Lauren Lantry (202) 548-6599 lauren.lantry@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON — For six years, National Drive Electric Week has inspired drivers to ditch the gas station. The seventh annual National Drive Electric Week (NDEW), which starts tomorrow, September 9, will boast more events than ever before. There are more than 260 events registered in all 50 states and several countries that feature plug-in electric vehicles (EVs). Through test drives, parades, news conferences, and announcements of new EV policies and programs, NDEW community events demonstrate how EVs are greener, cheaper, and more fun to operate than conventional vehicles.
“With more cities committing to 100% clean energy, more EVs on the market than ever before, and with electric vehicle sales rising 37% this past year, it’s clear there are no detours on the road to clean energy. The popularity of National Drive Electric Week events is proof that American consumers want 21st Century solutions to transportation and climate disruption,” said Gina Coplon-Newfield, Sierra Club Electric Vehicle Initiative director.
EV drivers are no longer an anomaly. Electric cars are entering the mainstream, with some major roll-outs recently.The next generation Nissan LEAF is slated for release in September and will debut at featured National Drive Electric Week events; Chrysler just debuted the world’s first-ever plug-in hybrid electric minivan; GM’s Chevy Bolt EV, the first 238 mile range car under $40,000, will soon be available in all 50 states; Volvo announced that starting in 2019, all of its new models will be electrified; and more than 300,000 fans eagerly await the first delivery of Tesla Model 3 later this summer.
“American consumers are finding that EVs are just better cars all around, and we’re seeing this attitude in the sales numbers,” said Joel Levin, executive director of Plug In America. “When a car is less expensive, easier to maintain, cheaper to fuel and most importantly, better to drive, no matter what the brand, consumers will respond to the innovation we’ve seen in the electric vehicle market.”
Just this summer, cities and even entire countries have built on a global movement to plug-in. Here’s the proof:
- London’s mayor announced that London's entire public transport system will be zero-emission by 2050.
- France announced it plans to end sales of new gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles by 2040 and the UK by 2050. They join Germany, India, Netherlands and Norway, which have already made similar commitments.
- Scotland announced it will ban the sale of diesel-powered vehicles.
- The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved a contract to switch to zero emission electric buses by 2030.
National Drive Electric Week is based on the idea that to convert gasoline-powered car owners to electric vehicles owners, nothing beats learning from existing owners and taking test drives in clean, quiet and powerful plug-in electric vehicles. The event showcases the cost savings, clean air benefits, and fun of plug-ins. Plug In America, the Sierra Club, and the Electric Auto Association team up with local groups to organize events, which typically feature all-electric and plug-in hybrid electric cars from every automaker on the market. Numerous past attendees from around the country have purchased or leased plug-ins as a direct result of Drive Electric Week events, sales have jumped by as much as 23 percent the month after.
“With three more affordable new models all achieving longer range than the earlier EVs from major automakers – we should see more adoption of fully electric drive in the U.S.A.starting this year. It’s exciting to see progress on so many fronts, and the reasons to not go electric are disappearing” said Ron Freund, Chairman of the Electric Auto Association.
Find an event near you and view previous media announcements and coverage.
Nissan and its all-electric LEAF have served as the event’s exclusive automotive sponsor since 2013. ClipperCreek, Inc. and California Air Resources Board are also national sponsors.
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About the Electric Auto Association: The Electric Auto Association, formed in 1967, is a nonprofit educational organization with 73 chapters worldwide that promotes the advancement and widespread adoption of electric vehicles. www.electricauto.org.
About Plug In America: Plug In America is a national nonprofit organization that works to accelerate the shift to plug-in vehicles powered by clean, affordable, domestic electricity to reduce our nation’s dependence on petroleum and improve the global environment. 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. It developed the world’s largest, most dedicated network of plug-in vehicle owners and drivers, many of whom have driven EVs for well over a decade. We drive electric. You can too. Pluginamerica.org.
About the Sierra Club: The Sierra Club is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization with more than 2.4 million members and supporters and chapters in all 50 states. The Sierra Club’s national electric vehicles initiative advocates for a switch to EVs as one important way to reduce emissions and cut oil consumption. 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.