National Drive Electric Week

National Drive Electric Week
Courtenay, BC
Oct 04, 2020

Day: Sunday, October 4, 2020 NOTE: this event has already happened, find current-year events on the Attend page.
Time: 12:00PM to 4:00 PM
Location: Simms Millenium Park
50 5th Street
Courtenay, BC V9N 3N7
Contact the event organizers, which took place in 2020.

Event Report

For an event that in its first year brought out 1,400 attendees, it felt inconceivable that we could limit attendance in the second year to a health authority limit of just 50 people. With permission we doubled that by holding two sessions with an hour in between to sterilize everything, including and especially all surfaces of all of the cars on display.  

The event gave a new meaning to a car Show ‘n Shine;  26 EVs had never been cleaner AFTER the event. 

The real victory was not giving into fear and holding a large public event with meticulous attention to safety protocols. We bought masks and face shields for everyone without one, supplied not just hand sanitizers but running-water hand wash stations through the venue, enforced physical distancing, and ensured we collected everyone’s contact information and time of attendance just in case. 

We knew organizing such an event with ever-changing public health rules was going to be tough going. In future years we hope we will look back upon 2020 as the year the tough got going. 

The future of the earth and of humanity deserve no less.  From 2019 to 2020, the numbered of registered EVs in our area jumped by 270%, and EVs accounted for almost 10% of new car sales.  We have to maintain and even accelerate  the geometric rise in the rate of EV adoption that the world is beginning to experience. 

Time is short. 


Event Description

 

PLEASE NOTE: THE EVENT DATE HAS BEEN CHANGED TO OCTOBER 4TH. 

The Comox Valley Electric Vehicle Association (CVEVA) is partnering again with Watershed Sentinel, Global Affinity Communications, and EmotiveBC to bring several National Drive Electric Week (NDEW) events to the area. In its 10th year, National Drive Electric Week runs from September 26 to October 4 and is celebrated through hundreds of public events around the world to promote electrified transportation.

All local events will be outdoors and will follow the recommended public health guidelines of the BC Ministry of Health at that time.  We will cancel any event, with proper notice, that would not conform to the then current public safety guidelines.

Earlier on in the week of NDEW, several evening gatherings and a carbon-free EV rally around the local countryside will help celebrate this important time to draw attention to a rEVolution in sustainable transportation that could not come at a more important time in human history.  Electrified transportation is helping to stop climate change. 

Please see our Meetup or Facebook pages for an up-to-date listing of these smaller events from September 26th to October 3rd:  https://www.meetup.com/CVEVABC/ and https://www.facebook.com/CVEVABC.

Some EV owners--we hope many!--may choose to end the week at 10:00 AM on Sunday, October 4th outside at the Wandering Moose Café in Cumberland.  Leaving from there at 11:00 AM sharp, we will parade our EVs through Cumberland, Courtenay, and Comox to Simms Millennium Park.  We will celebrate the fact that the mostly downhill journey of the parade will use near zero net energy.  

CVEVA will then hold an afternoon Show 'n Shine at Simms Millennium Park from 12AM to 4PM.  On display, each separated by an empty parking stall to help maintain physical distancing, will be dozens of different models of electric cars and scooters and bicycles.  There will be test drives for a Chevy Bolt and Nissan Leaf from local dealers.  Those curious about or interested in buying an electric car or bike, new or used, are strongly urged to attend.  We will also this year have a presentation on the stage with more information about EVs and more chances to ask questions.

Due to public health guidelines, we will have ticketing (free) for two time periods that afternoon, so we can make sure we can all see and hear everything, but with enough physical space to remain safe.

Local owner of two electric cars and scooters, Randy Chatterjee says, “Bring your EV or your interest in an EV and a picnic lunch or your appetite for a chance to see and drive the future.” Some tents and chairs and a food cart will be on site.

For a complete list of National Drive Electric Week events, visit the Events page.

Registered Attendees

There are currently 13 attendees registered.

Owners of These Vehicles Have Registered To Attend

Vehicle Registered
Chevy Spark EV 1
Tesla Model 3 1
Tesla Model S 1
3 Models 3

Registered attendees report 192,310 electric miles driven.

In the News…

Presented By

Plugin America logo
Electric Vehicle Association logo
Sierra Club logo
EVHybridNoire logo
Drive Electric USA logo

Platinum Level Sponsors

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Green Level Sponsor

All NDEW 2024 sponsors support Plug In America's coordination of National Drive Electric Week.

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