15 EVENTS IN 32 DAYS!
Valley of the Sun EVA (VOTSEVA) and DRIVE Electric Arizona (DE-AZ) sponsored, co-sponsored, or otherwise participated in 14 events during Drive Electric Earth Month (DEEM) between April 3 and May 5, 2024. Here is our report on those events:
• April 3 | DE-AZ co-sponsored Arizona Electric Fleet Day 2024 with a booth and several volunteers and board members, where we made very valuable connections with other organizations working on transportation electrification in the state.
• April 5 | Our second annual support for the American Lung Association’s Fight for the Air Climb 2024 in Scottsdale with 4 display vehicles.
• April 6 | The DRIVE Electric THREE RIVERS TRIBES Chapter Launch involved three different events. Between 8:00 AM and 2:00 PM, we held 90-minute static displays at Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, and Gila River Indian Community, which attracted tribal leaders in fleet management and invitations to present at at least one tribal council meeting, an educational and economic event at another Arizona tribe, and other tribal events soon.
• April 10 | We hosted our booth and a 5-vehicle static display at Chandler Gilbert Community College’s Earth Day Event. With several board members and volunteers on site, we made 171 direct contacts, between students, faculty, and administrative staff.
• April 12| Several of our West Valley board members and volunteers were welcomed to participate at Hot Rod Nights at the Westgate Entertainment District, providing a static display and feather flag. The group is committed to be a presence at this weekly event.
• April 20 | Phoenix Ride & Drive, which was co-hosted by the City of Phoenix and Valley of the Sun Clean Cities. We featured a special event with Wells Fargo, who donated a brand new Kia Nero EV to a Gold Star spouse, drawing media coverage from Fox 10 and Arizona Family Channel 3. The event featured 26 static display vehicles and 16 ride and drive vehicles. 116 drives were provided.
• April 20 | Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Earth Day Event was Three Rivers Tribes Chapter’s first official event. Chapter President Hans Klose and fellow DE-AZ board member Carl Knapp attended and met with over 200 attendees with 3 static display vehicles including sponsor SRP’s Ford F-150 Lightning.
• April 23 | Valley of the Sun EVA sponsor, Salt River Project (SRP), invited us to join their Earth Day Celebration at SRP’s PERA Club in Tempe. In conjunction with SRP’s “Local Roots Market,” which focuses on sustainable and locally sourced products, we hosted a 5 electric vehicle display while making 89 direct contacts with SRP employees at our display and information booth.
• April 27 | In partnership with Salt River Project, DRIVE Electric Arizona hosted a public ride and drive event at their project administrative headquarters in Tempe. On Friday 4/26, several of our board members and SRP were interviewed at the Fox 10 Phoenix studio in downtown Phoenix, to promote the ride and drive event to their viewers. During setup and the event, live media coverage was provided by Arizona Family Channel 3 and ABC 15 news. There were 19 static display vehicles, 16 ride & drive vehicles, and 126 drives were provided.
• April 27 | Our second Carefree Earth Day Event brought 2 new volunteers, including the former President of the Portland (Oregon) Electric Vehicle Association, now a resident of the Valley of the Sun. Our static display reached 118 unique individuals, and several committed to “go home and order an EV.”
• May 4 | ROUTE 66 KINGMAN Chapter Launch at the 35th Historic Route 66 FUN RUN in Kingman. The static display at the Kingman Visitor Center brought 15 display vehicles, including participation from Martin Swanty Kia / Jeep dealerships, and many volunteers with 1,398 direct contacts. Our booth was manned all day during the Show N Shine Car Show, which was followed by the Chapter Launch event inside the Historic Electric Vehicle Foundation EV Museum. DRIVE Electric Arizona awards were presented during the event, as well as “Best EV Car” and “Best EV Truck” during the Route 66 awards ceremony on Sunday morning.
• May 4 | Our Three Rivers Tribes Chapter held a static display at Peach Springs along Route 66 during the FUN RUN. Peach Springs is the Administrative Center of the Hualapai Tribe, which operates the Grand Canyon West enterprise. The event was conducted by John Martinson, co-founder and President of DE-USA and VOTSEVA (Rivian R1T), and his daughter, Eco, (Mustang Mach-E). The event drew 118 unique contacts from both the tribe and attendees on the FUN RUN passing by.
• May 4-5 | 6 volunteers from Valley of the Sun headed out to the west valley to the Electrify Expo! This two day event draws more than 25,000 spectators. Our team knocked it out of the park, directly speaking to almost 400 people at our table. Thank you to TE Activators for hosting the tent space and permitting us to table there. Our sincere gratitude to Marc, Scott, Carl, Amanda, Ellen and Jon for representing us well. Uniquely, Jon showcased his customized Rivian R1T in the Electrify Show-off, with our branded feather flag setup at the front of his truck.