March 01, 2023

Record-breaking 'National Drive Electric Week' drew over 180,000 attendees this year [Gallery]

I had a fantastic time at this year's National Drive Electric Week event in Sarasota, Florida. But, that was just one event. It turns out, according to Mary Lunetta (via Sierra Club's Compass), "In its eighth annual celebration, National Drive Electric Week (NDEW) broke every record, with more than 180,000 people attending 321 events in three nations and all 50 states."

Above: Three of four Tesla Model 3s that showed up at the Golden, CO event; the one on the left had 26 miles on the odometer because its owners came straight from taking delivery of it at Tesla's store in Littleton (Photo Credit: Jim Smith)

Some significant milestones occurred at a bunch of NDEW events this year. For instance, "Retailer L.L. Bean announced plans to host the largest number of charging stations in Maine at its flagship store, and California Governor Brown signed multiple bills to reinforce the state’s fight against climate change and boost the state’s electric vehicle market."

Above: Third annual EV car show kicked off National Drive Electric Week in Hyattsville, MD (Photo Credit: City of Hyattsville)

In addition, "Vermont governor Phil Scott announced the state’s $2.4 million Electric Vehicle Charging Station Grant Program, funded by the Volkswagen settlement that resulted from the automaker’s diesel emissions cheating scandal." Meanwhile, politicos from New Jersey, "shared information about the state’s new grant program that provides up to $6,000 for EV chargers at workplaces and multifamily dwellings."

Above: Electric cars at an event in Middletown, CT (Photo Credit: Andrew Kasznay)

Ride-and-drives, driveway chats, and family-friendly festivals gave electric vehicle owners a chance to showcase the benefits (and value) of EVs. Gina Coplon-Newfield, the Sierra Club's Clean Transportation for All Director, explains: "Across the country, it’s clear that people are tired of the same old gas-guzzling cars and buses — they want clean transportation, and they want it now."

Above: A look at the NDEW event in West Windsor, NJ (Youtube: NJRE)

Check out the gallery below to catch a glimpse of National Drive Electric Week as it unfolded all across the country (and world) this year...

Gallery

Above: Despite stormy weather reports, the Bellevue, WA event turned out beautifully (Photo Credit: Grace Reamer)

Above: A Tesla Model X draws attention at the Birmingham, AL NDEW event (Photo Credit: Mark Bentley, Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition)

Above: NDEW's City Captain Garrick Garcia in Kihei, HI explains his excitement about EVs with a fleet of Teslas in the background (Photo Credit: Deanna Garcia)

Above: Klaus Vietor talks with a student about his 2012 Tesla Model S at the Orlando, FL event (Photo Credit: Michelle Barron, UCF Sustainability Initiatives)

Above: Volta Charging converted their headquarters into an EV-only drive-in movie theater for their NDEW San Francisco event (Photo Credit: Kristy Morgan)

Above: Volkswagen eGolf, Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Sonata BlueDrive, Chevy Bolt, Fisker Karma, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Tesla Model S, and a Chevy Volt were all on display at the Akron, OH event (Photo Credit: Drive Electric Northeast Ohio)