National Drive Electric Week

National Drive Electric Week
Corvallis, OR
Sep 20, 2014

Day: Saturday, September 20, 2014 NOTE: this event has already happened, find current-year events on the Attend page.
Time: 9:00 A.M. TO 1:00 P.M. Visitor drives after 1:00
Location: Corvallis Farmers' Market
NW Second Street & Monroe Avenue
SW Second Street & Jefferson Avenue
Corvallis, OR 97330
Contact the event organizers, which took place in 2014.

Event Report

We had the most important people, those who are highly likely to convert soon to EV use. Those are Farmers' Market customers. Because school is starting and OSU would play a home game that evening, many students, parents and alumni were here from many western cities.

Our EV Exhibit Area in the Market was limited to space for three vehicles. A great attractant was a Tesla, driven from Albuquerque on the first leg of a western tour. Next was a Focus Electric and then a Leaf. That popular exhibit and great newspaper coverage in the Mid-Valley Sunday Edition of the Gazette-Times more than compensated for our low ride/drive outcome. Much of the coverage was front page. The complete article is in the media/press report. Its downside was too much focus on my son and me. However, it sparked much wider interest in EVs. I am getting calls from people who want advice and help in finding and buying either a pre-owned or a new EV.

The low ride/drive numbers are because those vehicles had to be stationed 3 blocks away. So next year our ride/drive terminal will be in the private parking lot, across the sidewalk from our Exhibit Area. It has street access. So stay tuned to Corvallis for a great 2015 NDEW event.


photo by: Bill Harbeck
The only ones that I can identify are Robert Eager whose head is under the stop sign and his black 2014 Tesla behind and Walt Eager under the straw hat on the right side of the photo with his blue 2012 Leaf SV behind him.

Event Description

 

A good time will be had by all in Corvallis, Oregon on Saturday, September 20th at its National Drive Electric Week (NDEW) Event. There will be an exhibit of several different brands of Electric Vehicles (EVs), including a Tesla that was just driven by its owner from Albuquerque. You will have an opportunity to ride in and drive an EV. This event will enable you to discuss EV features and operation with experienced owners, not dealers. A few owners, who are also engineers, will be there for those who want to discuss more technical aspects of EVs. This event is in conjunction with the famous Corvallis Farmers' Market.

It will begin at 9:00 a.m. The main EV exhibit will be at the corner of NW Monroe Avenue and Second Street. When the Farmers' Market closes at 1:00 pm this exhibit will move to the Ride Terminal which also will open at 9:00 a.m. It is in the drive-up lanes at the Citizens Bank Main Branch on the northwest corner of SW Second Street and Jefferson Avenue. The Bank's address is 275 SW Third Street for those using a navigation system. Electric Vehicle rides and perhaps the opportunity to drive one will be between the hours of 9:00 a..m. And 1:00 p.m. Opportunities to drive an EV will definitely be given after 1:00 p.m. Reservations for those drives will taken at both event sites.

The Corvallis NDEW event will showcase the wonderful features of Electric Vehicles (EVs). It will demonstrate their highly responsive drive systems and low centers of gravity, which make them fun to drive. That they have no tailpipe makes them friendly to our noses and health. Operated on hydro-, solar- or wind-power they are friendly to our climate. That electric vehicle motors make almost no noise makes EVs friendly to our ears. That their energy comes from low cost electricity, not expensive fuels, makes them friendly to our pocket books, as does the very small amount of maintenance that electric vehicles require. That their operation is simple makes EVs easy but still fun to drive.

That only 5% of our daily trips are longer than 40 miles on average makes the Electric Vehicle an ideal second car for two-car families. A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle is ideal for single car owners. Range is not a problem for either kind of owner. Copies of a report on the advantages of driving electric will be available for visitors to take home as an informative memento of this event.

So come to this wonderful event and experience the joy of driving electric. While here enjoy some locally-grown produce from the famous Corvallis Farmers' Market, while you learn more about vehicles that are fun to drive and offer so many other advantages.  

Registered Attendees

There are currently 6 attendees registered.

Owners of These Vehicles Have Registered To Attend

Vehicle Registered
Nissan Leaf (2011-2017) 2
1 Model 2

Registered attendees report 50,200 electric miles driven.

In the News…

Presented By

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

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

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