We had a great turnout of EVs at this Sunday’s Space Coast Veg Fest.  There were two of each kind: 2 Chevy Volts, 2 Nissan Leafs, and 2 Tesla Model S cars to show a good difference in the available makes and models.  We had to explain how there are so many different ones from nearly all the manufacturers that it almost requires a visit to one of our events to have one or more of our members to explain all the differences in range, range extenders, size, number of seats, charging capabilities, etc.  Everyone that visited our tent had the same questions on how much they cost, how far do they go on a charge, how long does it take to charge them, and the very popular “how much does it cost to replace the batteries.”  Thanks to our patron saint of Chevy Volts, Erick Belmer, I was able to explain every time that the Volt’s battery pack is good for AT LEAST 350,000 miles!  Most gas cars need to be rebuilt by that time in some capacity.  We are starting to think the rest of the car will fall apart around the battery and electric motor since they are so well taken care of by the car’s charging and temperature (liquid coolant) management system.  And electric motors have just the one moving part so there’s nothing to maintain or fix or replace like all of the many replacement parts and tune ups required to keep a gasoline engine running smoothly.  We changed a lot of people’s perspectives on driving electric and might have even made a few converts after today’s event – which is right in line with our mission to make sure the public understands as much as possible about driving electric!

Here’s the full photo album:  https://goo.gl/photos/pd3DprXfSGypYupy7

West Melbourne welcomed us to join in the fall festival celebration honoring our veterans and Thanksgiving. They graciously set aside a large area for our electric cars. Today we were able to show off many cars including Tesla Model S, Nissan Leaf, and Chevy Volt. The stars of the show were, again, the BMW i8 and the Tesla Model X.

The BMW i8 has a distinctive look that’s hard to miss. Later in the day many people were amazed by Tesla Model X parking itself with no driver inside.

Most people were surprised at how practical electric cars are. Those that were aware of electric cars were still surprised at how affordable they can be. On the one side, the Nissan Leaf with 84 miles of range can now be purchased for under $10k pre-owned. On the other end, the luxurious high-performance Tesla Model X and BMW i8. And in the middle, the Chevy Volt and pre-owned  Model S offering a balance between price and performance.

Check out the full photo gallery from the event.

We were invited to participate with our personal electric vehicles again this year at the Satellite Beach Founders Day parade and event.  In the parade we had a few EVs including our newest member’s BMW i8.  Needless to say, that car got the most oohs and ahhs as it drove by the spectators.  Before,  during, and after the parade we had our table set up at the David R Schechter Center and several electric cars on display for everyone to see and compare and ask all the questions they wanted.  Everyone that spoke to us and had their questions answered thanked us for the quick “EV Education”.  Many people commented that they didn’t know there were electric cars like the Chevy Volt and Ford Fusion Energi that have a gasoline generator under the hood that automatically starts after the battery runs out.  Of course the biggest attraction was the Tesla Model X with its falcon wing doors open.  Almost everyone agreed that it should be able to fly.  Keep checking our upcoming events page to see where we’ll be set up next and bring your electric vehicle questions!

Here’s a link to the full album:  https://goo.gl/photos/qw8EDyraUAv7Z2YN6