Drive Electric Earth Day continues this weekend, with in-person outdoor events a...

Drive Electric Earth Day continues this weekend, with in-person outdoor events around the US

Plug in America, the Sierra Club, and the Electric Auto Association are hosting their annual Drive Electric Earth Day event where advocates educate attendees about EV ownership. While most events will take place on April 23-24, Earth Day weekend, events have been running all month, with over 180 events scheduled across the US (and a couple in Canada and New Zealand).

A few events will take place virtually, but this year we’re back to having mostly in-person, outdoor events. Drive Electric Earth Day is recommending that attendees mask and social distance. Some events may have their own COVID rules in place, so check each event page, follow local COVID rules and regardless, don’t show up if you’re feeling sick.

Drive Electric Earth Day is an offshoot of Drive Electric Week, a long-running annual event hosting meetups around the world. These events have been a great way to connect with owners and see the newest electric vehicle tech, and even get a chance to do test rides and drives in person. Attendees got to hear unfiltered information from actual owners about the benefits and trials of owning EVs, allowing for longer and more genuine (and often more knowledgeable) conversations than one might normally encounter at a dealership.

But that all changed when the coronavirus hit, and the last few events have been mostly online-focused. But now that free vaccines and boosters are out and the danger has dropped for vaccinated individuals, most events have returned to in-person this year.

In-person events will largely consist of electric car shows and showcases of local green businesses. Online events will include seminars on EV ownership, including Q&A opportunities.

You can find a map of all events, or see it all in list form arranged by date. Each event has its own event page where you can see more information and register to attend. Registration helps organizers know how many people are coming (and if you’re bringing a car to show, you can list it in your registration), and also gives you a chance to win a $250 Visa gift card.

Here’s a list of a few interesting events happening around the country:

• The Green Business Expo at the Flower Fields in Carlsbad, CA, where flowers should be in full spring bloom. April 20, 2-7 p.m. PDT. Nearby San Diego will also host the Balboa Park Earth Fair, which they claim is “the world’s largest free environmental fair and Earth Day celebration,” on Sunday, April 24 from 10am-5pm.
• San Luis Obispo, CA’s EV showcase and ride and drive at SLO’s Earth Day festival. April 23, 11am-4pm.
• Lewisville, TX’s ColorPalooza Eco-Alley, an event with artistic and cultural performances and lots of fun art activities for kids, along with a small EV car show. April 23, 10-7pm.
• Dover, DE’s Delaware Earth Day 2022 with Polestar test drives, games, food trucks, and a brewery tour. There will also be a display of the new BMW i4 and iX. April 23, 4-7pm.
• Ashland, OR’s Earth Day celebration, including test rides on e-bikes and test drives of the Arcimoto FUV (which is produced in Eugene, Oregon). April 24, 1-4pm.
• Even the islands are getting involved, with an EV show and electric bus ride opportunity in Hilo on the Big Island, “EVs and Eats” in Aiea on Oahu, and an Earth Day EV Rally in St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands.
• A Mandarin Chinese language online event titled “Save Money, Love Earth, Drive EV! 省錢、愛地球、電動車”, hosted by Happy50plus, an organization that caters to older Chinese speakers in Southern California. April 27 from 4-5 p.m. PDT.

Again, these are only a few of the planned events. Click through to the event page to see if there’s anything you’re interested in, be sure to register so you can get updates and help organizers know how many people will attend, and get excited to learn more about electric car ownership from actual owners.

So check out the launch video (also embedded above) and see what it’s all about, then show up and learn some new things about electric cars. If you’ve got some friends who might be interested in EVs, or might need to learn more, tell them or bring them along. Or just check out one of the online events if there’s nothing nearby that fits your schedule.

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