National Drive Electric Week: Sept 12-20, 2015

[tomsax]

This year we are celebrating our fifth annual National Drive Electric Week.

To many, plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) are a foreign concept wrapped in myth and mystery. Although we’ve made tremendous progress since 2011, with over 310,000 electric vehicles sold, most people have never driven an EV or even heard of the many benefits of driving electric, as illustrated most recently by the Nissan LEAF winning IHS Automotive Loyalty Award.

Electric vehicles are facing many challenges in 2015. States are dropping EV incentives and imposing EV taxes. Stories in the media depict EVs sales as dropping even when they are at historical highs.

We believe the best way for people to learn what’s real about EVs is to hear it from owners, which is the basis for National Drive Electric Week. For the past four years, we have helped EV owners organize events across the country to raise awareness of the many advantages of driving electric. Last year, events across the country and beyond included vehicle expos, test drives, speakers and city proclamations. We reached over 95,000 people. Thanks to dedicated LEAF owners, 116 of those events featured a total of 1,055 LEAFs.

Baltimore, MD Photo by Mark Czajka

On September 12-20, 2015, we’ll celebrate the fifth annual National Drive Electric Week. More event organizers and volunteers means we’ll reach even more people. If you share our conviction that we want to switch away from gasoline to plug-in electric vehicles for the environmental, economic and national security benefits, and would like to share your positive experience with driving electric, please join us. Take a look at the events map. If there’s an event near you, volunteer to help. If not, please consider organizing an event.

Event map as of April 26, 2015

We always have a great time hanging out with other EV owners and sharing our experience with the public. Join us to share in the fun.

 

[TonyWilliams]

I would like to add that we will be supporting National Drive Electric Week (NDEW) with the third running of BC2BC-2015 All Electric Vehicle Rally, 3000 miles from Mexico to Canada and back.

Departures will take place at several of the NDEW venues on the west coast.

 

[Graffi]

Tony, if the drive starts at the EVgo station at the border then lets have an EV gathering for a couple of hours before the drive starts. We are not able to do the BC to BC but would help with coordinating the gathering.

I would like to add that we will be supporting National Drive Electric Week (NDEW) with the third running of BC2BC-2015 All Electric Vehicle Rally, 3000 miles from Mexico to Canada and back.

Departures will take place at several of the NDEW venues on the west coast.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Tony, if the drive starts at the EVgo station at the border then lets have an EV gathering for a couple of hours before the drive starts. We are not able to do the BC to BC but would help with coordinating the gathering.

I would like to add that we will be supporting National Drive Electric Week (NDEW) with the third running of BC2BC-2015 All Electric Vehicle Rally, 3000 miles from Mexico to Canada and back.

Departures will take place at several of the NDEW venues on the west coast.

I'll have to know what NDEW events are happening on 12 Sept, but that's probably doable.

From the list so far:

California USA n/a
Fresno California USA Sep 12, 2015
Los Angeles California USA Sep 13, 2015
Marin County California USA n/a
Oxnard California USA n/a
Palm Desert California USA Sep 19, 2015
San Diego California USA n/a
San Mateo California USA n/a
Woodland Hills Sept 19, 2015

Lincoln City Oregon USA Sep 19, 2015
Lincoln City Oregon USA Sep 12, 2015
Wilsonville Oregon n/a

Issaquah Washington USA Sep 20, 2015
Liberty Lake Washington USA Sep 19, 2015
Richland Washington USA n/a
Steilacoom Washington USA Sep 13, 2015
Wenatchee Washington Sept 19, 2015

Sechelt British Columbia Canada n/a
Victoria British Columbia. n/a

 

[tomsax]

National Drive Electric Week starts in less than a week. There are currently 178 events in 41 states and 6 Canadian provinces plus one in Hong Kong. Please join us!

To find one near you, visit the Events page and type your city or zip/postal code into the search box on the map.

 

[Bob]

I'll be at the Concord, NH event this coming Saturday. Anyone else coming?

Bob
2013 SV Blue

 

[cwerdna]

I'll be at the Cupertino EVent.

https://driveelectricweek.org/event.php?eventid=342
Day: Saturday, September 19, 2015
Time: 10 AM - 4 PM
Location: De Anza College, Parking Lot B
21250 Stevens Creek Blvd
Cupertino, CA 95014

 

[RonDawg]

I'll be at the Woodland Hills event on Sunday the 20th: https://driveelectricweek.org/event.php?eventid=305. I'll be bringing the (so far) only eGolf scheduled to attend; I figure there's plenty of Leafs already scheduled to be there.

 

[RegGuheert]

National Drive Electric Week starts in less than a week. There are currently 178 events in 41 states and 6 Canadian provinces plus one in Hong Kong. Please join us!

To find one near you, visit the Events page and type your city or zip/postal code into the search box on the map.

Thanks for organizing this, Tom!

Unfortunately, your web page does not FORCE the organizers of each event to indicate whether or not there will be any charging available for the event and what type of charging there is. Not one of the events in my area indicates there will be charging available at the event, so it makes it hard for those who cannot make the round trip to sign up their EVs.

 

[redLEAF]

National Drive Electric Week starts in less than a week. There are currently 178 events in 41 states and 6 Canadian provinces plus one in Hong Kong. Please join us!

To find one near you, visit the Events page and type your city or zip/postal code into the search box on the map.

Thanks for organizing this, Tom!

Unfortunately, your web page does not FORCE the organizers of each event to indicate whether or not there will be any charging available for the event and what type of charging there is. Not one of the events in my area indicates there will be charging available at the event, so it makes it hard for those who cannot make the round trip to sign up their EVs.

+1 on that; at 72 miles R/T over 65 MPH highways (where people typically travel 70+) and possibly a hot day, not sure if I could 'comfortably' make the event in Naperville, IL and back w/o a charge. I checked and there is a Nissan dealer with a charger (Gerald Nissan) about 800 to 900 ft away but kind of loses the point of being at the event itself. In the write up, they do ask to see if corporate sponsors offer on-site charging but will have to dig deeper to see if it will be available. As I post this, it appears that 23 EV's had registered including 10 LEAF's with a total of 84 attendees so that's encouraging. They have a 'contact the organizer' button so will check that and see if they plan for anything. There is also another of these in Rockford, IL but that's 55 miles each way so that one is out of range; another Nissan dealer (Anderson) is perhaps 4 to 5 miles away, again defeats the purpose; also 0 have signed up so perhaps this one was just added to the list.

 

[Dmchose]

Went and supported the South Charlotte NC meet today. We had about 8 to 10 Leafs ( did not see a Nisson rep ) 7 or so Teslas ( 1 rep ), 3 or 4 BMWs ( two reps), 1 Mitsubishi ( owner), 5 Volts ( owners), 2 Smart cars ( reps I think ), 1 Cadillac ( owner)and a motor cycle company. Duke Energy was there with a custom 4x4 Chevy pickup ( can't remember the name of the mod group but it was a similar engineering as the Volt. It got 40 miles on a charge before engine kicked in. A solar company and a outfit that is getting into retrofitting / rebuilding batterys. I thought it was a success. A lot of folks stopped by to chat. Ended the day with a short electric parade to downtown Charlotte. It was great to see the turn out.
Don

 

[RonDawg]

Duke Energy was there with a custom 4x4 Chevy pickup ( can't remember the name of the mod group but it was a similar engineering as the Volt. It got 40 miles on a charge before engine kicked in.

Very likely VIA Motors. They are officially sanctioned by GM, in part because former GM exec Bob Lutz is now VIA's chairman. VIA specially orders their trucks with V6 engines rather than V8's as the transmission is completely removed and replaced with a generator, and a V8 is not necessary for that.

I say "officially sanctioned" because according to the VIA rep I met at the LA Auto Show, their trucks retain the full GM warranty on all parts not modified or supplied by VIA, and the trucks can be ordered and serviced through select Chevy and GMC dealers.

 

[Dmchose]

Right you are Ron. That was the company truck Duke had on site.

 

[LeftieBiker]

The motorcycle company was probably Zero. I rode two of their bikes last year, and hope to ride the third today. I'd also like to buy one, although there is no dealer near me. Great bikes. The street-legal but dirt-oriented FX is insanely powerful.

 

[Reddy]

Hmmm, National Drive Electric Week and I went and rode my bicycle again! Darn, I forgot it started already. Well, I'll make up for it at 10am Saturday. Our event is at the Richland, WA library:
https://driveelectricweek.org/event.php?eventid=371
Unfortunately, we only have two EV's registered. What's going on, our area is full of highly educated scientists, a national laboratory, and near 200k population. I know we have a few MNL members that are local. Let's step up and get this thing going.

 

[redLEAF]

Here is another National Drive Electric Week gathering that actually featured an interview with a smart ED driver ... just outside of Boston in Worcester, MA (the locals pronounce it 'wooster'; not 'worcester' by I digress); looks like a Volt, e-Golf, Fisker and Focus EV next to two Tesla S sedans but can't tell for sure ... anyone on MNL attend?

http://www.telegram.com/article/20150917/NEWS/150919174

 

[TomT]

From today's event in Woodland Hills, CA:

http://www.dailynews.com/lifestyle/20150920/electric-car-show-returns-to-el-camino-real-charter-high-school

 

[redLEAF]

From yesterday's event held in Naperville, IL (suburb of Chicago):

We ended up attending about mid-way during the 1 to 4PM event due to other stuff going on with us over the weekend; also charging at the event wasn't available so it was a bit too far for our LEAF to get to; great day for an outside event though, blue skys and low 70's. It turns out that LEAF's were well represented as both Nissan had a few mfg. plated new ones that you could take around a closed slow speed course and a few owners brought theirs. From what a few people mentioned to me this track is sponsored by the many car dealers in the immediate area as a safe place to take people on test drives.

Not a huge showing, but there were LEAF's, Volts, Tesla sedans, BMW i3's (my son and I are obliged to the owner as we both had a chance at the wheel; first real drive with one, quite nice; love the higher ride height, fit & finish, less annoying warning chimes, HUGE digital displays, more responsive steering and the regen effort ... well that's to be experienced, once you were used to it, I could easily see this being a single pedal car) , Ford Focus EV's, a C-Max Energi, Mitsu iMiEV's, a Sparrow (tangerine orange that the owner was trying to sell for $13,500) and a few other EV conversions (took a photo of a 2nd gen Miata that was tastefully done, Mazda's in general are pretty well made so not sure of the 'why' on this one, perhaps the gas engine was shot??).

One thing on the newer LEAF's I noticed right off was the 'engine' compartment; big departure from the '11/'12's as well as in talking to the white Mitsu iMiEV owner on the depreciation hit we'll still take on EV's; he bought his used for $11K, Mitsubishi had replaced the battery under warranty already; not bad for him as the car's original list price was around $34K (was a 'loaded' one).

This show was co-sponsored by Nissan as well as the Fox Valley Electric Auto Assoc which has been around for over 30 years.

Not sure if any other MNL forum members happened by but post your photos if you have them ... this was a nice venue for anyone to recommend friends to attend if they wanted to check out what's available in EV's; all the owners were enthusiasts willing to talk and share their own experiences; did not see ANY news outlets covering it which is kind of a shame; that also goes for the 'press' event as the BMW i3 owner who gave us drives was there last week ... no real coverage by the media

 

[Phatcat73]

I attended both the Waukesha WI and the Naperville IL. Waukesha was a big hit as the sponsoring body shop has both CCS, Chademo, and a 100 amp L2 J1772 charging setup on site. They also had a roof full of solar panels and 30amp charging inside their shop. Both the owner and their son drive a Model S. I asked what they had to go through to become a Tesla certified body shop. They needed to invest $150k in equipment and send 2 techs to CA for 2 weeks. Now that's dedication.

 

[NeilBlanchard]

I went to two events: Thursday the 17th at WPI in Worcester MA, and Saturday the 19th at the Natick Farmers Market. About 37 EV's at the WPI event, including an EV1 (no electrics of course) and a BMW i8. Both these are the first time I have personally seen them. There was also a Proterra electric bus, which was neat.

The Natick event was much smaller, and included several dealers, so a lot of people took test drives.