National Drive Electric Week
D$W/Festival Foods EV Fair
West Allis, WI
Oct 02, 2021
D$W/Festival Foods EV Fair
West Allis, WI
Oct 02, 2021
| Day: | Saturday, October 2, 2021 NOTE: this event has already happened, find current-year events on the Attend page. |
| Time: | 10:00 am - 2:00 pm CDT |
| Location: | West Allis Festival Foods 11111 West Greenfield Ave. West Allis, WI 53214 |
Event Report
I wanted to share some highlights from our NDEW event held
last Saturday at the Festival Foods in West Allis. We dodged some sprinkles as
we were setting up, but as the rain stopped, the EV/PHEV cars began to roll in
and the sun came out and stayed with us the rest of the day. As the sun came
out, we also had Festival guests, the general public and registered guests and
friends come out to one of the best NDEW events that D$W has hosted to date.
Here are some quick metrics for the day:
- - We had 26 EV/PHEVs for the event, 23 registered
and 3 drive-up’s
- - We had around 80 registered guests, including
owners, volunteers, and attendees/friends
- - We had near 100 walk-ups from Festival guests
and the general public
- - EV owners had 1,200,000 miles of EV driving experience
- - There were 11 model cars on site from 7
different manufacturers
- - EV owners gave out over 2 dozen rides/drives
Among the various EV/PHEVs on site, several stood out and
garnered additional interest. Kristin and Ryan shared rides and displayed their
2021 Tesla Model S Plaid (0-60 in about 2 seconds) and Ben displayed his
innovative solar mounted trailer attached to his 2013 Chevy Volt. Olivia and
her husband displayed and talked about her new 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV.
We had over a dozen EV owners and guests at our 11:30 Owners
Forum in the Festival patio area. We talked about EV technology, battery
development, home charging, hybrid tax penalties and EV tax rebates, how to
best pay for road infrastructure, and the benefits, costs, and misconceptions
about EV. But after realizing that every EV owner present, still had an ICE car
in their family, we also discussed how important D$W $mart driving skills are.
Though EV’s are the rides of the future, the 300 million ICE vehicles existing
in the US, still need to be addressed.
To achieve the 50% cut in GHG emissions by 2030, ICE drivers can help by using
$mart skills to save fuel and lower tailpipe emissions at the same time. ICE
vehicles are the still elephant in the room that needs to be addressed.
Lorrie Lisek, Director of Wisconsin Clean Cities, was busy
all day, sharing what WCC has been doing to promote EV technology, but also the
new WCC initiative to reach out to minority drivers with EV opportunities. That
same theme was the topic that brought out a reporter from WUWM Public Radio,
Chuck Quirmbach, who interviewed several minority EV owners on site in a piece
that he is working about minority EV ownership. This event was also mentioned
in an online article written by the Shepard Express.
And now a time of thank you’s to all that made this event a
success.
- - Nina, Rachel, and Kyle from Festival Foods
Wisconsin who agreed to host this first ever EV car show at any of their
Wisconsin stores. Also, for offering EV ChargePoint chargers on site.
- - To EV owner Jeff, who supplied microfiber towels
to all owners to spiff their rides up
- - Lorrie Lisek and Wisconsin Clean Cities for
tabling and sharing information on all their outreach
- - To all the EV owners who displayed their rides
and shared their expertise with our guests
The biggest thank you go to Justin, Debbie, Steve, Gary,
Chris, Richard, Marie, and Mark, who all volunteered to give their precious
weekend time to work this event. Some arrived 3 hours early to set-up and all
stayed until breakdown at about 2:30. This event wouldn’t have been a success
without their diligence, hard work and hospitality that made every guest feel welcomed.
I deeply appreciate your effort, support, and camaraderie during the event.
All I can say is Thank You and Well Done. Stay tuned for
additional D$W events coming up.
Bradlee
photo by: Drive $mart Wisconsin Overview of our D$W Festival Foods NDEW event just after opening. Ford C-Max energi, Prius Prime, Tesla Model Y, Tesla Model 3, Tesla Model S Plaid |
Event Description
Drive $mart Wisconsin along with Festival Foods, is proud to host SE Wisconsin’s first in-person NDEW event of 2021. This free public event will be held on Saturday, Oct 2nd at the West Allis Festival Foods, 11111 W. Greenfield Ave. from 10-2 pm. There will be dozens of EV and PHEVs on display and EV owners and selected dealers will be on hand to answer questions about EV technology and the benefits to EV ownership. If safety protocols permit, guests may have the opportunity to ride/drive the vehicles to see and feel how an EV actually drives.
Drive $mart Wisconsin, the nation’s largest driving organization dedicated to teaching fuel efficient driving, will host this NDEW event, the 7th that D$W has done over the past 4 years. For over 15 years, DSW and its over 800 members, has as its prime goal, to teach fuel efficient driving to the general public and to public/private groups and organizations. D$W also promotes viable green transportation options, such as hybrid, plug-in, and electric vehicles, through its local and regional D$W Meets, EV Fairs and NDEW events.
Festival Foods, Wisconsin based premier grocery chain, has made a commitment to exceptional guest service and to giving back to their communities through its Servant Leadership philosophy. Festival Foods will sponsor this NDEW event, to help educate their staff and guests about the benefits of EV ownership. This education is seen in the fact that Festival Foods has built Level 2 - J1771 EV Charging Stations at many of their 35 locations around Wisconsin, including 2 at this West Allis location. Festival Foods guest commitment is also seen in the fact that they offer 3-hour free charging to their guests, with $5 per hour charge after 3 hours.
This NDEW event will offer an EV/PHEV Owners Forum from 11-11:30 when we will discuss the benefits of EV/PHEV ownership. Our EV owners have over 500,000 miles of EV driving experience and will share their knowledge and expertise with all guests. There will also be a discussion of the benefits of $mart Driving that can increase mileage 10-30% and lower tail pipe emissions in your current vehicle. There will be representatives from the Sierra Club Great Waters Chapter and Wisconsin Clean Cities on hand to answer questions and hand out information of EV/PHEV technology and their impact on the environment.
If electric vehicles are the wave of the future, this NDEW event
is the best place to begin your education in the future of transportation.
Learn from the experts and see both used and new EV’s all in one place. If not
ready to make the change to EV ownership quite yet, D$W can help you save money
by giving you tips on driving your current vehicle more efficiently.
Registered Attendees
There are currently 88 attendees registered.
Owners of These Vehicles Have Registered To Attend
| Vehicle | Registered |
| Chevrolet Bolt | 4 |
| Tesla Model 3 | 4 |
| Chevrolet Volt | 3 |
| Ford C-MAX Energi | 3 |
| Tesla Model Y | 3 |
| Nissan Leaf (2011-2017) | 2 |
| Tesla Model S | 2 |
| Chevrolet Bolt EUV | 1 |
| Kia Niro Electric | 1 |
| Toyota Prius Prime | 1 |
| 10 Models | 24 |
Registered attendees report 1,172,695 electric miles driven.
