2026 Drive Electric Earth Month  Oregon Electric Vehicle Association
Test Drive & Information Expo

Sunday April 26, 2026, Setup 9 - 9:30 AM, Public Hours 10 AM to 4 PM

The Oregon Electric Vehicle Association (OEVA) is a welcoming, all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles across Oregon. As an independent local chapter of the national Electric Vehicle Association, OEVA brings together EV owners of all makes and models, EV enthusiasts, and curious newcomers to share real-world experiences, knowledge, and excitement about the EV revolution. OEVA events are perfect for anyone interested in EVs—whether you're considering your first purchase, already driving one and enjoy talking about EVs with others, or simply want unbiased info on charging, range, maintenance, incentives, and more.

We hold EV Test Drive & Information Expos twice a year, celebrating Drive Electric Earth Month in the spring and National Drive Electric Month in the fall. These are our biggest events with hands-on test drives, owner display vehicles, EV conversions of gas vehicles, talk with EV owners of models you are considering, see presentations by EV experts, and meet with helpful local EV-related companies. Registered guests and volunteers get food coupons for on-site food vendors. Admission and parking are free. You can read the details below.

EV Test Drive & Information Expos are held at the Daimler Truck North America headquarters site on Swan Island in North Portland. Our thanks to DTNA for the use of their outdoor spaces and headquarters meeting rooms and restrooms for our event. We couldn't put on this event without their generous donation of the use of their facilities.

Test Drive A Broad Range of EVs

We invite many local EV dealers to bring their EVs for you to test drive. There's no better way to compare vehicles than actually driving the cars that you are considering from the different manufacturers on the same route and on the same day, one after another. We encourage dealers to bring their full range of electric vehicles. On weekends there is very little traffic in the Swan Island industrial area, which helps you focus on experiencing the vehicles on your test drives.

Examine the Latest Electric Vehicles

Adjacent to the Test Drive area, local dealers display their new vehicles for your inspection. Complementing the test drives, which give you the driving experience, the new vehicles on static display give you the opportunity to look them over in detail. Take your time to check out them out and ask the dealer representatives questions. They can answer questions on specs and availability and pricing.

But to really know what it is like to own and use the vehicle on a daily basis, you need to talk to real owners. Take your time looking over static display models. Then walk over to the Owner Display Vehicles and talk with real owners and get their insights from daily use for years of those models.

Owner Display Vehicles: Real Owners, Real Experience, Real Answers

Ah, the heart and soul of the OEVA! Owners showing their personal cars, answering guest questions from their real lived experience. We encourage our guests to talk with owners of the cars you are considering. From our volunteer-owners you can learn what it's like to live with that EV as a daily driver and for cross-country road trips. Ask nicely and they're generally happy to invite you sit in their vehicle while they describe and show you everything you want to know from their perspective of living with that EV. And for owners, every OEVA event is a great opportunity to share in the camaraderie of the EV community, inclusive of all Makes and Models.

Keynote Presentations from EV Experts

The Daimler Headquarters building, south of the outdoor event space, has state of the art multimedia meeting spaces, and we're making use of them for presentations on topics for people new to EVs, as well as for experienced EV owners looking to learn more. Some things are best experienced, so we have test drives. Some things are best shown in the vehicle by a patient owner who has real world experience with the EV, so we many EV owner volunteers displaying their vehicles and answering your questions. But some topics are best explained in a presentation with photos and graphics. Check out the presentations schedule on the OEVA website ahead of time, or at the Registration Tent, and see which talks most interest you. All talks are less than 30 minutes including Q&A.

Helpful Local EV-Related Companies

We're putting extra effort into expanding exhibitor participation, giving you the opportunity to meet with local companies providing EV-related products and services. If you're looking for an EV charger or installation, repair options, or other EV needs, check out the local business tables and tents.

On-Site Food

As a special thank-you for attending the event, registered guests and volunteers will get food coupons for on-site food vendors. We'll post details here and on the OEVA website when we select vendors for this event.

Free, Convenient Parking

We have a large parking lot at 4085 N Anchor St, Portland, for free Guest Parking (green rectangle above). The event is open for guests from 10 AM to 4 PM, Sunday April 26, 2026.

Owner display vehicles and Dealer display and test drive vehicles are at the Event Site at 4555 N Channel Ave, Portland (yellow rectangle above). Please arrive between 9 AM and 9:30 AM for setup, so everything is in place and ready before the 10 AM opening to the public. Other than test drive vehicles, all vehicles are to be on static display until the event closes at 4 PM. If you need to leave earlier or arrive later, please contact OEVA Volunteer Coordinator Ken Hoffman, [email protected], to see if an accommodation can be made in your case. For public safety we only allow moving vehicles in the limited-access Test Drive Vehicles area.