The parking lot of the Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center will be filled with various makes and models of electric vehicles on Oct. 2 as part of a national campaign to raise awareness about the benefits of driving an EV.
The “Auburn/Opelika Area Drive Electric Alabama National Drive Electric Week EV Showcase” will be at the Gogue Performing Arts Center. The event will feature EV owners showcasing their vehicles and being able to answer questions about costs savings, affordability, performance and other EV-related subjects, according to Drive Electric Alabama.
“The very best way to get educated about EVs is to learn from the people who drive them every day,” said Michael Staley, the president of the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition. “Some EV owners love to talk about the cost savings of owning an EV. Others love talking about the instant torque an EV has, which makes them extremely fun to drive. We hope to see students and community members check out the EVs on display and talk to the owners.”
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A variety of EVs will be on display at upcoming showcases in Auburn, Birmingham, Huntsville and Foley.
Staley plans to display his all-electric 2024 Chevrolet Silverado pick-up truck at the event.
The event is sponsored by the Drive Electric Alabama Auburn Chapter, and it’s the fourth straight year an EV showcase has been held on the campus of Auburn University to celebrate National Drive Electric Week. The Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition has helped coordinate the four events going on across Alabama to mark National Drive Electric Week.
“If you want to know more about EVs, why wouldn’t you want to talk actual EV owners?” Staley said. “As more and more EVs are on Alabama’s roads, it makes sense for everyone to learn more about these cars and trucks.”
Auburn’s EV showcase was originally scheduled for Sept. 25 and was set to be the first of four showcases across the state of Alabama. There are EV showcases in Birmingham, Huntsville, and Foley that are all scheduled for Sept. 28 at varying times. Staley plans to attend the event in Birmingham as well and will have a tail-gaiting set-up
Staley said that a majority of Alabamians have never driven an electric vehicle and the showcase puts a wide variety of them on display.
The upcoming EV showcase in Auburn will give students and community members an opportunity to talk one-on-on with EV owners.
“What’s amazing about these EV showcases is that people can some see the wide variety of EVs available, from SUVs to full-sized pick-up trucks to luxury cars, and talk to the people driving them every day,” Staley said. “I encourage anyone who wants to know more about EVs, especially if you’re thinking about buying one for your next vehicle purchase, to attend one of the four EV showcases around the state.”
All of the events are free and open to the public. National Drive Electric Week is meant to spread the word about the many benefits of electric vehicles. Drive Electric Alabama is a statewide education platform dedicated to improving the state through the adoption of electric vehicles. According to the news release, EVs can create Alabama-based jobs, save money and make people’s lives more convenient. You can learn more about the program at driveelectricalabama.com.
