It’s that time of year again, time for events across the country to show off electric vehicles at Drive Electric Earth Month.
Drive Electric Earth Month is an offshoot of Drive Electric Week, a long-running annual tradition hosting meetups mostly in the US, but also occasionally in other countries. It started as Drive Electric Earth Day, but since not every event can happen on the same day, they went ahead and extended it to encompass “Earth Month” events that happen across the month of April. It’s all organized by Plug In America, the Sierra Club, the Electric Vehicle Association, EV Hybrid Noire, and Drive Electric USA.
Events consist of general Earth Day-style community celebrations, EV Ride & Drives where you can test drive several EVs in one place, and opportunities to talk to EV owners and ask them questions about what it’s like to live with an EV, away from the pressure of a dealership.
This month, there are 180 events registered across the US and 2 in Canada (including one online webinar about things to consider when purchasing an EV). Events have already started, with a smattering happening over the next couple weekends, and the bulk of them on the weekend of April 20-21.
Here’s a sample of some of the events happening this month:
- DRIVE Electric: Three Rivers Tribes Chapter Kickoff in Fort McDowell, Scottsdale and Chandler, AZ, a three-part event around Phoenix which will include two drives between the three stages of the event. April 6, with the first part from 8am-9:30am, second part from 10am-11:30am, and third part from 12pm to 2pm.
- EV Fest in Long Beach, CA, which says it will have several Cybertrucks in attendance, April 13, 12pm-2pm. And another event, EV Day in Compton, happening on the same day nearby, from 10am-2pm, which will have test drives and infrastructure exhibits.
- Earth Day EV Expo in Chicago, IL, which will include students from Illinois Tech and other universities showing off entries for the EV/autonomous EcoCAR challenge. April 14, 12pm-2pm.
- Phoenix Ride and Drive in Phoenix, AZ (again) – we wanted to highlight the tribal event above, but Phoenix is also running an event where Wells Fargo will be giving away an EV, along with ride & drives. April 20, 8am-12pm.
- SpaceCoast EV Earth Day in Melbourne, FL, at the American Muscle Car Museum, the largest solar-powered auto museum in the world. Displays include a custom electric camera car for cinematography, the Bricklin 3EV prototype, and NASA’s Apollo Moon Buggy. April 20, 10am-2pm.
- Electrify Regina in Regina, Saskatchewan, with EV and e-bike test rides and presentations on green tech like heat pumps. April 20, 10am-4:30pm.
- PUD Energy Block Party in Everett, WA, which currently has 47 vehicles registered as attending and includes something called a “Truckstravaganza.” April 27, 11am-2pm.
- Salem Kicks Gas in Salem, MA with a large variety of EVs on display and test drives from local dealers, along with e-bike and other battery-powered outdoor equipment displays. April 28, 1pm-4pm.
Each event has a different assortment of activities (e.g. test drives won’t be available at every event, generally just the larger ones attended by local dealerships), so be sure to check the events page to see what the plan is for your local event.
These events have offered a great way to connect with owners and see the newest electric vehicle tech, and even get a chance to do test rides and drives in person. Attendees got to hear unfiltered information from actual owners about the benefits and trials of owning EVs, allowing for longer and more genuine (and often more knowledgeable) conversations than one might normally encounter at a dealership.
And if you’re an owner – you can show off your car and answer those questions for interested onlookers.
To view all the events and see what’s happening in your area, you can check out the list of events or the events map. You can also sign up to volunteer at your local events, and if you plan to show off your electric car, you can RSVP on each event page and list the vehicle that you plan to show (or see what other vehicles have already registered).