Drive Electric Earth Month

Drive Electric Earth Month
Drive Electric Alabama - Earth Day EVent
Huntsville, AL
Apr 23, 2022

Day: Saturday, April 23, 2022 NOTE: this event has already happened, find current-year events on the Attend page.
Time: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm CDT
Location: Parking Lot in front of Holtz Leather Company
1214 Meridian Street
Huntsville, AL 35801
Contact the event organizers, which took place in 2022.

Event Report

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Electric vehicle owners gathered by Holtz Leather Company in Huntsville for Saturday’s North Alabama Drive Electric Earth Day EVent.

 

The EV owners spent about three hours greeting visitors, showing off their cars and answering questions about EV ownership.

 

Some owners touted the cost savings associated with owning and driving an EV, such as no longer having to pay for gas, oil changes or other routine maintenance.

 

Others focused on the excitement associated with driving an EV, thanks to the vehicles’ instant acceleration when compared to conventional gas-powered cars and trucks.

 

“The performance, first of all, is over anything I’ve ever had,” said Madison resident Rae Millen, who brought his Porsche Taycan to Saturday’s event. “Of course, there’s the savings on gas, especially with these prices. I might pay 40 or 50 dollars more on my electric bill every month, and you can’t get a single tank of gas for that right now. I was filling up four or five times a month before.”

 

A variety of EVs were on display Saturday, including models from Rivian, Tesla, Ford, Jaguar, Chevy, Nissan, Volvo, Porsche and Hyundai. Visitors were especially interested in the full-sized Rivian truck.

In addition, Alabama A&M University provided an all-electric bus from its fleet for display, and Alabama A&M Director of Transportation Marshall Chimwedzi said the electric buses have cut fuel costs by more than half and led to other maintenance savings. He added students now see the electric buses as “cool.”

“We discovered quickly that EVs have power,” Chimwedzi said. “Our university campus is filled with hills, and the electric buses have more torque than buses we had before. That’s one of the things we really liked.”

Saturday’s event is one of many Drive Electric Earth Day events happening across the nation. A similar event is scheduled for Saturday, May 14, at The Market at Pepper Place in Birmingham

 

The Huntsville event was hosted by Drive Electric Alabama and the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition. Other sponsors include HuntsVolt, City of Huntsville, Huntsville Utilities, Energy Alabama and Holtz Leather Company.

 

“Anyone who has felt the pain at the pump as gas prices rose this spring has probably thought about an EV,” said Michael Staley, president of the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition. “But a majority of Alabamians have never even sat inside an EV. That’s why today’s EV Showcase is so important, because we have real EV owners talking about how they use these vehicles every day.”

 

EV sales soared 72 percent during the fourth quarter of 2021, and another recent study by J.D. Power found 27 percent of likely auto shoppers indicate they would consider purchasing an EV in the next four years.

                                                      

In addition, Hyundai recently announced plans to begin building its electric Genesis GV70 and the hybrid version of the Santa Fe at its Montgomery factory. Mercedes’ all-electric SUVs are also expected to roll off the assembly line at the company’s Tuscaloosa facility later this year, too.

 

As Alabamians see more EVs on the road and the state’s auto manufacturers produce EVs, consumers are looking for more information about them. EV owners are the most trusted source for that information.

 

Trush Patel, president of the North Alabama Drive Electric Alabama chapter, said he was pleased with the variety of EVs on display at the group’s first official event.

 

“As the charging infrastructure develops, EVs will bring change and that will affect the U.S. as a whole in a very positive way,” he said.


photo by: Josh Bean, Direct Communications
setting stage for successful EVent

Event Description

 

Join us for Drive Electric Earth Day in Huntsville on Saturday, April 23rd from 11am to 2 pm.  Electric vehicle owners will display their personal cars on the parking lot in front of Holtz Leather Co. (1214 Meridian Street, Huntsville). EV owners will address your questions/concerns about EVs including the incredible technology, range, affordability, availability and other merits attached to EVs as part of the Drive Electric Alabama-North Alabama area chapter initiative.

                                                                                                                                                                                      

A great selection of electric vehicles will be on display, providing everyone with an up-close look at the fun vehicles that are cheaper to maintain than conventional gas-powered cars, better for the environment and help create Alabama and American jobs.

 

“Anyone thinking about buying a new vehicle has to consider electric,” said Mark Bentley, Executive Director of the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition, one of the event’s sponsors. “Many people still have questions about EVs, and the people who own and drive one have the answers. This is an easy way to learn more about these electric vehicles that give off zero emissions, are economical to drive and contribute to the creation of high-paying jobs right here in our state.”

Registered Attendees

There are currently 30 attendees registered.

Owners of These Vehicles Have Registered To Attend

Vehicle Registered
Tesla Model Y 3
BMW i3 1
Chevrolet Bolt EUV 1
Kia EV6 1
Nissan Leaf (2018+) 1
Other Plug-In Vehicle 1
Tesla Model 3 1
Tesla Model S 1
Zero Motorcycle 1
9 Models 11

Registered attendees report 299,114 electric miles driven.

Presented By

Plugin America logo
Electric Vehicle Association logo
Sierra Club logo
EVHybridNoire logo
Drive Electric USA logo

Gold Level Sponsor

Silver Level Sponsor

Bronze Level Sponsor

All DEEM 2025 sponsors support Plug In America's coordination of Drive Electric Earth Month.

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