Over 90 events to be held globally
The third annual National Plug In Day (NPID) is actually two days this year – the weekend of September 28-29. NPID is nationally sponsored by Plug In America, Sierra Club and Electric Auto Association to promote all plug in vehicles – be they full battery electric vehicles (BEVs) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Local events have additional sponsors such as automobile manufacturers, utility companies, and sustainable energy entities. Currently over 90 events are scheduled worldwide with the vast majority taking place on the NPID weekend. Apparently due to scheduling issues some events will be held before or after the official NPID weekend so be sure to check the event schedule. A full listing of events can be found at the National Plug In Day website (found here).
This year NPID will present events in over 90 cities in 33 states and the District of Columbia, Canada, Mexico, and the Netherlands. While the national sponsoring entities provide organizational assistance, local events are organized at the city level by a staff of volunteers. This means that the program provided at each venue will vary based on the capabilities and requirements of each venue. Events that an attendee might find at NPID include electric vehicle (EV) showcases, EV tailgate parties, and EV parades. Depending on the venue, one might also be presented with the opportunity to drive EVs from various manufacturers. For example, this is what will be found at NPID in San Diego on Saturday, September 28 (found here):
- EV Test Drives (vehicles subject to change)
- Chevrolet Spark EV
- Chevrolet Volt
- Fiat 500e
- Ford C-Max Energi
- Ford Focus EV
- Ford Fusion Energi
- GEM utility vehicle
- Nissan LEAF
- Toyota Plug-In Prius
- Toyota RAV4 EV
- VIA Motors EV conversions
- EV Passenger Rides
- BMW i3
- Tesla S
- San Diego Gas & Electric representatives providing information about off-peak charging rates and schedules
- California Center for Sustainable Energy providing information about federal and state incentives
- Information about the EV charging network and acquiring your own charging station
- Talk with EV owners that can provide real-world driving experiences
We plan to attend the event in San Diego and drive some of the vehicles that we have not the opportunity to drive yet. Look for review articles on these vehicles if you can’t make it to an NPID event yourself. If you can make it to an event, be sure to bring any friends, neighbors, or coworkers that have expressed interest in your EV. If you don’t have your own EV yet, this is a great time to check it out. These types of events provide an outstanding opportunity to look at and drive these vehicles in a relaxed and friendly environment.