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]
I’m actually excited about the “Workhorse” drive.
I’m gonna get there early, maybe before the crowd [if there is one].
Count me in as very interested in the Workhorse. It will be interesting if they actually load it down, or have one loaded to its rated capacity and one empty. Of course you wouldn’t get to drive them enough to see how much the added weight really affects range, but at least you’ll get a feel for the impact on acceleration.
My local meet up has forty-three registered attendees who claim to have driven over one hundred million combined miles in EVs. Sounds about right.
My local event says that last year they had 59 EVs and they had traveled a total of 1.5 million miles which works out to about 25K per car.
I looked at the one for Crozet, Virginia.
I hope those extra miles were the result of a single person either making a mistake or being a doodle. I’d like to believe the other 42 were a bit more accurate.
Ha! The one closes to me in Poolesville, MD is 6.5 miles away from my front door. But because there are no bridges over the Potomac River, it would take me over an hour to drive there. A bit humorous because most current EVs wouldn’t be able to make the round trip.
What happened to the ferry?
Google Maps isn’t giving me the option to take White’s Ferry. And then when I drag the line over to it, it adds 5 minutes to the trip.
BUT, it would shave 30 miles off the round trip. So an EV should be good to go.
I thought even George Washington had a ferry across the Potomac.
That was the Delaware…
Dangit!
That’s what Cornwallis said.
I am reminded of an old Bugs Bunny cartoon where Bugs ends a rant about freedom with: “Isn’t that why Washington threw that dollar across the Delaware?”
I bet I’ve seen that as a child, and it went over my head.
@LandArk: A bit humorous because most current EVs wouldn’t be able to make the round trip.
I’ve been thinking about taking my 100-mile range Leaf from Boston’s northern suburbs to an event in Vermont. It’s about 110 miles away. I’ve made that trip about three times now. To do it, I have to pick up a 30-minute quick charge halfway to the destination and at the same location on the return trip. Over 220 miles and it’s doable in a Leaf. I just have lunch during the quick charges. In Vermont, I’ll charge over night at the hotel.
So, how far is the trip you’re talking about and why isn’t it doable in “most current” EVs? What defines most current EVs anyway. Plenty of Teslas and Bolts sold with a 200-mile range.
Mine is next Wednesday…I am evacuating in the AM to NC from FL so I might not even have power back up by then…dang…Hey an electric car show without electricity…cool….
I went to the 2013 Pittsburgh event with my Leaf, where I got to drive a BMW i3, and took a ride in somebody’s i-MiEV, as well as a friend’s Model S.
After having had my 12 Leaf for a whole year, it was the first time I had met anyone else with one, and the guy was from Cleveland (IIRC, it took him 2 days to get to Pittsburgh – ha).
The second time I met someone with a Leaf? Last week. Which shows the state of the EV union in western PA – it’s bleak.
You’re better off seeing a Tesla, there are quite a few.
Finally a chance to clear the cobwebs off my GM EV1.
In all seriousness, I’d love to be up close and personal with an ELR. Its one sexy looking Caddy.
Supposedly there will be one model S, one X, and one X5 iPerformance. I’m not inclined to go just to see them. Pretty much a meh.
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.
Yep. We do great with one short-range EV and one car that uses gas. No tailpipe pollution on short trips, no range anxiety on long trips.
For a lot of families, the coming round of longer-range EVs (two of them are already here–the Chevy Bolt EV and, arguably, the Tesla Model 3) could replace the gas car on all but a handful of occasions too.
For mine, about the only times we’d really prefer a gas car are the times we rent one already: for a V8-powered high-speed blast into desert nowheresville…during which we pass the massive mirror and molten salt solar plant that powers our EV.