National Drive Electric Week
Jeff Gross
September marks the return of National Drive Electric Week (NDEW), a nation-wide celebration of the many positive impacts of electrified transportation. Sierra Club is committed to accelerating this trend towards electrification because the benefits include dramatically reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved air quality and health, and the ability to exploit the many renewable energy sources that are increasingly feeding into the national electric grids.
As in previous years, the main activities focus on town-based events where Electric Vehicle (EV) owners bring their electric cars -- or bikes, and yes, once we saw lawnmowers! The objective is for owners to share experiences with community members who are just
beginning to become interested in electric vehicles. The depth and credibility of practical information that only owners can provide builds trust and helps speed the adoption of this new technology.
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How Can You Help?
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Anybody can organize an event by becoming a Town Captain through National Drive Electric Week; first-time Captains are encouraged to coordinate with some existing town event that already brings in members of the public. Larger EV-specific events require more planning.
This year Sierra Club will participate in many of the events with tables, emphasizing the synergy between EV adoption and the broader effort for our communities to become net-zero carbon emitters in the next decades.
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Two of the events, Hamden and Old Saybrook, are organized by Sierra Club volunteers. In addition to displays of EV’s there will be relevant presentations. We would like to have many Sierra Club members – EV owners or not – volunteer at these two events to provide a welcoming environment for attendees.
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Please volunteer by registering for the Hamden NDEW Event and/or the Old Saybrook NDEW Event. You can register as an EV driver or volunteer, and we will be back in contact with you.
Jeff Gross is Chair of Sierra Club Connecticut’s Clean Transportation for All Committee.