Spirit of Arizona: Native Nations
Driving Clean Energy with Integrity and Tradition
The Spirit of Arizona: Native Nations section is dedicated to presenting the Cheaper, Faster, Better benefits of electric vehicle adoption in ways that honor the distinct cultural traditions, values, and languages of Arizona’s Indigenous peoples. By connecting EV education to community priorities—such as health, sustainability, sovereignty, and resilience—we aim to make the transition to clean transportation both practical and culturally meaningful.
This section will feature individual cultural pages for each Nation, created in consultation with tribal members and leadership. Each page will highlight how electric vehicles align with that Nation’s stories, traditions, and values while providing practical information on cost savings, performance, and environmental benefits.
“Klose is at the helm as president of the first Native American chapter for DRIVE Electric, called Three Rivers Tribes, which serves the SRPMIC, the Gila River Indian Community and the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation.”
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Hans Klose
Chair, Tribal Nations
Hans Klose is the founder and owner of Sovereign Sustainable Initiatives LLC based on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Sovereign Sustainable Initiatives develops sustainable energy systems in Native American communities in the southwestern United States.
Hans is also on the board of directors for Plug In America and is the founder and president of the Tribal Nations Chapter chapter of DRIVE Electric Arizona – the only Native American chapter of DRIVE Electric USA, representing the Fort McDowell (Verde River), Salt River, and Gila River Native American communities within the Phoenix metropolitan area. Hans is also the Chair of DRIVE Electric Arizona’s Working Group on Native Communities. He is also board member of DRIVE Electric Arizona and a member of the DRIVE Electric Arizona Chapter Advisory Committee.
Hans is an enrolled member of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (located next to Scottsdale, Arizona). His father is a German immigrant, and his mother was a full-blooded Pima (Akimel O’odham) Native American. Hans grew up in Arizona on the Salt River, Gila River, and Tohono O’odham reservations before attending Dartmouth College in New Hampshire where he received his B.A. in religion.