Plug In America’s largest EV education campaign, National Drive Electric Week (NDEW), September 14-22, is gearing up for another successful year! Last year’s NDEW included 321 events in all 50 states and we hope to reach even more communities this year! If you can’t create a large-scale event, here are some easy ways to get involved and educate your friends and neighbors about EVs. Contact Kylie Morgan at kmorgan@pluginamerica.org with any questions or to tell us how your event went!
Coffee Shop Chat
Consider inviting people to meet at a local coffee shop, where you can provide basic EV information and answer their questions about driving electric. You don’t need to be an expert on the mechanics of an EV, but hearing an EV driver’s experience is a powerful way to help others realize that switching to electric is very possible for most families.
Backyard Barbecue
Invite your neighbors to stop by, check out your EV, and learn more about driving electric. If you know a friend or two who also drive EVs, invite them to park in your driveway and display their vehicles, as well. See Plug In America’s Electric Driveway Party guide for more tips and resources.
EV Dealer Tour
Rather than bringing vehicles to the people, bring the people to the vehicles! In many towns, a number of auto dealerships are located on the same street or close to one another, so invite people to join you on a tour of local dealerships with EVs available to be shown. Pick a time and place for people to meet, then go as a group to the dealerships. We recommend giving the dealerships advance notice that you’ll be coming with a group to ensure they have their EVs available, charged and ready for test drives or rides.
Benefits of dealer tours
- People can check out EVs without the pressure to buy if they go in a group
- Dealerships will see that there’s genuine interest in the vehicles
- As an EV owner or enthusiast, you can answer common EV questions the salesperson may not know
Frequently Asked Questions
When creating any event, the FAQ page of our website can help prepare you for questions you may receive, including:
- What is the difference between an all- electric vehicle (BEV) and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV)?
- How much does it cost to charge your EV?
- Where do I charge the vehicle?
- How many charging stations are in the area?
- How often do you have to replace the battery?
- How much does it cost to replace the battery?
You can also download and print our Electric Vehicle Guide to share.
Perks of being a National Drive Electric Week event
If you decide to hold an event during September 14-22 and register it on the website, you will have the opportunity to receive the following resources:
- Free, customizable online event page where attendees can register
- Free printed materials to give to guests, including Plug In America’s EV Guide, Sierra Club’s EV Fact Sheet, and information about the Electric Auto Association
- Free event kit from Nissan LEAF
- Online templates and other resources
