonials from local officials add value to federal education about the impact of the policy landscape upholding the EV supply chain.
• Government officials in attendance:
  • Mayor John Giles, Mesa Arizona
  • Mayor-Elect Lisa Fitzgibbons, Casa Grande
  • State House Republican Majority Whip Teresa Martinez
  • State House Representative Deborah Nardozzi
  • Arizona Corporate Commissioners
  • Staff from Federal Arizona offices
• Content generated on the ground (including quotes, videos, photos, and educational information) contributes significantly to ZETA EF’s other work, such as public education digital and print advertising campaigns.
• The inclusion of electrified transportation between Tempe and Casa Grande, and during the site tour, was a well-received demonstration of the technology.  
• Absent outside funding, the success of on-the-ground events relies heavily on the resources and connections of ZETA members in-state. 
• The positive reception of the event was evident in organic social media traction.

In partnership with member companies SRP, Lucid, Arizona Sonoran Copper, and Green Power Motor Company, ZETA facilitated a 60-person joint site tour of the Cactus Mine and Lucid AMP-1. In attendance, individuals representing local, state, and federal jurisdictions of government, industry, academia, and workforce development organizations toured both sites to further understand the positive impact of the electric vehicle supply chain in Arizona.

Government: 

• Mayor John Giles, Mesa Arizona
• Mayor-Elect Lisa Fitzgibbons, Casa Grande
• State House Republican Majority Whip Teresa Martinez
• State House Representative Deborah Nardozzi
• Arizona Corporate Commissioners 
• Staff from Federal Arizona offices 

Community/Business Leadership

• Arizona Community Foundation 
• Arizona Sustainability Alliance 
• Valley of the Sun Clean Cities Coalition 
• Arizona Commerce Authority 
• Arizona Technology Council 
• Irrigation and Electrical Districts Association of Arizona
• Arizona Power Authority 

Secondary and Higher Education

• Arizona State University 
• Maricopa Community College 
• Western Governors University 
• Buckeye Union High School District

Attendees were invited to a breakfast at SRP in Tempe, Arizona where ZETA and Arizona Sonoran Copper addressed them before boarding a Green Power Motor Company School Bus to travel south to Casa Grande. Each attendee received a folder containing information about ZETA EF, one-pagers about each of the companies involved, and safety information for the mine. 

Upon arrival at the cactus mine in Casa Grande, attendees were transferred from the electric school bus into a caravan of 4WD vehicles for the mine tour. The caravan consisted of several EVs, including a Rivian R1S and two EV Chevy Silverados. At the mine, attendees were given a presentation by representatives from Arizona Sonoran Copper on the history of the Cactus Mine site and of mining in Arizona, as well as the importance of critical minerals to a clean energy transition. 

The caravan departed Cactus Mine for AMP-1, where attendees Lucid’s Manager of State and Local Affairs gave a presentation before attendees were split up into groups for a tour of the facility. Afterward, attendees sat for lunch and remarks from the AMP-1 Plant Manager and the Casa Grande Mayor Elect, Lisa Fitzgibbons. Day 1 attendees returned to Tempe on the Green Power Motor Company School Bus.

Day 1 Attendance:

Small Group Programming

Main Programming

“On Day 2, attendees returned for the event's main programming, building on insights from the site tours and earlier discussions to advance Arizona's role in the EV supply chain.”

Cocktail Reception and Remarks

Following the main programming, attendees moved to a reception space for drinks and refreshments. The reception featured remarks from Brendan Riley, CEO of Green Power Motor Bus, Steven Zlystra, President and CEO of the Arizona Tech Council, and Stacy Guillen, Assistant Director of the Arizona Department of Transportation.

ZETA’s Arizona Roundtable was made possible through cross-sector collaboration between companies acting as partners. The coalition was able to utilize ZETA member relationships on the ground in Arizona to participate in the event. The planning process not only allowed for ZETA members to deepen collaboration under the coalition’s umbrella but also brought the Arizona business community together to rally around the electric vehicle industry end to end in the state. 

Additionally, the event increased ZETA’s exposure to companies outside of its membership. ZETA met with five non-member companies who participated in both programming days. The event directly resulted in adding Arizona Sonoran Copper to ZETA’s membership.

ZETA developed a multi-faceted communications plan to support the Arizona event, including earned and owned media, along with direct member engagement.

For earned media, ZETA pushed out information on the EV industry’s impact on the Arizona economy to local media outlets. We also invited select press to attend the programming on Day Two, and were happy to see the Arizona Republic attend the event to learn more about the EV industry. In addition to reporter outreach, the ZETA team also wrote and placed an op-ed by ZETA’s Executive Director in the Arizona Mirror that highlighted the significant amount of investment going into the state.

ZETA also worked to create owned media materials, including organic social media engagement and hiring a professional videographer and photographer to capture content for future materials. The team also worked directly with member companies by providing social media guidance and developing physical pull-up banners to highlight member contributions across the supply chain that were displayed on Day Two of the event. 

Finally, ZETA explored the possibility of contracting researchers to develop a comprehensive economic analysis, showing the impact that the EV supply chain is having on Arizona. This would have provided fresh numbers for press and advertising efforts. Due to time and budget constraints, the team chose not to pursue this option for the event.

ZETA used this opportunity to collect photo and video content to be used in future campaigns, showcasing various parts of the EV supply chain. One result of this was the video played at the EV Awards Dinner on September 19, highlighting the programming in Arizona and the importance of collaboration between policymakers and industry leaders to the future of the EV industry. These collateral materials will also be used in future advertising campaigns and other collateral materials.

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Strengthened Congressional Relationships 

Time spent with Congressional staff at during both Day 1 and Day 2 of the event fostered a close relationship between ZETA EF and the Congressional Staff among the Arizona delegation. Staff were able to interact with member companies across the entire supply chain at once while also hearing from us about about how the different segments of the industry work together. The bus rides between Tempe and Casa Grande served as opportunities to answer their questions about EV supply chains and technologies and how the growth of the EV industry in Arizona has provided major employment opportunities and broader economic benefits to the state and local communities. 

The successful tours and conversations on Day 1 were amplified by further interaction with Hill staff on Day 2. This began with a dedicated “ask me anything” -style discussion with the staff in attendance before the Day 2 panels, fostering candid conversation and reinforcing ZETA-EF as a reliable source of information on the EV industry. This informal meeting was followed by attending the panel discussions and the remainder of Day 2 programming. 

The interaction with Hill staff throughout the AZ event culminated in two Members of Congress with staff at this event (Reps. Ciscomani and Stanton) subsequently participating as speakers during the ZETA Education Fund’s annual EV Awards event in September.

• Replicate this event in more states, targeting those where we can build on existing paid digital campaigns or that have robust supply chain presence.
• Secure federal in-person participation by securing a date farther in advance and utilizing the success of the first one as credibility.
• Commission an economic impact report to coincide with the event.

• Nevada ZETA Membership
  • Albemarle 
  • Ioneer 
  • Lithium Americas 
  • Panasonic 
  • Tesla 
  • Redwood 
  • EVConnect 
  • EVGo 
  • ChargePoint

‍*no in-membership utility

ZETA’s polling in Georgia and Tennessee show similar results to that of Arizona, suggesting that additional public education on the role of the EV industry in the local economy is needed in these states. In particular, only 32% of Georgians and 39% of Tennesseans agree that the EV industry is creating jobs in their state. There is also a similar opinion to Arizona regarding a lack of public charging options, with 18% of Georgians and 11% of Tennesseans agreeing that there is enough public charging in their area.