Electric Car Display + Extend the Greenway Ride + Rally
Twin Cities participates in National Drive Electric Week
Contact: Joshua Houdek, Sierra Club Transportation Program Manager , joshua.houdek@sierraclub.org
WHAT: This Sunday over a hundred electric vehicle owners and enthusiasts will rendezvous at Lake Monster Brewing in Saint Paul. Attendees report 219,133 electric, zero emission miles driven. The clean transportation event will also feature a short bike ride and rally to extend the Midtown Greenway over the Mississippi River and through Saint Paul along Ayd Mill Road to downtown.
With transportation now the leading contributor to climate change pollution in Minnesota, we need the environmental benefits and cost-savings of electric vehicles and other options more than ever.
Each year, it’s becoming increasingly clear that electric vehicles are here to stay and represent the future of clean, pollution-free driving. A recent survey by Consumer Reports and the Union of Concerned Scientists shows that over 60 percent of prospective car buyers in the U.S. are interested in electric vehicles. Public interest, across geography and income levels, is growing.
The event is part of the 9th annual National Drive Electric Week, and is one of almost 300 events across the nation and around the world.
WHEN: Sunday, September 15th, 12:30 – 4pm
WHERE: Lake Monster Brewing, 550 Vandalia St, Saint Paul
VISUALS:
12:30pm - Over a dozen electric cars, from Nissan Leafs to BMWs to several models of Teslas, on display outside the brewery.
1:00pm - A bike tour with over 100 riders will head out to Allianz Field.
3:00pm - Speakers on clean transportation, extending the greenway, and Ayd Mill Road.
WHO: Confirmed as of Monday: Ramsey County Commissioner Trista MatasCostillo; Saint Paul Councilmembers Mitra Jalali Nelson and Dai Thao; Chief Resilience Officer Russ Stark, Mayor Melvin Carter’s Office; Alex Burns, Sierra Club; Soren Jensen, Midtown Greenway Coalition; Andy Singer, Saint Paul Bicycle Coalition; 18 electric vehicle owners; over 100 participants.
Sierra Club North Star Chapter is organizing this Saint Paul event. National Drive Electric Week is presented by national organizers Plug In America, the Sierra Club, and the Electric Auto Association. Nissan LEAF® is the exclusive automotive sponsor. ClipperCreek and the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project are silver level sponsors.
For a complete list of National Drive Electric Week events, visit: DriveElectricWeek.org
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About Plug In America: Plug In America is the nation’s leading independent consumer voice for accelerating the use of plug-in electric vehicles in the United States. Formed as a non-profit in 2008, Plug In America provides practical, objective information collected from our coalition of plug-in vehicle drivers, through public outreach and education, policy work and a range of technical advisory services. Our expertise represents the world’s deepest pool of experience of driving and living with plug-in vehicles. The organization conceived National Drive Electric Week and has advanced workplace charging by pioneering ride-and-drive events at such leading corporations as Google, Mattel and Paramount Pictures. We drive electric. You can too. PlugInAmerica.org
About the Sierra Club: The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. Sierra Club is proud to have been one of the three national groups organizing National Drive Electric Week since its inception in 2011. www.sierraclub.org/EVGuide.
About the Electric Auto Association: The Electric Auto Association, formed in 1967, is a nonprofit educational organization with 75 chapters worldwide that promotes the advancement and widespread adoption of electric vehicles. www.electricauto.org.