NDEW 2022 steps it up
Folks are paying attention in all directions
NDEW event in Juneau, Alaska
With events throughout September and into October, National Drive Electric Week (NDEW) 2022 has garnered great attention from one corner of the US to the others.
Starting to the far northwest…
Alaska’s Juneau EV and Bike Roundup, co-sponsored by Electric Vehicle Association chapter Juneau EV, was the city’s ninth annual event and focused on electric outboard motors in addition to e-bikes. Juneau EV, along with Plug In America, provided 2023 electric vehicle (EV) tax information.
With co-sponsors including Juneau Hydropower, the City and Borough of Juneau, and Renewable Juneau, the event drew US House of Representatives candidate Nick Begich, as well as Alaska State Senator Jesse Kiehl, and Alaska Assembly Member Wade Bryson. All spoke on the importance of EVs in the Juneau community and in the nation's future.
Concluding the event was a short EV rally through the streets of downtown Juneau and Douglas.
And to the lower northwest…
Some EVA chapters kept it easy, Emerald Valley Electric Vehicle Association (EVEVA) President Phil Barnhart explaining that he simply listed the chapter’s once-a-month Zoom meeting on the NDEW event list, calling it Emerald Valley Drives Electric.
“It worked,” Barnhart said. “Because we were online, we had folks from all over the country show up.”
As with the chapter’s other events, the EVEVA meeting was sponsored by Eugene area utilities.
“They put information in the newsletters they stuff into outgoing utility bills,” Barnhart said. “Utilities here have a big incentive to promote driving electric because every EV registered in their service area gets them special credits from the state of Oregon.”
NDEW event in Las Vegas
Meanwhile, to the southwest…
EV rally NDEW 2022 - Las Vegas was hosted by the Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association (LVEVA) in conjunction with Tesla Owners Las Vegas. More than 100 EV enthusiasts with 40 EVs came together in the parking lot of solar company Robco Electric, where two booths were staffed to answer questions about charging station and rooftop solar installation procedures. Robco Electric employees showcased a Powerpoint presentation entitled "How Do I Charge The Electric Car.”
NDEW event in Denver
And to the mountain states…
The Denver Electric Vehicle Council’s (DEVC) NDEW contribution was to support Energy Day, a family festival showcasing exhibits on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The chapter ran the EV display, enabling festival attendees to ask questions about purchasing incentives and learn about what it means to drive electric.
"There was a nonstop crowd of mostly teens and parents interested in seeing the EVs,” said Julia Davila of Drive Clean Colorado, who worked closely with DEVC and brought her vehicle to the display. “I had teens in my Tesla playing video games while I talked to the parents in the back seat about the safety and cost savings of owning an EV. The teens were interested in STEM, so some knew a lot about EVs and we had some great ‘geeky’ conversations."
NDEW event on Kauai in Hawaii