National Drive Electric Week Events, Free and Probably Near You
Since 2011, National Drive Electric Week has taken place in venues across the United States, some Canadian locations, and at select international venues. This year, it runs from Saturday, September 9th through Sunday, September 17th.
There are 262 event locations for 2017, so there’s probably an event not far away, assuming you’re electrically inclined.
While you may not have heard of these events previously, the official site has a comprehensive map. Just input your ZIP code and see the events nearest you. Each location has an individual event page detailing the particulars, as well as a list of the individually owned EVs registered to attend. Events are open to the public, and registration (encouraged) is free.
It’s an easy way to check out pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles all in one location. Checking through various green dots on the map, the events vary in location type and scope. Shopping centers, parks, and university campuses all play host. Attendees in many locations include the aforementioned regular EV owners showing their rides, local dealers bringing their hybrid and EV wares for display and test drives, and occasionally a manufacturer presence.
TTAC will have representation (yours truly) at the Cincinnati event, where local startup Workhorse will have their W-15 EV pickup available. Look for that report next week.
See if there’s an event near you. Aside from the usual Prius Primes, Volts, Leafs, and Teslas, maybe you’ll get lucky and see a rare Mitsubishi i-MiEV or Cadillac ELR in the flesh.
[Images: Google, Workhorse]
Interested in lots of cars and their various historical contexts. Started writing articles for TTAC in late 2016, when my first posts were QOTDs. From there I started a few new series like Rare Rides, Buy/Drive/Burn, Abandoned History, and most recently Rare Rides Icons. Operating from a home base in Cincinnati, Ohio, a relative auto journalist dead zone. Many of my articles are prompted by something I'll see on social media that sparks my interest and causes me to research. Finding articles and information from the early days of the internet and beyond that covers the little details lost to time: trim packages, color and wheel choices, interior fabrics. Beyond those, I'm fascinated by automotive industry experiments, both failures and successes. Lately I've taken an interest in AI, and generating "what if" type images for car models long dead. Reincarnating a modern Toyota Paseo, Lincoln Mark IX, or Isuzu Trooper through a text prompt is fun. Fun to post them on Twitter too, and watch people overreact. To that end, the social media I use most is Twitter, @CoreyLewis86. I also contribute pieces for Forbes Wheels and Forbes Home.
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Must really be a symphony of sound to hear all those proud Tesla, i3, Leaf, etc. owners revving up their engines to impress the crowds. I'm guessing such events are also very social with plenty of opportunity to make new friends as the huge crowds of EVs queue up for a few hours to recharge so they can make it home.
Considering how little the gas engine in my Volt runs w/it's measly 40 mile range & charging only at home off the 120VAC outlet in my garage it's become apparent to me that I could easily get by with a full on EV like the Bolt. I'll always need a gas guzzler ICE vehicle like my Tahoe for towing toy's and road trips out of town w/family, but for everything else a modern EV would get the job done. Again for the millions of mulit-car households in the US an EV is getting to be almost a no-brainer.