Test drive an electric car at an event this week. Photo credit: Shutterstock
It’s that time of year again—National Drive Electric Week! Every year, people across the nation celebrate the benefits of electric vehicles and showcase their cars during events throughout the country.
From not shelling out money at the gas pump to not spewing pollution as you get from point A to point B, there’s a lot to celebrate about electric cars. Pollution from transportation—including the cars and trucks we drive every day—is the leading cause of climate-damaging emissions in New England. If we want to tackle the climate crisis, we have to fight for cleaner cars and a cleaner transportation system overall.
A great way to start is to support National Drive Electric Week and find out about the clean transportation options already out there. If you’ve ever considered buying an electric car or are simply curious to learn more about them and see how they handle, we encourage you to explore a local event.
Where’s Your Nearest National Drive Electric Week Event?
Curious about events in your area? Check out the event calendar, or choose from the list below:
- Rhode Island: Sunday, September 22, 1–4p.m., at the Roger Williams Park Boathouse in Providence. You can test drive a car from a local dealer and learn more about driving electric.
- Massachusetts: The Commonwealth has quite a few events, but if you’re in or around Boston, your closest may be Saturday, September 14, 11–4p.m., at Danehy Park in Cambridge. This event features test rides from a range of electric cars, along with a small sustainability fair.
- Maine: Maine has events in Kittery, Portland, Falmouth, and South Paris. If you’re in the Portland area, stop by on Saturday, September 21, 12–4p.m., at the Back Bay Parking Lot. There will be test drives, free pizza, giveaways, and more.
- Vermont: Seven events are scattered around Vermont, including two in Burlington. But if you’re in Montpelier, come by on Saturday, September 14, 11–2p.m., at State House Lawn/State Street and Gov. Aiken for test drives, storytelling, music, and more.
- New Hampshire: Nashua, Keene, Portsmouth, and more all have events this year. If you’re in Nashua, your event is Saturday, September 21, 1–4p.m., at the Nashua Public Library. You can talk to electric vehicle owners about their cars and enjoy pizza and drinks, too.
- Connecticut: Connecticut has an abundance of events throughout the state. If you’re in Hartford, come by on Saturday, September 21 from 9–1p.m., at the West Hartford Town Hall.
No events near you? Don’t worry—you can still support electric cars and trucks by pledging to test drive one the next time you’re in the market for a new car. You can also tell your lawmakers that you are in favor of rebates for electric vehicles and programs that support the build out of charging stations. Pushing our local leaders, and our federal government, to support smart policies that accelerate the growth of electric transportation and infrastructure is good for our wallets and our climate.
CLF’s Work on Cleaner Cars, Trucks, and Buses
Not only do a few of our legal advocates drive electric cars, but CLF is also working to ensure that everyone in New England has access to clean transportation options—including but not limited to electric vehicles.
At the federal level, we’re fighting the Trump administration, which has started gutting the national clean car standards. These standards save us all money and protect our health by making the cars we buy cleaner and more fuel-efficient. We expect the new rule—which would dirty our air and take money from our wallets—to be released any day now. CLF and others are fighting back to clean up our cars, protect our air, and limit climate-damaging emissions.
Here in New England, we’re advocating for legislation that supports the rollout of electric vehicles across the region. In Maine, we helped pass a new law that brings parties to the table with ideas to expand electric vehicle access and infrastructure. We’re pushing for programs that would boost the growth of these cars statewide and ensure that Maine becomes more electric vehicle-friendly moving forward.
In Massachusetts, we’re advocating for the passage of electric vehicle legislation. This includes a law that would require that vehicle fleets—for example, school buses or public transit vehicles—are completely electrified by 2035. We’re also weighing in on an electric vehicle program proposed by National Grid to ensure that it includes expanded charging infrastructure and more electric vehicles.
Meanwhile, Vermont is making slow but important progress. There, we’ve been advocating successfully for measures that would reduce barriers, like lack of charging stations, to electric vehicles. Though the state designated only an additional $1.1 million dollars to support electrification this past year, we’ll continue to engage and help promote strategies to increase electric vehicle adoption.
It’s Time to Celebrate Cleaner Cars
This National Drive Electric Week, go ahead and test drive an electric car at a local event, and talk to your friends and neighbors about clean cars. The more folks see and hear about electric vehicles, the more they will consider one for their families. And that means financial savings and lower emissions of dirty air pollution and climate-harming greenhouse gases. So, check out an event this week! Hey, did somebody say free pizza?
