The New Electric ‘Vehicle’ City
Schenectady has been known as “Electric City” for over a century due to its pioneering history with General Electric and is now curious about electric vehicles.
A recent 2022 J.D. Power study revealed that 24% of car shoppers are likely to purchase an electric vehicle, four percentage points higher than in 2021. So it makes sense that the city of Schenectady, New York, known as “Electric City” for over a century, would be home to numerous EV owners and a significant local EV chapter called New York Capital District Electric Vehicle Association.
“We had big success with the National Drive Electric Week (NDEW) event last September – we were number one in the country in attendees,” says Kate Kruk, a New York Capital District EVA founding member and national Electric Vehicle Association Board member. “That’s when we decided to start the chapter.”
“Previously, most of the same folks had been meeting as the Capital District EV Drivers Club,” says Kruk. “With all of our events, we’ve been lucky to have high-profile co-hosts” such as the City of Schenectady, Schenectady Greenmarket, and Livingston Energy Group.
“As they say, ‘many hands make light work,” says Kruk, who serves as Livingston Energy’s Director of Community Engagement. “We’ve had some great partnerships with everyone on the same page.”
National Drive Electric Week Success
“The City of Schenectady was all about collaborating to make our NDEW event a success,” says Kruk. “Administrators worked behind the scenes – parking, police support, and road closures – promoting the event and ensuring everyone would get the most out of it.”
What helped with NDEW was locating the event site as an extension of the weekly Greenmarket event.
“Greenmarket has a farmers market vibe, with fresh produce and local businesses that participate,” says Kruk, noting that in the warmer months, the market is held outside and takes up a block surrounding Schenectady City Hall. “For NDEW, the market footprint is expanded by two blocks where it’s all about EVs and sustainability.”
Location, Location, Location…
This Greenmarket location enabled approximately 3,000 visitors to pass through the area in a single day. “That’s why the event was so successful,” adds Kruk. “We had a built-in audience from the first moment.”
Last year’s National Drive Electric Week event in Schenectady was helped by ten, Level 2 charging stations.
Additionally, the Greenmarket proximity allowed for effective NDEW promotion, “EV chapter volunteers attended the market on preceding Sundays to talk things up,” adds Kruk. “That was huge, as we hit the trifecta with awesome sponsors, volunteers, and visitor traffic,” she said.
The event had charging partners near, too, as Livingston Energy has installed ten, Level 2 charging plugs. “For the NDEW event, it was perfect,” says Kruk. “Folks would pull into charge, and there’d be people around they could talk to about their EVs.”
Eight Years of Driving Electric
Kate Kruk, Board Member at the Electric Vehicle Association, has been driving electric since 2013.
Kruk and her husband joined the Capital District EV Drivers Club in 2015 when they purchased their first EV, a Chevrolet Spark. “In 2013, I read about the Spark and thought it was the perfect car. It was the first time I realized EVs were available beyond Tesla,” says Kruk. “It was an economical vehicle that was perfect for our family’s daily driving needs.”
But the Spark EV was not mass-produced and was challenging to acquire in New York. The Kruks searched on Google for years and found the model 200 miles away in New Jersey. “The Spark only gets 90 miles and had no fast charger, so my husband, 10-year-old son and I went on an adventure to pick it up,” says Kruk
Now, Kruk’s teenage son inherited the Spark and has never driven a gas car. Kate and her husband drive Chevrolet Bolts. “We love our EVs,” says Kruk. “They’re just great cars all around.”
Find Answers and Electric Vehicles at Drive Electric Earth Day
The Electric Vehicle Association and its local chapters are proud to promote Drive Electric Earth Day (DEED), which is a national campaign to share information about electric vehicles at local events in the month of April. Find a local event near you or reach out to the Electric Vehicle Association.