Electric vehicle drivers, supporters and local residents shined a spotlight on how electric vehicles benefit the state, contribute to cleaner air, and promote cost savings. On Saturday, Sept. 25, area residents attended an electric vehicle event at Ace Cafe Orlando, sponsored by the City of Orlando and the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC), as part of the 10th annual National Drive Electric Week – a coast-to-coast celebration of electric vehicles.
“Electric vehicles bring plenty of benefits to the state of Florida, such as increasing our energy security, upping public safety, and boosting economic growth,” said Drive Electric Florida Executive Director Matt Alford.
“There’s a lot to celebrate when it comes to electric vehicles,” said Drive Electric Florida Associate Director of Communications & Research Brenna Kaminski. “We’re thrilled to host such a successful celebration in Orlando – a city that’s shown a clear commitment to advancing the many benefits of electric vehicles.”
The free event featured displays of electric vehicles and chargers, ride-and-drives in electric vehicles, live music by local musician Dane Myers, and shopping with local vendors. Over 160 electric vehicle drivers attended the event, bringing together a combined total of nearly 1.5 million electric miles driven.
“Orlando has consistently proven itself as a leader in the advanced energy space, particularly when it comes to paving the way for electric vehicles,” said Orlando City Mayor Buddy Dyer. “We’ve set a citywide goal to become the electric vehicle leader of the Southeast, and supporting events like these – which raise awareness of the many advantages of electric vehicles – is part of achieving that goal.”
More than 1.5 million EVs are now on the road in the United States, and a recent survey by Consumer Reports and the Union of Concerned Scientists showed that more than 60% of prospective car buyers in the U.S. are interested in electric vehicles. Florida is second in the nation in passenger electric vehicle sales and has over 60,000 electric vehicles on the road across the state.
“Along with our partners at the City, we’ve helped make Orlando one of the top 10 most EV-ready cities in the nation, and we’re not stopping there,” said Linda Ferrone, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer for the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC). “In addition to joining this national celebration, we have committed $45 million toward electrification programs in our community and look forward to continuing to advance EV infrastructure in support of our goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.”
OUC and the City of Orlando were the event’s local sponsors. National Drive Electric Week is presented by national organizers Plug In America, the Sierra Club and the Electric Auto Association. For a full list of sponsors and more information about Orlando Drive Electric Week, please visit: https://driveelectricweek.org/event?eventid=2767.
For a complete list of National Drive Electric Week events across the country, please visit: DriveElectricWeek.org.
To view and download photos from the event, please click here.
About Drive Electric Florida
Drive Electric Florida is a multi-stakeholder coalition whose mission is to support and accelerate the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles in Florida by engaging and educating the public, businesses, and policy-makers. To learn more, please visit www.driveelectrticflorida.org.
