National Drive Electric Week
Richmond, VA
Sep 17, 2016

Event Report

Richmond's 3rd annual NDEW celebration found several ways to engage EV owners and those who are interested in learning more about EVs. Two teams, one driving a Model S and the other in an i3, competed in a road rally on 9/10/16 that began in Ashland, Va., at the Richmond Electricians' JATC and ended at the NDEW event in Woodbridge, Va. A meet-up on 9/12/16 was poorly attended, but it placed a privately owned Nissan LEAF and a Polaris GEM Car operated by Buck Ward on a busy street corner along Broad Street. Our big gathering of EV owners and enthusiasts on 9/17/16 was held at Chesterfield Towne Center, thanks to the help of sponsors from the solar power, auto repair and service, and other industries.

Total attendance was 68 people compared to 105 in 2015 and 68 in 2014. While attendance was down this year, we strengthened existing relationships with local businesses and made new connections with EV owners ... and maybe swayed some folks to consider going electric!

photo by: Drive Electric RVA Drive Electric RVA's third annual NDEW celebration brought a variety of electric vehicles for the general public to see in at a mall in northern Chesterfield County, Va. on Sept. 17, 2016. They included many of the current EV models on the market, including Chevy Volt, Nissan LEAF, Tesla Model S, BMW i3, and Ford Focus Electric. We also saw an electric-assist bicycle under development by Semper Cycles, a solar-powered utility vehicle built by the owner of SolarMill, and one of the electric go-karts operated by Thunderbolt Indoor Karting.

Event Description

For Richmond's third annual celebration of National Drive Electric Week, Drive Electric RVA will offer a variety of activities for both electric vehicle owners and those who are interested in learning more about the technology:

• Central Virginia's largest gathering of EV owners, including a visit from the Virginia Tech Hybrid Electric Vehicle Team
• Test drives of the Nissan LEAF, Chevy Volt, and BMW i3
• Educational activities for children
• Eco-Showcase with Scoot Richmond (Zero motorcycles), Thunderbolt Indoor Karting (electric go-carts), Solarize RVA (a program of the Richmond Region Energy Alliance), the Virginia Sierra Club, and DetailXperts of Greater Richmond (eco-friendly car washing and detailing)

Register to bring your EV or to join the fun! 

CONTRIBUTING SPONSOR:

SolarMill

Registered Attendees

There are currently 65 attendees registered.

Owners of These Vehicles Have Registered To Attend

Registered attendees report 401,163 electric miles driven.

In the News…

• What's All the Buzz About? Sept. 8, 2016
• Drive Electric RVA to Host NDEW Event in Richmond, Sept. 7, 2016
• Science Matters Pick of the Week, August 25, 2016