National Drive Electric Week
EVs with Sustainable Home Tour
Santa Cruz, CA
Sep 30, 2023
EVs with Sustainable Home Tour
Santa Cruz, CA
Sep 30, 2023
| Day: | Saturday, September 30, 2023 NOTE: this event has already happened, find current-year events on the Attend page. |
| Time: | 12:00 - 4:00 pm PDT |
| Location: | 1955 Encina Drive Santa Cruz, CA 95062 |
Event Report
Our theme was this: EVs with Sustainable Home Tour. We are Kicking Gas and want to show you how. EVs and Sustainable Home appliances all plugged into solar by day, renewables by night, are a winning formula for the necessary energy transition.This was our first in-person event since the start of the pandemic, so there was a welcomed camaraderie of re-establishing connections with our EV friends, meeting new ones, and, as always, sharing the new things each of us has learned on our EV journeys since we were together. As we've learned from past events how those with solar were inspired to drive electric and those driving electric were inspired to go solar, here we had those who came to check out EVs and got to learn about the other sustainable practices and those who came to specifically ask questions about the sustainable home and/or eating choices who also got to check out the EVs. A full circle of sustainable lifestyle.
We were hosted by a couple who had just conscientiously transitioned their home to all electric including rooftop solar with many other sustainable touches that also are their sustainable lifestyle businesses. It was such a sweet community sharing of resources, a party, hosted by and catered with delicious, organic, vegan food we all got to enjoy by Beth Love. In her business, Eat for the Earth, Beth educates about reducing one's food carbon footprint while improving physical health. Golden Love of Love's Gardens has led our community with sustainable practices, such as rain catchment and grey water systems, which he shared the work in progress in their yard where they broke up the concrete surrounding the home to create an organic food forest, shared as part of the Sustainable Home Tour. The neighbor even came down to share her story about their Fiat 500 EV. We had a Volt drive-by, stopped to look then went on, maybe checking out options for their all EV.
We also provided information from our alternative electricity provider, Central Coast Community Energy, who are definitely our partners in mitigating climate changes by greening up the grid that we plug into with the renewable energy sources they choose. I like to proudly boast about their goals of 60% renewables by 2025 (getting close) and 100% renewables by 2030. Many of these alternatives to the for-profit Investor Owned Utility monopolies, the CCAs, in California and across the country have similar goals, moving us to clean energy much more quickly, reinvesting profits into the community instead of to investor profits, providing many community incentives such as Electrify Your Ride (which helped me get my EV) and Electrify Your Home.
As always, I invited county supervisors, city council members of all of our cities, Regional Transportation Commission members, and even though none came, it was an opportunity to share the information in the emails about how we are moving our communities forward with sustainable transportation and lifestyle. This is an especially ripe time for EV conversations because California governor, the president's IRA and VW settlement grants have given our Metro 57 hydrogen buses, in spite of the success with the 9 EV buses, so a couple of us are working overtime to inform about the many myths associated with that industry and advantages of EVs. Our home hosts have agreed to continue to open their home to Sustainable Home Tours for those who responded but were unable to attend. This will be another opportunity to have their ear about EVs too. And I will be using the the swag bags from Nissan that did not get taken as openings to those who I will give them to for conversations about the benefits of driving electric. Keeping the EV sharing alive!
Proudly, the Mayor of the City of Santa Cruz, CA, issued a proclamation declaring Sept 22 to Oct 1 Drive Electric Week in Santa Cruz, encouraging all citizens to participate in EVACCC's event, explore sustainable transportation options and learn about energy-efficient living practices. All of those many friends, old and new, who came out to enjoy the best conversations about EVs and other sustainable lifestyle choices to KICK GAS in our down home event, made for a fun day even though dark and cloudy with gusting winds, that made us so happy!
photo by: Jack Brown of Electric Vehicle Assn CA Central Coast Chapter Beverly DesChaux and Fred Geiger at the booth table; Carol Smith, L behind; Doug Wong, keeper of the flyers from the wind, R of booth; Kathryn Nance, Allen Ginzberg; 3 other unidentified attendees. (from front L going R around) Chevy Bolt with supplies from the event on the floor; brand new Ford F-150 Lightening, known as the Beast for its size; Tesla Model Y, Tesla Model 3 with the shameless plus of his referral code to Tesla on the under side of his hood; Toyota RAV 4 plug-in hybrid, Chevy Bolt EUV, and lots more beside the Bolt not pictured. White metal roof to reflect the sun with a 50 year warranty and their solar panels. Front asphalt not dug up yet for plants for part of the food forest. |
Event Description
The Electric Vehicle Assn of Central Coast CA invites you to join our 13th year of National Drive Electric Week. This exciting collaboration demonstrates not only what is possible but what is necessary for our energy transition, creating a whole sustainable lifestyle. We are KICKING GAS!
** We will have some of the latest EV MODELS ON DISPLAY with their owners answering questions about their EV driving experiences and the many benefits of driving electric. Special guest will be the hot off the assembly line, Ford F-150 Lightening, that represents newest technology with bi-directional capacity. Come to learn about that too. Handouts will be available with information for helping with your decisions.
** Our host family will share all of the sustainable upgrades that they have made to their home and yard on your own PERSONAL SUSTAINABLE HOME & YARD TOUR. You will see how their rooftop solar system supplies their whole home and transportation's energy needs. Latest energy saving electric heat pumps (not the old energy hog appliances), induction cook stove, beautiful recycled wood flooring, the yard tour described below, and more.
** Information will be available from our electricity provider, Central Coast Community Energy, about REBATES that they provide to Electrify Your Ride, Electrify Your Home and other community programs. Their goal is 60% renewables by 2025, which we may have reached already, and 100% renewables by 2030! That means that by 2030 we will be driving on renewable sun, wind, geothermal and water! Way to KICK GAS!
** Wife host, Beth Love who created the org, Eat for the Earth, will share information about best SUSTAINABLE EATING practices to lower our carbon footprints. She does workshops and is a master of creating delicious vegan recipes. Free recipes and taste sample will be available.
** Love's Gardens is the business that the husband host has been leading the way in our community with latest sustainable landscaping practices for many years. He will share what they have already done on their new home, some works in progress like a whole home grey water and rain catchment systems, native plants and a planned organic food forest. He will have information about his upcoming hands-on workshop on creating your home grey water recycling system.
Please join us to see what is possible and having your questions answered. Be inspired to kick the fossil fuel habit in new ways and to move into your best sustainable lifestyle. We look forward to meeting you or seeing you again!
Registered Attendees
There are currently 34 attendees registered.
Owners of These Vehicles Have Registered To Attend
| Vehicle | Registered |
| Tesla Model 3 | 4 |
| Chevrolet Bolt EUV | 3 |
| Toyota RAV4 Prime 4WD/AWD | 2 |
| Chevrolet Bolt | 1 |
| Ford F-150 Lightning | 1 |
| Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid | 1 |
| MINI Cooper SE Hardtop 2 Door | 1 |
| Nissan Leaf (2011-2017) | 1 |
| Nissan Leaf (2018+) | 1 |
| Tesla Model Y | 1 |
| Volvo XC40 Recharge | 1 |
| 11 Models | 17 |
Registered attendees report 437,516 electric miles driven.
