National Drive Electric Week
Hilo, HI
Sep 21, 2019
Hilo, HI
Sep 21, 2019
| Day: | Saturday, September 21, 2019 NOTE: this event has already happened, find current-year events on the Attend page. |
| Time: | 9AM-100PM |
| Location: | The Home Depot 380 E Makaala St Hilo, HI 96720 |
Event Report
Our September 21, 2019 event was held at The Home Depot in Hilo. Yes – we had rain (it’s Hilo after all), but it was brief and most of the event was under great weather. Our host blocked off two rows of parking, so we had the opportunity to spread out. We had a total of 21 electric vehicles, represented by Kia Niro, Kia Soul, Nissan LEAF, Chevy Bolt, Chevy Volt, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Tesla Model S, Tesla Model 3, Tesla Model X, Tesla Roadster, and an electric bike.
We had several speakers: Wil Okabe, County Managing Director, representing Mayor Harry Kim; Sharon Suzuki, Hawaii Electric President for Hawaii Island and Maui; Russel Ruderman, State Senator; Heather Kimball, owner of Pacific Science Advocates and Vice-Chair of the Hawaii Chapter of the Sierra Club; and Keith Neal of the Hawaii Chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Jared Terpak, Big Island EVA member, read the governor’s Drive Electric Week Proclamation for the State of Hawaii.
A team from local utility (Hawaii Electric Co.) joined and addressed questions regarding charging infrastructure. They brought a couple of electric cars from their fleet. We also had members of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby (also members of the Big Island EVA) share information about the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act.
Guests arrived throughout the 4-hour event. One guest, Sherry H., showed off her new Chevy Bolt. (She attended our Kamuela event the previous Saturday to test drive cars, including a Shock Green Bolt owned by member Nina C.)
Our great volunteers were very busy throughout the event. They explained features of their vehicles, addressed general questions, and provided rides and drives. We had about 85 people during the event and about 150 conversations.
Thank you to the National Drive Electric Week national sponsors - Plug In America, Sierra Club, and Electric Auto Association; The Home Depot; Ulupono Initiative; Blue Planet Foundation; our distinguished speakers, and, of course, our volunteers, for making our event possible.
Noel Morin
PS - This year, the Hawaii Electric Vehicle Association (Hawaii EVA; the Hawaii Chapter of the EAA) hosted events on 3 islands - Hawaii, Oahu, and Kauai. We look forward to having all of our counties represented in next year's event. The Big Island EVA is a sub-chapter of Hawaii EVA.
photo by: Gary Miller Tesla Model X, Chevy Bolt, Tesla Roadster Ron Reilly, Emily Ebert, Sean Morin, David Kurohara, Amanda Lee |
Event Description
Join the Big Island Electric Vehicle Association for this year's Drive Electric Week event. This event will be held at The Home Depot in Hilo.
This is a great opportunity to meet other electric car owners, to learn about electric car benefits and ownership experiences, and see the latest electric cars. If you have an electric car, please join us in celebration of sustainable transportation.
We expect to have representatives from local electric car dealers in attendance. They will share information about their latest electric cars.
We hope to see you there. Bring your family and friends!
Registered Attendees
There are currently 33 attendees registered.
Owners of These Vehicles Have Registered To Attend
| Vehicle | Registered |
| Chevrolet Bolt | 2 |
| Tesla Model 3 | 2 |
| Kia Niro Electric | 1 |
| Mitsubishi i-MiEV | 1 |
| Nissan Leaf (2011-2017) | 1 |
| Tesla Model S | 1 |
| Tesla Model X | 1 |
| Tesla Roadster | 1 |
| 8 Models | 10 |
Registered attendees report 279,615 electric miles driven.
