The San Luis Obispo community showed up to celebrate National Drive Electric Week at Saturday's "EV Ride and Drive" at the Madonna Inn from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. With the SLO Climate Coalition as lead organizer, they teamed up with the Central Coast Clean Cities Coalition, SLO County Air Pollution Control District, Central Coast Community Energy and Community Environmental Council to promote and run the event.

A local car dealership, Alfano Motors, provided six electric cars for test drives that allowed for than 50 people to experience first hand the joys of driving electric. Motion Madness of Fresno and Pismo Beach provided several electric bikes and trikes for test rides in the parking lot. Around 30 people tried them out. Over 20 EV owners brought their electric cars and bikes to show-and-tell at the event. And as the event was staged in the same parking lot as a Tesla Supercharger site, many Tesla owners joined in to talk to fellow EV owners, compare vehicles, and answer questions about there cars.

At noon, several local community leaders spoke to the gathering. City Councilmember, Jan Marx, shared her experience driving an Hyundai Kona and talked about the City of SLO's efforts to install more public chargers and make it easier to use an e-bike to get around town. PG&E Meteorologist, John Lindsey, explained how EVs are not only zero-emission, but are also about 4 times more energy efficient than gas-powered vehicles. Former Mayor Heidi Harmon was there to capture the event on a live stream on her Instagram account and had a message of her own for the audience. She encouraged everyone to get assistance from EVsforEVeryone.org to help them take advantage of the numerous financial incentives that are available for EV buyers.

A local group, "Tableware Share", staffed the refreshment tables and provided reusable cups, plates and napkins to help reduce the amount of waste that is typically generated by an event such as this. They served coffee and breakfast burritos to everyone who brought a car or bike to show and to all who signed up to take a test drive.

Check out a wide variety of electric cars, bikes, and scooters, many of which will be available for a test drive or ride. EV owners will be on hand to answer your questions and talk about the joys of driving and riding electric. Snacks and drinks will be served. The first 75 test drivers will receive a free brunch (breakfast burrito or sandwich, cookie, and a drink)

Funding for this event provided by 

Other events include 2 webinars and an EV Showcase:

• Webinar: Cars are Overrated: e-Bikes, Buses, and Box Trucks, Oh My! Saturday, Sept. 25 @ 11:00 am
• Organized by NDEW folks in Santa Monica, this first of a series will focus on e-bikes. "E-biking 101: A panel with leading spokespeople to help get you moving on two wheels! This expert panel will touch on everything from cycle logistics to city planning to transportation policy to equity issues." 

• Webinar: EV 101 Tuesday, September 28 @ 7:00 pm
• Learn the basics about electric vehicles from CEC’s Director of Energy and Climate Programs, Michael Chiacos. If you’ve been thinking about making the switch to electric, make sure you join the discussion to find out about charging, range, and purchasing options.
  
• In Person: Electrify Your Life Showcase at the SLO Farmer's Market, Thursday, Sept. 30 @ 6:00 pm
• This event will not only showcase electric vehicles, but also provide ideas and information on programs to help folks reduce their carbon footprint. Local experts and EV owners will be available to answer questions and discuss the many advantages of a fully electric lifestyle.