My Electric Ride: An EV Transportation Video Challenge ($3,000, $1,000, $500)

You might be interested in helping the EPA raise awareness of an educational opportunity they’re rolling out to the public. The EPA just launched a prize challenge for the public called “My Electric Ride: An EV Transportation Video Challenge.” They are encouraging people to share their personal experiences with various forms of electric transportation (e.g., passenger vehicles, escooters/bikes, and school buses/transit buses). Interested participants are asked to submit a short (1- to 2-minute) video for a chance to win up to $3,000.

More details are here:

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched “My Electric Ride: An EV Transportation Video Challenge,” an exciting prize competition that encourages people to share their personal experiences with electric transportation. The challenge aims to showcase the real-world experiences of those who use electrified transportation in everyday life and help inform the public about more sustainable transportation. Interested participants are asked to submit a short (1- to 2-minute) video for a chance to win up to $3,000.

Participants can submit videos in one of three categories:

• Personal Mobility: Electric 2- and 3-wheel personal mobility devices such as e-bikes, e-trikes, e-scooters, or e-cargo bikes
• Electric Vehicles: electric vehicles such as cars, trucks, or SUVs
• Electric buses, such as school buses, shuttle buses, or transit buses.

The videos will be judged on their creativity, originality, and effectiveness in conveying the positive aspects of electric transportation. EPA will select up to nine winning videos, with each of the three categories having a first, second, and third-place winner. Selected videos may be featured on the EPA’s website and social media channels.

Information about the video challenge and instructions on how to submit a video can be found on the EV Transportation Video Challenge webpage.

Submissions are due by January 23, 2024.

Background 

The transportation sector is currently the largest contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the U.S. Electrifying transportation is key to a more sustainable future by moving people and goods more efficiently. With their increased energy efficiency and zero tailpipe emissions, electric vehicles (including battery electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles) can help improve air quality in communities and lower total GHG emissions.

For more information on why we need to lower greenhouse gas emissions from transportation (i.e., decarbonize), visit Why We Need to Decarbonize Transportation.

Electric vehicles (EVs) of all kinds are here. And we want to hear about your experience, from electric scooters to electric school buses. Create a short video showcasing your personal experience with EVs as part of EPA’s prize competition, and you may win up to $3,000.

Challenge Description

Background

The transportation sector is currently the largest contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the U.S. Electrifying transportation is key to a more sustainable future by moving people and goods more efficiently. With their increased energy efficiency and zero tailpipe emissions, electric vehicles (including battery electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles) can help improve air quality in communities and lower total GHG emissions. As the grid adds more electricity-generating capacity from renewable sources like wind and solar, power plant GHG emissions will go down, making an even stronger case for EVs.

For more information on why we need to lower greenhouse gas emissions from transportation (i.e., decarbonize), visit:

Electric vehicles with quiet motors and quick acceleration can be fun to drive or ride in, but like any new technology, they can take some getting used to at first. Though much is the same (and seamless) when moving from a gasoline- or diesel-fueled vehicle to one that uses electricity, there are some differences, like plugging in to recharge or avoiding some conventional maintenance needs. Some electric mobility options, such as shared electric bikes or e-scooters, offer more affordability, flexibility, and accessibility than personal cars for certain trips. New and emerging opportunities such as electrified scooters and e-bikes to get around more efficiently have also come about due to transportation electrification.

Learning about the benefits of electrified transportation and sharing this first-hand knowledge can play a critical part in getting us on the path to a sustainable future. This is your opportunity to share your experiences and your enthusiasm for electric vehicles with others who are curious.

The Challenge

Help us showcase the benefits of electric transportation! Send us your short (one- to two-minute) personal videos that convey your positive experiences using electric transportation in everyday life. Choose from one of the following categories, then get creative!

1. Personal Mobility: Electric 2- and 3- wheel personal mobility devices such as e-bikes, e-trikes, e-scooters, or e-cargo bikes
2. Electric Vehicles: Electric vehicles such as cars, trucks, or SUVs
3. Electric Buses: Electric buses such as school buses, shuttle buses, or transit buses

These categories are intended to be inclusive of various forms of electric transportation.

A successful video might answer questions such as:

• How do you use this electric car, scooter, bus, in everyday life?
• Why do you like it?
• How did you overcome any challenges you may have faced?
• Is there a myth around electrified transportation that you can dispel?
• What would you say to your friends and family to encourage them to give electric vehicles a try?
• Were there any welcome surprises that you wish other people knew about driving/riding in electric vehicles?

• The winning videos will be posted on the EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide website. Additionally, winning videos will be shared on EPA social media channels and potentially other communications channels like partner websites.

Additional Information on Prizes

• All prize awards are subject to EPA verification of the winners’ identity, eligibility, and participation in the Challenge.
• Prizes will be distributed via electronic funds transfer and may be subject to federal income taxes.
• EPA will comply with the IRS 1099 withholding and reporting requirements, where applicable.
• Winners are responsible for reporting and paying all applicable taxes in their jurisdiction of residence (federal, state/provincial/territorial and local).
• Winners will be required to provide information to facilitate receipt of the award, including completing and submitting any tax or other forms necessary for compliance with applicable withholding and reporting requirements.

Important Dates

Click here to enter your video submission

Video Content

• Videos should showcase real-life experiences using electric vehicles. In the 1- to 2-minute video, applicants should highlight their positive personal experience with electric mobility.
• Videos should be informative and help to educate potential future users on what it is like using an electric vehicle.
• Applicants should strive to be creative, innovative, and educational in their video content.
• Videos may include explanations, instructions, and/or lessons learned.
• Videos should not promote or advertise for a specific vehicle model or manufacturer.
• Identities of people, organizations, companies, and institutions cannot appear in the video.
• Use of music within video entries must follow EPA Music Licensing Guidance (pdf) (144 KB) related to copyrights.

Video Specifications

To be eligible to participate, videos must meet the following specifications:

• Be one to two minutes in length
• Video file must use one of the following container formats: MP4, M4V, MOV, AVI, or WMV
• Aspect ratio of 16:9
• Horizontal orientation (landscape format, longer than it is tall)
• Either 24 or 30 frames per second
• Frame size of 1920×1080 (HD)

Selected winners will need to provide an original video file to EPA.

Submission Limit

Each individual or team is limited to entering one video in the Challenge. Multiple submissions from the same source will be disqualified.

Judging

Judging will be conducted by a panel of subject-matter experts. They will make final determinations and award all prize winners.

The judging panel will use a 100-point scale to evaluate videos and rank submissions based on accuracy, creativity, and quality. The scale will rank videos based on the following criteria:

Category Details Potential Points (out of 100)

1. Message Has a clear, positive message and theme that is easily understood. 20
2. Accuracy Information on environmental and other benefits, technology, and use of electric mobility is factual and does not include misinformation or misleading statements. 20
3. Awareness Increases awareness of the benefits of electric mobility with engaging personal narrative and video content. 15
4. Education Educational, imparts knowledge or deepens understanding of the issue for potential users. 15
5. Experience References how electric vehicle technology works or relates the experience of using an electric vehicle. 10
6. Video Quality Video is in focus with balanced color and light and has logical transitions that move the narrative forward. Audio is discernable and easily understood. 20

Example Tools and Data Resources

Terms, Conditions, and Eligibility

Winning entries will be announced in early 2024 and posted on the EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide and on the Challenges & Prizes websites.

Eligibility

• All participants must be United States citizens that reside across the United States and its territories.
• Participants under 18 years of age must have parental permission to participate. Please have your parents submit the entry form. See EPA’s Privacy and Security Notice for information about how EPA handle’s privacy of information related to minors.
• Federal employees acting within the scope of their employment are not eligible to participate. A Federal employee acting outside the scope of his or her employment should consult his or her ethics official before participating in the Challenge.
• EPA employees, spouses, and children of EPA employees are not eligible to participate.
• Teams and organizations are eligible to submit together, but prize amounts will remain the same regardless of the number of applicants per submission.

Intellectual Property

Only submit entries that are original and that were created by the contest participant(s). We will reach out to selected video entries for a signed license agreement and consent form(s). Each person appearing on the video must sign a consent form. Participants under 18 years of age will require parental consent.

Content may be used by the EPA and the public for informational, educational, and or public relations purposes.

Challenge participants are responsible for complying with applicable copyright and intellectual property laws for any materials used in their videos. “Fair use” rules may allow the use of copyrighted material in certain circumstances. As an example, see the fair use guidelines on YouTube. Participants should seek legal guidance if they have questions about using copyrighted materials.

Non-Endorsement

All mentions of non-federal entities and their products, services, or enterprises are made pursuant to 5 C.F.R. 2635.702(c)(2). EPA and EPA officials do not endorse any non-federal entity or product, service or enterprise that may appear in submitted videos. Furthermore, by recognizing winning videos, EPA is not endorsing the non-federal entities or the products, services or enterprises that may appear in those videos.

Funding Information

Participants cannot use funding from the federal government (either through grants or contracts) to compete in the Challenge.

All prize awards are subject to EPA verification of the winners’ identity, eligibility and participation in the Challenge. Awards will be paid using electronic funds transfer and may be subject to federal income taxes. EPA will comply with the International Revenue Service (IRS) withholding and reporting requirements, where applicable.

Winners are responsible for reporting and paying all applicable taxes in their jurisdiction of residence (federal, state/provincial/territorial and local). Winners will be required to provide information to facilitate receipt of the award, including completing and submitting any tax or other forms necessary for compliance with applicable withholding and reporting requirements.

Plagiarism

EPA has a no-tolerance policy for plagiarism. Any applicant whose work is determined to be plagiarized in whole or in part will be disqualified.

Waiver

By entering this Challenge, participant agrees to assume any and all risks and waive claims against the federal government and its related entities (except in the case of willful misconduct) for any injury, death, damage, or loss of property, revenue, or profits, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, arising from their participation in the challenge, whether the injury, death, damage, or loss arises through negligence or otherwise.

Disclaimer

EPA reserves the right to disqualify any submittal. EPA also reserves the right to cancel, suspend, and/or modify the Challenge, or any part of it, for any reason, at EPA’s sole discretion.

Selected Videos

EPA will select videos as winning entries and may choose to showcase additional videos as honorable mentions. If your video is selected by EPA as a winning entry or as an honorable mention, we will reach out using the information from your submission form to collect your original video file, along with a video license agreement and consent forms for all participants featured in your video. EPA retains the rights to create compilation videos or present excerpts from these selected video entries.

Any questions? Please contact us at EVVideoChallenge@epa.gov.

Courtesy of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)