Ohio EV Tour stops for a day of Dayton hospitality
Great turnout despite the weather
BY TIM BENFORD: PRESIDENT OF DRIVE ELECTRIC DAYTON, PAST VICE-PRESIDENT OF ELECTRIC AUTO ASSOCIATION
Green Energy Ohio’s day in Dayton
Green Energy Ohio (GEO), promoting sustainable energy policies, technologies, and practices for many years, recently organized a state-wide electric vehicle (EV) tour of Ohio that began in Cleveland on June 7 and ended in Columbus on June 11.
On June 9, the tour stopped in Dayton, where EAA’s Drive Electric Dayton (DED) chapter took the lead in making the arrangements, as well as staffing the event.
Dayton’s link with EVs past
In the early 1900s, Dayton was famous as the invention capital of the U.S., with the most patents per capita. From the end of the 19th century through the 20th, the city's inventors brought us the airplane, the cash register, the self-starting ignition for automobiles, and the pop top beverage can.
Dayton was also home to the Dayton Electric Car Company, incorporated by John L. Baker, which manufactured the Dayton Electric in three models beginning in 1911. The Model 101, priced at $2,600, could travel 70 to 80 miles per charge.
:Museum plque i depicting John L. Baker and the 1911 Dayton Electric.
However, when fellow Daytonian Charles F. Kettering invented the electric starter for gasoline engines in 1912, and mass production techniques were introduced, the cost of gasoline cars was significantly reduced. This led to the demise of the Dayton Electric Car Company, and other EV companies like it, by 1920. For more on Dayton’s EV history, read Miami Valley's Marvelous Motor Cars.
Utilizing Carillon Historical Park
The Drive Electric Dayton chapter recommended Carillon Historical Park to the GEO EV Tour organizing committee as the ideal location for the tour’s Dayton day. The recommendation was made due to the park's huge parking lot, ideal for an auto show, as well as its two restaurants, impressive meeting room, and a museum with displays focused on the city’s many inventors (including John L. Baker).
Carillon Park’s Eichelberger Pavilion
The day began with DED volunteers guiding dealer-owned and privately-owned EVs and company exhibits into the 70 parking spaces set aside in the Carillon parking lot.
Vehicles present included:
Ford Mustang Mach-E (Beau Townsend Ford)
VW ID.4 (White Allen Euro Group)
Chevrolet Bolt EV (Voss Chevrolet)
Nissan LEAF, Chevrolet Bolt, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (Jeff Schmitt Auto Group)
Nissan LEAF (Matt Castrucci Nissan)
Toyota Mirai Fuel Cell EV (Millennium Reign Energy)
Polestar 2 (EVentures Rental)
Tesla Models S and 3, Hyundai Kona, and various other EVs (from private owners)
Becky Bowman with Hyundai Kona
Exhibits included:
Tesla START Technician Training Program (off-site at Sinclair Automotive Center)
The weather forecast was correct for June 9: it rained all morning! Nevertheless, we hosted approximately 75 guests who toured the EVs and exhibits (video) and attended an assembly featuring remarks by Dayton VIPs (video), including Mayor Nan Whaley, a Montgomery County Commissioner, the Dayton Sustainability Manager, and several others.
After lunch in the Carillon Brewing Company, guests and VIPs headed to the Sinclair Community College Automotive Technology Center to tour the Tesla START Program, which qualifies students from all over the country to become Tesla-certified technicians.
Polestar 2 at the event
Summary
This Dayton event, in the planning stages for approximately six months, was a melding of local government, non-profit, for-profit, and volunteer organizations all focused on accelerating the adoption of renewable energy and EVs in the Miami Valley. The weather tried to dissuade us from our task, but failed.
One unexpected benefit was the connection made between the team at Carillon Historical Park and turnkey EV charging solution provider Electrada, the two are now in discussions about installing one or more Level 2 chargers in the Carillon parking lot for even happier future electric motoring in Dayton.