This past September, people from all walks of life - community members, environmental advocates, elected officials, and business leaders - came out to over 324 local drive electric events across all 50 states and over eight different countries during this year’s National Drive Electric Week (NDEW), a global celebration of electric vehicles and clean transportation.
With the stakes as high as ever to address pollution from transportation as the Trump administration attacks states’ authority to be able to set higher emissions standards for vehicles, organizers report that more than 10,000 EV test rides took place with over 170,000 people attending NDEW events across the world.
But it wasn’t just people at the local events witnessing NDEW’s massive success; there were hundreds of media hits covering the events, including these ones from the Chicago Tribune and Houston Chronicle. Additionally, NDEW advocates published opinion pieces advocating for EVs in Forbes and The Detroit News, along with compelling letters to the editor in local outlets like the Times Herald-Record and The Daily Freeman pushing for New York State to commit to a transportation emissions target and go bold on clean transportation policies to reach it.
Patty Bubar, acting director of Montgomery County's Department of Environmental Protection, presents a proclamation by County Executive Marc Elrich designating Sept 14 - 22, 2019 "National Drive Electric Week" in Montgomery County, Maryland
NDEW is organized at the national level by the Sierra Club, Plug In America, and the Electric Auto Association; several local partners, City Captains, and volunteers organize events at the local level. More than 30 Sierra Club chapters participated in NDEW this year, offering creative and exciting ways for people to engage and promote local existing clean transportation initiatives.
In the Twin Cities, Minnesota, more than 100 people came out to the North Star Chapter’s NDEW event, which featured a bike ride and a rally with local leaders to support extending a greenway across the Mississippi River. EVs were displayed at the beginning of the bike ride and participants were able to learn more about them before starting their bike journey.
Our Vermont Chapter worked with Montpelier’s Mayor and the state’s Lieutenant Governor and Governor to promote NDEW locally and throughout the entire state.
Photo credit: North Star Minnesota Chapter
While NDEW events were occurring, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Transit Safety Administration (NHTSA) were pumping the brakes on clean air and cleaner cars, attacking the historic clean car standards, an indefensible move for which the Sierra Club and allies are suing the Trump administration.
Days after NDEW wrapped up, the governors from New Mexico and Minnesota announced their intentions to join 13 states and Washington, D.C. to adopt stricter emissions standards and to join a state Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program, issuing a strong rebuke to federal encroachment on state’s ability to combat climate change.
While the importance of strong clean car standards can’t be understated, governors, mayors, other state and regional leaders, and local communities are paving forward with their own solutions on curbing transportation pollution in the face of this latest federal attack. This year’s NDEW saw several announcements and investments to accelerate EV adoption and consumer awareness and charge forward on climate progress:
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Governors Jay Inslee of Washington; Roy Cooper of North Carolina; Chris Sununu of New Hampshire; Phil Murphy of New Jersey, and Phil Scott of Vermont, all issued state proclamations to declare “National Drive Electric Week” September 14-22;
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In Atlanta, Georgia, EV Hybrid Noire hosted the second largest drive electric event in the country and debuted the 2020 Porsche Taycan. With only two models in the entire world, it was the first time that the Taycan was displayed in the United States;
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In Florida, utility Florida Power and Light announced an investment to install 1,000 EV charging stations throughout the state;
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Virginia announced its intention to use $20 million from the Volkswagen Settlement to deploy more electric school buses;
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ChargePoint celebrated surpassing 100,000 places to charge on its network. They have claimed that since 2007, they have delivered more than 62,700,000 charges, avoided more than 67,800,000 gallons of gas, and reduced more than 227,100,000 kgs of greenhouse gas emissions;
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City and state leaders in California announced the launch of Inglewood’s first four public fast-charging electric vehicle stations, a part of EVGo’s Equal Access Charging Hubs program, which provides access to charging stations to people who live in apartments or don’t have charging stations at home or work;
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On the heels of NDEW, a gas station in Takoma Park, Maryland became the first fueling station in the nation to fully convert from gasoline to electric;
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EVgo and Uber announced a partnership to accelerate rideshare electrification, by allowing Uber drivers to utilize EVgo networks and to create programs to incentivize Uber drivers to switch to an electric vehicle.
Charlotte's "Electric Avenue" National Drive Electric Week event with vehicles and community organizations.
(Photo Credit: Andrew Wojton)
One of the most powerful aspects of NDEW is the exchange of knowledge that happens in a fun environment that allows for free-flowing conversation and hands-on experience to demonstrate the great benefits that come with owning an EV. This year, more than 8,629 EV drivers registered their EVs to be displayed, showcased, or be taken for a test drive for local NDEW attendees!
EV drivers and owners are those most equipped to provide first-hand experience about how fun an EV is to drive and to answer questions that pop up about charging and consumer incentives like rebates, in addition to information about how EVs significantly clamp down on emissions, produce domestic jobs, and put more money back into the pockets of consumers as a result of savings from fueling and maintenance costs.
In Bethel, Vermont, kids learn about electric vehicles as they prepare for a fossil fuel-free future
(Photo Credit: Bethel Energy Committee)
The family-friendly nature of NDEW is also important; exposing future drivers to electric vehicles them understand the importance of change and motivates them to be a part of it. Children are among the most vulnerable to health hazards from tailpipe pollution, after all.
People interested in the movement for clean transportation spanned across the globe, with international drive electric events in countries such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Slovakia, and Taiwan.
Riders of various electric options gather under a beautiful sunset photo near a river at a NDEW event in Taipei
(Photo Credit: Jason Yeh)
It’s not just electric cars that are part of the transition to zero-emission transportation. Event organizers and city captains hosted a drive electric event in Taipei, Taiwan, organizing boarders, bicyclists, and motorcyclists to learn about the variety of electric and fossil fuel free clean transportation options that exist. At the Bainbridge Island, Washington and Davenport, Iowa events, there were electric buses on display.
With consumer interest in EVs significantly growing, local NDEW events served as a one-stop shop to get more consumers into the market and be part of our shift to electric vehicles and the fight to combat climate change.
Like NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton put it at the NDEW event he attended in San Diego:
“I want to learn about all things electric… because we have to decarbonize, it's a matter of survival. Renewables and EVs - it’s the biggest no-brainer in the history of the world.”