Driving In the Message about the Benefits of Electric Vehicles
Posted on September 17, 2012 by Emmaline Pohnl
Tags, Emerging Technologies
CUB’s Electric Vehicle Educational Outreach Continues
In mid-August, CUB partnered with a local electric vehicle owner, Greg, and the EV Roadmap to host a Driveway Party at his house. What’s a Driveway Party, you ask? It’s an electric vehicle educational outreach event format popularized by Plug In America, a national non-profit organization dedicated to promoting electric vehicles. At a Driveway Party, guests get to see electric vehicles on display and chat with the vehicle owners, while enjoying good food and good company. What better way to learn about electric vehicles and their benefits than with a plate of chips and salsa in hand?
At our Driveway Party this summer, we displayed six electric vehicles, demonstrating to guests the range of these low-to-zero emission vehicles available to consumers. A Mistubishi MiEV, Chevy Volt, THINK City, 2 Nissan LEAFs, and a converted 1972 MGB filled Greg’s driveway, leaving just enough room for the over 20 guests to meander between the electric vehicles and chat with the owners while peeking into the interiors of the cars. A big thank you to the electric vehicle owners and Peter Fenton from Herzog-Meier Auto Dealershipfor bringing their vehicles and volunteering their time to participate in our event!
Visit our Facebook page, to see a collection of photos from this fun event!
The Belmont Street Fair, which was held the second weekend of this month, featured dozens of artisans, food stands, and musical acts. It also featured a small display of electric cars, which CUB was proud to be a part of! Members of the Oregon Electric Vehicles Association (OEVA) brought their vehicles to put on display, including a Nissan LEAF, THINK City, and ZAP! Zebra three-wheeled vehicle. We heard many good questions about electric vehicles from fair attendees including, “how far can an electric vehicle travel before needing a charge?” (typically 100 miles) and “How will I know where to find a charging station?” (Most electric vehicles have in-car maps and there are also innovative phone apps out there; check out our blog post earlier this year to learn more.)
In addition to answering those questions and more, we shared information with attendees on smart charging technology, an emerging form of two-way communication between electric vehicles and the electrical grid which has the great potential to integrate more renewable energy, support a more flexible, reliable grid, and save electric vehicles owners money. (Check out this demonstration project implemented by Chevy, OnStar, and PG&E for an example of what smart charging can do. We’ll be talking more about smart charging here at OregonCUB.org this fall!)
Event Alert! Portland’s Plug-In Day Celebration
When: September 22nd and 23rd, 11 to 4PM
Where: Electric Avenue on the Portland State University campus in downtown Portland (Click here for directions.)
FREE!!
Stop by Saturday to get your “green ride” on! There will be electric vehicles on displays and a small tabling fair featuring organizations and companies in Oregon’s electric vehicle community, including Oregon Electric Vehicle Association, Portland State University, Oregon Department of Transportation, EV Roadmap, Drive Oregon, and many others. Of course, CUB will be there too!
BONUS: You’ll also have a chance to take out an EV for a ride-and-drive, thanks to the Alan Webb Auto Group! Models to choose from include the Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi iMiev, and Chevy Volt.
Sunday will be a party for current electric vehicle owners – so if you own an electric vehicle, come on out for cake, ice cream, piñata-smashing, and a good time!
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03/31/17 | 0 Comments | Driving In the Message about the Benefits of Electric Vehicles