Somerset County EV owners and enthusiasts come together for EV Show as part of Somerville’s annual Street Fair and Craft Show
All local residents are invited to attend an Electric Vehicle (EV) Show as part of Somerville’s Street Fair and Craft Show, on Sunday, October 1st 2023, to communicate the personal, societal and climate benefits of driving electric. Come and learn how to save money while driving, help clean the air, reverse climate change and just have fun by driving electric. This event is part of the 13th annual National Drive Electric Week, a coast-to-coast celebration of electric vehicles, between September 22 and October 1.
The Somerville Street Fair is an annual event organized by the Downtown Somerville Alliance and is attended by 20,000 people each year. Attendees will see artists and vendors, and experience rides and live music along all of Main Street. The EV Show will complement the Street Fair, organized by the New Jersey Electric Vehicle Association (NJEVA), the Somerville Environmental Commission, and RideWise, a local nonprofit and transportation management association that provides education and information on sustainable transportation in Somerset County.
The EV Show is expected to have 20 volunteers, showing their plug-in electric vehicles, ranging from the small Mini to large pickup trucks. Volunteers will share their experience driving electric and will answer any questions to all visitors, including incentives, how to find their perfect vehicle, how to charge, how to install a charging station at home, road trip tips and much more. If you are concerned about the carbon footprint of EV manufacturing, battery mineral mining and recycling, EV safety and battery longevity, grid stability, or V2L this is where you want to be. Literature and education on EVs will also be available.
“I have been driving electric since 2012 and I would never go back to a gas car,” says Stan Jaracz, President of NJEVA. “My first EV is still on the road after 11 years, running strong and on the original battery.”
There are now about 2.5 million EVs 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. There are also now more than 100 models available in the U.S., with many of the newer models having a range of 200-300 miles or more.
The Somerville Environmental Commission is excited to partner with NJEVA and RideWise to give our Borough and beyond a chance to talk to real, local neighbors about their experience in ‘going electric,’” says Jeffrey Lamborn, Chair of Somerville’s Environmental Commission. “For many folks, it’s a challenge to consider how doing so can fit into their lifestyle and what it takes to get there. By interacting with the vehicles and their owners, we’ll be giving people a great opportunity to effectively communicate the benefits and answer questions a prospective owner may have about the experience. We look forward to seeing you there!”
New Jersey Electric Vehicle Association, the Borough of Somerville, the Somerville Environmental Commission, and RideWise are organizing the car show, and the Downtown Somerville Alliance is organizing the Street Fair.NDEW is presented by national organizers Plug In America, the Electric Vehicle Association, the Sierra Club, and EVHybridNoire. Nissan LEAF® and Nissan ARIYA® are Platinum level automotive sponsor of NDEW 2023 and Wells Fargo is the Platinum level exclusive banking sponsor of NDEW 2023. Edison International is the Bronze level sponsors.
For more information about Somerville’s NDEW, visit: https://driveelectricweek.org/event?eventid=4000
For a complete list of National Drive Electric Week events, visit: DriveElectricWeek.org
