National Drive Electric Week Kicks Off

Hundreds of cities across the country are planning events and other efforts to raise awareness and adoption of electric vehicles in a weeklong push to make the electric car at once welcome and familiar.

Sept. 11, 2018

2 min read

September 11, 2018—The electric vehicle group Plug In America is organizing National Drive Electric Week, set for Sept. 8 - 16, with some 290 events across the United States, up from 242 events last year, reported Government Technology.

Even though electric cars make up only about 1.5 percent of the vehicles on the nation’s highway, the movement is seen as one of the car industry’s most significant technological shifts in decades. In just the last few years, numerous car companies from Chevrolet to Mercedes have either introduced new electric models, or plans to do so. Meanwhile, cities and states are taking bold action to encourage the adoption of EVs through a cluster of incentives and plans to build out infrastructure, according to the report.

Columbus, Ohio, which has numerous smart transportation and transit projects in the works, announced that the city has already met half of its goal to introduce 300 electric cars to city fleets. In this year alone, Columbus has purchased 93 EVs, with plans to buy an additional 32 in the coming months, according to a city press release. The cars include Nissan Leafs, Ford Fusions Energis and a Chevrolet Bolt.

On the other side of the country in Bellevue, Wash., officials are planning an National Drive Electric Week event for Sept. 11 in Downtown Park, where more than 30 electric cars will be on-hand from 18 carmakers. Attendees can take a drive in the cars, learn about incentives and chat with others about owning and operating an electric vehicle.