National Drive Electric Week

National Drive Electric Week
Huntsville Drive Electric Car Meet
Huntsville, AL
Sep 25, 2022

Day: Sunday, September 25, 2022 NOTE: this event has already happened, find current-year events on the Attend page.
Time: 1:00 - 5:00 pm CDT
Location: Stovehouse
3414 Governors Dr
Huntsville, AL 35805
Contact the event organizers, which took place in 2022.

Event Report

– Electric vehicle owners gathered by Holtz Leather Company in Huntsville for Saturday’s North Alabama Drive Electric Earth Day EVent.

 

The EV owners spent about three hours greeting visitors, showing off their cars and answering questions about EV ownership.

 

Some owners touted the cost savings associated with owning and driving an EV, such as no longer having to pay for gas, oil changes or other routine maintenance.

 

Others focused on the excitement associated with driving an EV, thanks to the vehicles’ instant acceleration when compared to conventional gas-powered cars and trucks.

 

“The performance, first of all, is over anything I’ve ever had,” said Madison resident Rae Millen, who brought his Porsche Taycan to Saturday’s event. “Of course, there’s the savings on gas, especially with these prices. I might pay 40 or 50 dollars more on my electric bill every month, and you can’t get a single tank of gas for that right now. I was filling up four or five times a month before.”

 

A variety of EVs were on display Saturday, including models from Rivian, Tesla, Ford, Jaguar, Chevy, Nissan, Volvo, Porsche and Hyundai. Visitors were especially interested in the full-sized Rivian truck.

In addition, Alabama A&M University provided an all-electric bus from its fleet for display, and Alabama A&M Director of Transportation Marshall Chimwedzi said the electric buses have cut fuel costs by more than half and led to other maintenance savings. He added students now see the electric buses as “cool.”

“We discovered quickly that EVs have power,” Chimwedzi said. “Our university campus is filled with hills, and the electric buses have more torque than buses we had before. That’s one of the things we really liked.”

Saturday’s event is one of many Drive Electric Earth Day events happening across the nation. A similar event is scheduled for Saturday, May 14, at The Market at Pepper Place in Birmingham

 

The Huntsville event was hosted by Drive Electric Alabama and the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition. Other sponsors include HuntsVolt, City of Huntsville, Huntsville Utilities, Energy Alabama and Holtz Leather Company.

 

“Anyone who has felt the pain at the pump as gas prices rose this spring has probably thought about an EV,” said Michael Staley, president of the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition. “But a majority of Alabamians have never even sat inside an EV. That’s why today’s EV Showcase is so important, because we have real EV owners talking about how they use these vehicles every day.”

 

EV sales soared 72 percent during the fourth quarter of 2021, and another recent study by J.D. Power found 27 percent of likely auto shoppers indicate they would consider purchasing an EV in the next four years.

                                                      

In addition, Hyundai recently announced plans to begin building its electric Genesis GV70 and the hybrid version of the Santa Fe at its Montgomery factory. Mercedes’ all-electric SUVs are also expected to roll off the assembly line at the company’s Tuscaloosa facility later this year, too.

 

As Alabamians see more EVs on the road and the state’s auto manufacturers produce EVs, consumers are looking for more information about them. EV owners are the most trusted source for that information.

 

Trush Patel, president of the North Alabama Drive Electric Alabama chapter, said he was pleased with the variety of EVs on display at the group’s first official event.

 

“As the charging infrastructure develops, EVs will bring change and that will affect the U.S. as a whole in a very positive way,” he said.

 


photo by: Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition
Great signage greeted public visiting to see EVs

Event Description

 

National Drive Electric Week in Huntsville, Al will be held at Stovehouse. This event brings electric vehicles owners together to bring awareness and education to the public. We will likely have a wide array of vehicles and experiences to share. We will likely have dealer vehicles and staff available as well. This will be a great chance for anyone interested in EVs to see exactly why they are better than conventional vehicles.

Registered Attendees

There are currently 55 attendees registered.

Owners of These Vehicles Have Registered To Attend

Vehicle Registered
Tesla Model 3 5
Rivian R1T 2
Chevrolet Bolt EUV 1
Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid 1
Ford F-150 Lightning 1
Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid 1
Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid 1
Nissan Leaf (2018+) 1
Tesla Model Y 1
Zero Motorcycle 1
10 Models 15

Registered attendees report 413,160 electric miles driven.

Presented By

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

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Green Level Sponsor

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

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