Drive Electric Week kicks off this Saturday with nearly 200 online and in-person events celebrating electric vehicles. Events will be held for the next two weekends, from September 27 through October 6, in the US, Canada, and one in Guadalajara, Mexico.
These events are an opportunity for prospective EV buyers to talk directly with EV owners about the experience of owning an electric car, and EV owners to network with each other and share tips. The dealership experience is not ideal for many EV shoppers, so unfiltered conversations with EV owners can be a great way to learn.
Each event is organized by local EV advocates, and they range in size from small parking lot meetups and local EV parades to large festivals with lots of booths from nearby car dealers and green businesses. Be sure to check each event page to see what your local events will look like and what types of EVs might be in attendance.
Drive Electric Week has a map and list of events happening next week. Most events are in-person, but there are some webinar-style online events that you can attend to hear about various topics related to electric vehicles. You can also search for events near you.
Here’s a sample of some of the events happening over the course of the week:
Phoenix, AZ has a ride and drive on Sep28 from 8am-12pm, with a wide variety of vehicles available for test drives and raffle drawing for anyone who participates in a test drive. There are also many EV owners registered who will be happy to talk about their EVs (including a Fisker Ocean, that should be an interesting chat…)
Port Hueneme, CA will have an EV showcase at the Port Hueneme Banana Festival on Sep28 from 10am-5pm. There will be port tours, a kids zone, live music, and banana-themed food. (Port Hueneme is also nearby some of the largest heavy-duty EV charging station projects in the country, to help fuel port traffic)
Midlothian, VA will hold “Electricarpalooza” on Sep28 from 11:30am-6pm with discussions, test drives from 5 manufacturers, EV and e-bike display, and a happy hour.
Driving electric isn’t just for the continental states, as Juneau and Anchorage will both have events. Juneau will have its annual EV round up on Sep28 11:30am-1pm with EV, e-bike, and even electric outboard motor displays, and Anchorage is holding a ribbon-cutting for a DC fast charger on Oct4 from 12-1pm.
4 separate Hawaiian islands are having their own events, in Koloa on Kauai, Honolulu and Aiea on O’ahu, Kahului on Maui, and Hilo on the Big Island.
The sole event in Mexico is in Guadalajara on Oct5 from 9am-4pm CST, and will take place at Oscar Casillas Karting Track, where there will also be a race of student-built electric karts alongside the EV exhibition and test drives.
Canada’s largest event will be in Waterloo, Ontario on Oct5 from 11am-3pm. it was a pretty big event last year with lots of EVs on display, and a GM Brightdrop electric delivery truck (made at GM’s CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario) will be there too.
Schenectady, NY is hosting the New York Capital District’s event on Oct6 from 10am-2pm at Schenectady City Hall with test drives, live music and food trucks. Over 100 vehicles and 41 models are registered for the EV display, which means this might be the biggest event in the country (here’s a video from last year’s event).
Fort Worth, TX has a wide variety of exhibitors confirmed for its Oct6 event from 10am-2pm. You’ll see solar cars, golf carts, wind energy providers, local dealerships and Harley’s Livewire electric motorcycle, among others.
Not all the events are large or hosted in big cities. There are also smaller events happening in town centers, church parking lots, and so on, often with just a handful of EV owners who are typically happy to stand around and have a frank discussion with members of the public about what it’s like to own an EV, or to network with other local EV owners.
During the peak years of the COVID-19 pandemic, events went to an all-online format, and when in-person events came back, they were a bit more muted than the days of yore. But attendance is growing back to its former glory, and most are outdoors anyway, so it’s a great way to enjoy a nice weekend day before the cold comes back (though we’re not too worried about that part here in sunny Southern California).
A few online events do remain for those who don’t have any local events near them or who are otherwise booked on the weekend. There’s an EV 101 seminar, a discussion about charging EVs at work, and a talk about EV incentives for consumers and businesses.
If you’d like to attend these events, either to show your vehicle, to volunteer to help run the event, or just to show up and look around, you can go to each event’s page to find more information. Remember to click the “RSVP” or “Volunteer” links near the top to register your interest (or register at the links mentioned in the event description).
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The Mockingbird Solar Center, Ørsted’s largest solar project globally, is now online, next to protected prairie donated by the renewable energy giant.
This massive 468-megawatt (MW) solar farm is set to power 80,000 homes and businesses, providing a major boost to the Texas grid.
But the launch of Mockingbird Solar isn’t just about clean energy – it’s also about restoring precious ecosystems. Ørsted has donated 953 acres of the Smiley-Woodfin Native Prairie Grassland, which sits next to the solar center, to The Nature Conservancy. The donated land is now the Smiley Meadow Preserve, a protected area for tallgrass prairie that’s home to more than 400 species of grasses and wildflowers.
Tallgrass prairies are some of the rarest ecosystems in the US, with less than 1% of Texas’ original tallgrass prairies still in existence. Tallgrass prairie does a lot of heavy lifting for the environment, including storing carbon, preventing floods, and providing crucial habitats for pollinators.
“Native prairies are the rarest landscapes left in Texas – so much so that many people have never seen one,” said David Bezanson, land protection strategy program director for The Nature Conservancy in Texas. He added that preserving Smiley Meadow will not only conserve one of the best prairie remnants left but also help restore other prairie habitats and boost regional biodiversity.
The Mockingbird Solar Center, a half-billion-dollar project, is part of Ørsted’s $20 billion push to expand renewable energy production across the US. Beyond generating electricity, it will inject $75 million into local property taxes, benefiting schools and other public services. The project also created over 550 construction jobs and will continue to be supported by operations staff moving forward.
Ørsted worked with US companies, including First Solar, for solar panels and partnered with local businesses like Drake Construction and Pfifer Farms for construction materials. It also gave more than $50,000 to local volunteer fire departments in Roxton and Brookston.
With Mockingbird Solar now up and running, Ørsted has more than 6 gigawatts of onshore wind, solar, and battery storage projects either in operation or being built across the US.
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CNBC’s Jim Cramer on Friday said companies related to natural gas and oil will thrive under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration and a majority Republican Congress.
“We’re hearing about all sorts of Trump trades right now, and many of these things have made insane moves in less than three weeks, to the point where, actually, they’re feeling precarious to me,” he said. “If you want a sustainable Trump trade, I say bet on the natural gas ecosystem. This is an industry that already had a lot going for it, it just needed some cooperation from the federal government, which it is about to get.”
President Joe Biden’s administration is largely opposed to fossil fuels, Cramer said, and the federal government has worked to block pipelines and paused new liquified gas export authorizations. This dynamic, coupled with a weaker global economy, caused the sector to underperform for much of the year, he suggested. But Trump has shown more favor to the industry, and Cramer pointed out that he tapped prominent oil executive Chris Wright to lead the Department of Energy.
Cramer recommended several stocks in the sector, including energy producers EQT and Coterra. The former is focused on natural gas and recently acquired peer Equitrans, raising the combined company’s valuation to an estimated $35 billion, Cramer noted. He added that Coterra is a good long-term holding and called the company “one of the shrewdest operators in the industry.”
He highlighted pipeline companies, including Energy Transfer and Kinder Morgan, and said he was especially bullish on Enbridge. Enbridge says it transports about 20% of all natural gas consumed in the U.S., and Cramer claimed the Canadian outfit has “strategically located assets.”He also named Cheniere and Sempra, saying the former is the “best play” for liquified natural gas exports.
“Seasonally, this is a good time for the commodity,” he said, pointing out that natural gas itself has climbed since the election. “But I also think there’s some optimism about the future of the industry driving this move.”
Jeep’s first global luxury electric SUV will arrive at US dealerships any day. Despite its $72,000 price tag, lease prices for the 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S EV start at just $599 per month.
Jeep claims the Wagoneer S packs “exhilarating performance.” With 600 hp and 617 lb-ft of torque, the big-body SUV can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds. Its 100 kWh battery pack also gives it a driving range of over 300 miles.
The electric SUV is unmistakably still a Jeep, but it did get several upgrades to distinguish it as an EV. The grille is now enclosed without the need to cool a massive engine, giving it a sporty, more modern look.
Jeep revamped its design with a new illuminated seven-slot grille with ambient cast lightning. It also fine-tuned its profile, adding flush door handles, a rear wing, and integrated fins for better airflow.
The first Jeep Wagoneer S Launch Edition models get exclusive dark accent design elements like 20″ Gloss Black Wheels.
Inside, the electric SUV is loaded with the latest tech and connectivity, including a best-in-class 45″ of usable screen space. The setup includes a 12.3″ center screen and an exclusive 10.25″ interactive front passenger screen.
Jeep already announced that the 2024 Wagoneer S EV will start at $71,995, but now the company has revealed lease prices for the first time.
According to Jeep, the 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S Launch Edition can be leased for $599 per month for 36 months (10,000 miles per year). The deal includes $4,999 due at signing and a $7,500 EV incentive. However, you may want to act fast, as Jeep’s offer is only good until December 2, 2024.
Jeep Wagoneer S vs Tesla Model Y
Starting Price
Range
Lease Price
Jeep Wagoneer S Launch Edition
$71,995
+300 miles
$599/mo
Tesla Model Y RWD
$44,990
320 miles
$299/mo
Tesla Model Y AWD
$47,990
308 miles
$399/mo
Tesla Model Y AWD Performance
$51,490
279 miles
$599/mo
In comparison, Tesla Model Y RWD lease prices start at $299 for 36 months with $2,999 down (10,000 miles). The Performance AWD model starts at $599 per month. In an end-of-year promo, Tesla also offers 3 months of free Supercharging and Full Self-Driving.
Ready to drive off in your new electric SUV? We can help you get started. You can use our links below to view offers on the Jeep Wagoneer S and Tesla Model Y at a dealer near you.
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