National Drive Electric Week
Electrify Your Ride: East Knoxville's Electric Transportation Future
Knoxville, TN
Oct 05, 2024
Electrify Your Ride: East Knoxville's Electric Transportation Future
Knoxville, TN
Oct 05, 2024
| Day: | Saturday, October 5, 2024 NOTE: this event has already happened. |
| Time: | 10:00 am - 2:00 pm EDT |
| Location: | Ashley Nicole Dream Playground 620 Winona St, Knoxville, TN 37917 Knoxville, TN 37917 |
Event Report
Electrify Your Ride! came out of discussions between Wesleigh Wright and Lily Lovingood of East TN Clean Fuels and Kent Minault of the Sierra Club. The idea was to create a transportation electrification event that would lead to a series of community conversations about an East Knoxville Transportation Plan. We were inspired by the thought that electric vehicle technology rightly can provide economic opportunities for low-income communities in job creation, pollution reduction, and maybe most importantly, transportation cost reduction. For those who have them, EVs sharply reduce the cost of getting around. It's the barriers to acquiring the vehicles that limit adoption among the poor.
So we set the event in Ashley Nicole Park in East Knoxville, frequented by a diverse population and historically the home of the area's Black Community. Fortunately, the park has two city-provided Level 2 chargers, free to use, and a popular playground, so the event would be convenient to any local EV drivers and family-friendly to boot.
We listed local organizations that served the community and contacted city agencies concerned with clean transportation developments. We approached SEEED Knox, the Bottom and Rooted East, all connected to an environmental justice tradition in the Community, as well as Knoxville's Department of Sustainability and Knoxville Area Transit, our rapidly electrifying bus system. We got commitments from SEEED and the Sustainability Dept. then got support from clean transportation groups like Bike Walk Knoxville, KickStand, and the Knoxville Electric Vehicle Association.
We also connected with two community members who had expressed interest in transportation issues, Darryl Alexander and Tiara-Lady Wilson.
Darryl, Lady, Wesleigh, Lily and Kent formed a kind of ad hoc planning committee and started figuring out the event. We didn't want to go for the traditional technology-centered event, but rather create a springboard for the community to plan its own future. We wanted to include the bus system, bike paths and greenways, micro-mobility rental, as well as new and used EVs.
Once the event space and the organizational partners were all committed, Tiara-Lady Wilson had the brilliant idea to participate in the Austin East Homecoming Parade slated for the night before. AE is East Knoxville's high school with a preponderance of Black students and faculty, and the Homecoming Parade is an important cultural event for the community. We booked a place in the parade and arranged for 3 electric vehicles to drive in it. Bill Williams is a prominent member of the Knoxville Electric vehicle Association, Keisha Jackson is a leader at SEEED, and Kent Minault works with the Sierra Club. Williams brought a brand new Tesla S, Jackson drove a brand new Acura ZDX, and Kent Minault came in a 2020 Nissan Leaf.
During the parade, Wesleigh Wright and Darcy Ayers of East TN Clean Fuels walked alongside the cars and passed out leaflets for next day's event. In this way, the event was publicized to thousands of people, and the communication consisted of constant conversation and interaction. Afterward, we discussed the possibility of having mini-EV events during the post game tailgate parties in the parking lot. We'll explore this in future meetings.
We publicized by emailing our poster to allied groups and inviting them to come. Despite our anxiety about scanty publicity, the event itself went very well, with almost constant interaction with tablers and vehicles. The reach of the event was enormously expanded by a livestream video report by Tiara-Lady Wilson, where she walked around interviewing people at the tables, then rode in three electric vehicles while interviewing the drivers. A video of her ride with Jonathan Overly ofEast TN Clean Fuels will surely be useful in promoting future events.
It was designed as a spearpoint event, using electric transportation to mobilize support for new options for low income residents. We're not yet sure what those options will be, but we're exploring low cost EV car sharing programs, 2 and three-wheeled EV rentals, expanded greenways as active transportation corridors for both commuting work and going to school.
We had a great time and look forward to the continuing exploration of East Knoxville's transportation future.
And check out these two videos of livestreams created by Tiara-Lady Wilson:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=837162961907242&rdid=KmsFyW24cIGPGT3o
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=1098404945202844&rdid=Y7N7yx8WUsrgSmHc
photo by: Lily Lovingood Event organizers prepare a table with materials while two Leafs, a Tesla and a Ford F-150 Lightning are set for drive and rides. |
Event Description
Come join us at Ashley Nicole Dream Park on Saturday, October 5, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM to explore the latest in electric transportation and enjoy a day of family-friendly fun! This FREE event is all about showing you affordable, sustainable ways to get around Knoxville and beyond! You’ll learn about the future of transportation with an exciting variety of electric vehicles (EVs) and eBikes that you can test ride or drive for free.
What to Expect:
- Free food from local vendors
- A chance to test drive an EV or try an eBike at no cost
- Browse booths from local vendors, organizations, and businesses like:
- Kickstand Community Bike Shop
- Pedego
- City of Knoxville
- Bike Walk Knoxville
- Citizen's Climate Lobby
- ...and more!
- Explore micro-transit options, low-cost electric ride-shares, and learn about how to charge up using public EV infrastructure like the park’s two free city-provided Level 2 chargers
Get Rewarded for Going Electric! Complete a ride-and-drive and you’ll be entered into a FREE raffle for a chance to win amazing prizes!
Meet EV owners, hop in an electric car or bike, and learn how Knoxville is moving toward a cleaner, more sustainable transportation future.
Tweet #NDEW2024 Follow @DriveElecEvents Tweet
Registered Attendees
There are currently 24 attendees registered.
Owners of These Vehicles Have Registered To Attend
| Vehicle | Registered |
|---|---|
| Tesla Model Y | 2 |
| Ford F-150 Lightning | 1 |
| Tesla Model S | 1 |
| Zero Motorcycle | 1 |
| 4 Models | 5 |
Registered attendees report 239,570 electric miles driven.
