Want to get off gas? Learn how at Drive Electric Month events across the US — SkimNews
Get the Energy newsletter
Daily energy & climate — solar, EVs, oil, the policy fights and tech bets shaping the transition. Free.
- Drive Electric Month features 150+ online and in-person events across most US states plus one Canadian city (Waterloo, Ontario), running through most of September and into early October.
- Plug In America, the Electric Vehicle Association, EVHybridNoire, Drive Electric USA, and the Sierra Club organize the annual event, now in its 16th year after expanding from a single week to nearly a full month.
- The article frames the timing around a global oil price spike with US gasoline at record highs, casting the events as an opportune moment for prospective buyers to explore energy independence.
- Events range from small parking-lot meetups in church lots and town centers to large festivals with live music, food trucks, family activities, and dealer booths — many offer test drives.
- The Knoxville Drive Electric Festival (Oct 10) has 67 cars already registered and will feature a Rivian R2, the smaller and more affordable Rivian model, along with electric buses and fleet vehicles.
- The Waterloo, Ontario event (Oct 3) stands out because Chinese EVs have recently entered the Canadian market, though no Chinese EV has yet registered to attend, per the article.
- EV in DC 2026 (Sep 27) is staged in front of the US Capitol at 3rd St SW and Jefferson Drive SW, with drivers answering questions about apartment, row-house, and townhouse EV ownership.
Why it matters: With US gas prices at record highs and 150+ free, low-pressure events where prospective buyers can talk directly to EV owners — bypassing the dealership experience the article calls 'not ideal' — the month lowers the information barrier for first-time EV shoppers. Smaller-market events in Idaho, Kansas, and at Minnesota's Beltrami Electric Cooperative show the outreach extends well beyond coastal EV strongholds.
Ask SkimNews
