Save the Date: National Drive Electric Week
Mon, 05/05/2014
For Immediate Release
Zan Dubin-Scott (310) 383-0956
MEDIA SAVE-THE-DATE: NATIONAL DRIVE ELECTRIC WEEK: SEPT. 15-21, 2014
EV Celebration Aims to Increase EV Awareness & Ownership
Fourth Annual Event to be Observed Across the U.S. and Abroad
WHAT: The fourth annual National Drive Electric Week (formerly National Plug In Day) will be held in cities coast to coast and abroad Sept. 15-21, 2014. The goal of the event, organized by Plug In America, Sierra Club and the Electric Auto Association, is to raise awareness of the fun and benefits of electric cars through test-drive events and related activities. Roughly 100 cities and 30,000 people took part in 2013 and planners are aiming to dwarf that number this year.
“We’ve expanded our celebration from a day to a week to reflect the growing popularity of electric cars, which offer Americans more fun, more choice, fewer hassles and great savings,” said Plug In America president Richard Kelly. “The one thing we want everyone to know is that you don’t have to have an electric car to take part in National Drive Electric Week. That’s the point–to introduce EVs to prospective buyers who haven’t experienced the thrill of instant torque and a quiet, clean ride, right past the gas station.”
Sales of electric cars, which can be charged at home while you sleep or at work, have doubled every year for the past three years. National Drive Electric Week’s organizers are seeking to champion and sustain that explosive growth rate. As in previous years, they expect events from Hawaii to Maine to offer ride-n-drives of every electric or hybrid electric vehicle on the road:
Tesla Model S, Nissan LEAF, Chevy Volt, Chevy Spark EV, Mitsubishi iMiEV, BMW i3, Cadillac ELR, Fiat 500e, smart ED, Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive, Toyota Prius PHV, Ford Focus EV, Honda Fit EV, Honda Accord PHEV, CMax energi, Ford Fusion Energi PHEV, Porsche Panamera PHEV and Zero and Brammo motorcycles.
National Plug In Day activities will vary by city. In addition to test drives, they are expected to include EV drag races and rallies, charging infrastructure demos, awards and more.
For information about organizing a National Drive Electric Week in your city, town or at your school, visit http://www.driveelectricweek.org/volunteer.php.
WHEN: Sept. 15-21, 2014. Date and times will vary by city: http://driveelectricweek.org/events.php
WHERE: Visit the National Drive Electric Week website for city-by-city locations and details (still being updated): driveelectricweek.org
WHO: Plug In America, the Sierra Club and the Electric Auto Association are national organizers teaming up with local groups across the country and abroad to organize events. National sponsors include the Nissan LEAF.
About Plug In America: Plug In America, a nonprofit organization, 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. We drive electric. You can, too. www.pluginamerica.org.
About the Sierra Club: The Sierra Club is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization with more than 2.3 million members and supporters and chapters in all 50 states. The Sierra Club’s national electric vehicles campaign advocates for a switch to EVs as one important way to reduce emissions and cut our addiction to oil. 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.
Zan Dubin Scott
Communications Director, Plug In America
zdubinscott@pluginamerica.org
(310) 383-0956
