Past Events of 2023
National Drive Electric Week 2023 – Omaha
When: Saturday, September 23, from noon to 4pm
Where: First United Methodist Church, 7020 Cass St., Omaha, NE 68132
Featured Speaker: Bill Moore, editor of evworld.com for over 25 years – https://evworld.com/
EV Owners: Please register to display your EV NOW by CLICKING HERE!
What: This month, dozens of Eastern Nebraska electric vehicle drivers and enthusiasts will host an event to allow community members to get their questions answered about what driving and owning an electric vehicle is really like at National Drive Electric Week 2023 – Omaha.
The event is part of the 13th annual National Drive Electric Week (NDEW).
National Drive Electric Week, a coast-to-coast celebration of electric vehicles (EVs), will be held Sept. 22 through Oct. 1, 2023, and is expected to include more than 200 online and in-person events.
There are now more than three million EVs on the road in the United States, and a recent survey from Cox Automotive found consumers considering purchasing an EV for their next vehicle is at an all-time high. The increased interest in EVs makes NDEW events important to educating the public about the incredible benefits of owning an EV, from cost-savings on maintenance and fuel to improved air quality, convenience, and performance.
See, touch, and sit in the driver’s seat in our variety of electric vehicles on display. Not just automobiles, but electric-assist bicycles, too! Attend presentations and visit information booths.
In addition to new EVs, several older EVs and their owners will be on hand to explain the merits of these vehicles. Federal tax credits are now available for used EVs purchased from licensed dealers making an affordable option for drivers who can’t afford new electric vehicles.
The Eastern NE Electric Vehicle Association, the Nebraska Sierra Club, Green Bellevue, and the Environment Committee of First United Methodist Church jointly organized and sponsor National Drive Electric Week 2023 – Omaha.
For more information about National Drive Electric Week 2023 – Omaha, CLICK HERE
Electric Vehicle “ride and drive” coming to Lincoln
What: Lincoln’s largest electric vehicle ride and drive event, presented by Lincoln Electric System. Attendees will be able to test drive at least one EV, including models from BMW, Cadillac, Chevy, Ford, GMC, Nissan, Rivian, Tesla, Toyota and Volkswagen.
When: Sunday, Sept. 24, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Haymarket Park, 403 Line Dr. Circle, Lincoln, NE.
“The number of models available is increasing significantly, particularly in the pickup, crossover and sports utility vehicle styles that comprise nearly 75% of all vehicles on the road,” said Marc Shkolnick, manager of Energy Services at LES. “Public power utilities like LES are here to keep our customers engaged and informed, so this event provides the chance to see these vehicles up close, talk to local owners and take a test drive.”
Attendees can experience EVs through test drives, learn about electric vehicles from community EV experts and enjoy food trucks. Presentations include the basics of charging and ownership, as well as a panel with EV dealers and owners.
For more information and to reserve a test drive, visit www.les.com/drive. Time slots will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and are limited to one test drive per household. Spots may be available for same-day walk-ups but are not guaranteed. Parking is available at the event.
Agenda:
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Test Drives–PreRegistration Required
9:30 AM – 10:15 AM EV Dealers and Owners Panel Discussion
10:45 AM – 11:30 AM EV 101–The Basics about Electric Vehicles and Charging
12:00 PM – 12:45 PM EV Charging 101–The Basics of Home, Public and Highway Charging
Follow LES on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to stay informed on this event.
The NE EV Assoc concluded its second year of parade entries August 19
Scroll down to see photos:
We participated in five parades in 2023:
Papillion Days Parade – Papillion
Ralston Independence Day Parade – Ralston
Sarpy County Fair Parade – Springfield
Arrows to Aerospace Parade – Bellevue
Dundee Days Parade – mid-Omaha
We participated in six parades in 2022:
Papillion Days Parade – Papillion – June 18
Ralston Independence Day Parade – Ralston – on July 4
John C Fremont Days Historical Parade – Fremont – July 10
Sarpy County Fair Parade – Springfield – August 6
Arrows to Aerospace Parade – Bellevue – August 20
Dundee Days Parade – mid-Omaha – August 20
Thanks here to the fifteen (15) EV owners who sacrificed personal time on the weekends to make these parades a success.
Alex McCollister – 2022 Polestar 2
Kevin Naylor – 2019 Tesla Model 3
Bill Moore – 2016 Fiat 500e
Kim Moss-Allen & Dudley Allen – 2019 Nissan Leaf
Tory Ewing – 2019 Chevy Bolt
Beth Tiller – 2016 Kia Soul
Karli Meissenger – 2021 Volvo C40 Recharge
Brenda Moskovits – 2019 Nissan Leaf
Lewis Pinch – Chevy Bolt
Louis Lester – Nissan Leaf
Don Preister – Nissan Leaf
Albert Lierz – 2018 Nissan Leaf
Clyde Anderson – electric bike
David Corbin – electric bike
Don Cox – 3 Teslas – out with back operation but with us in spirit
Next year we hope to get started scheduling parade entries earlier and participate in 10-15 parades reaching hundreds of thousands of parade watchers. We also want to upgrade our auto signs and add bikes and other vehicles to all parades.
You can help us make these goals achievable by volunteering your time and /or dime to support our parade entries. Contact us with your support.
JOIN US!! Contact our Parade Coordinator, Albert Lierz, at [email protected].
Dundee Days Parade
Sarpy County Fair Parade
Ralston Independence Day Parade – July 4
Participating EVs of NE EV Assoc & NE Sierra Club
2016 Kia Soul – Beth Tiller
2019 Nissan Leaf – Kim Moss-Allen & Dudley Allen
2019 Tesla Model 3 – Kevin Naylor
2016 Fiat 500e – Bill Moore
2021 Volvo C40 Recharge – Karli Meissenger
2019 Nissan Leaf – Brenda Moskovits
Papillion Days Parade – June 18, 2022
Participating EVs of NE EV Assoc & NE Sierra Club
2022 Polestar 2 – Alex McCollister
2019 Tesla Model 3 – Kevin Naylor
2016 Fiat 500e (mixed) – Bill Moore
2019 Nissan Leaf (black)- Kim Moss-Allen & Dudley Allen
2019 Chevy Bolt (red) – Tory Ewing
2016 Kia Soul (white)- Beth Tiller
Drive Electric Earth Day (DEED) 2022
Nebraska’s electric vehicle (EV) associations and environmental organizations teamed up to present the latest information on electric vehicles (EVs) and EV charging stations at Nebraska’s Earth Days. We highlighted the clean-air benefits and cost-savings of using an electric vehicle with our auto shows and booths.
Earth Day Omaha was live at Elmwood Park (just south of UNO) on April 23, 2022. Our auto show was at 11am – 5pm so we needed several shifts of volunteers.
Lincoln Earth Day was from 10 am to 2 pm at Nebraska Innovation Campus. It was not part of DEED but had its own auto show in which our members participated by registering directly with Lincoln Earth Day.
Eastern Nebraska Electric Vehicle Association
Meeting – May 14, 2022
When: Saturday, May 14, 2022 at 2 pm.
Where: On-line via ZOOM – for link contact: [email protected]
Focus was on planning parades, exhibits, tabling events, and much more to demonstrate the advantages of driving electric to Nebraska residents.
Agenda:
- Reappoint officers and committee chairs
- Renegotiate Electric Vehicle Assoc Chapter agreement
- Select captains and teams for 2022 events
- Recruit communications volunteers – newsletter, website, Facebook, social media
- Develop our budget and fund raising plan for 2022
- Appoint a bylaws committee
- Select new meeting site for 2022
Info? Contact: Albert Lierz, Communications Chair, at [email protected] – 402-708-0241
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What: The EV Revolution: How We Got Here and Where We’re Going
When: Thursday, February 24th at 7 pm
Where: Virtual program on Zoom
Registration Link:
https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=7013q000002GcG8AAK
Description:
More than a century ago, one-third of the automobiles on the road were electric. The first motorized vehicle to go more than 60 mph was electric. Porsche’s first car was electric and powered by twin hub motors. Last month Porsche’s Taycan EV sport sedan was the most popular new car sold in Norway and here in the USA it outsold the famed 911. Orders for GM’s new electric pickup filled up in 12 minutes and production of the Ford F150 Lightning is sold out for the next two years, capped at 200,000 units.
This presentation looks at the progress made in the last 100 years, and specifically the last 20 with an eye towards the next two decades and how the adoption of EV technology is bound to change society just as it did more than a 100 years ago. Will it be a cleaner, greener, more equitable world? Zoom in and find out.
After registering, you will view a page acknowledging your registration. Later you will receive an email with the link for the Zoom meeting. Email or phone me if you experience problems registering or cannot find the Zoom meeting link.
Thanks!
Bill Moore, Editor – EV World – evworld.com
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7th Annual “Sound of Silence” Tesla Rally
May 22, 2021 in Custer, South Dakota.
by Don Cox
This event has been going every year for several years and has grown from 10 Teslas the first year to 90 this year. Custer Chamber of Commerce makes a big deal of the rally. They have destination chargers (donated by Tesla) at most of the hotels in town and Tesla installed an 8 stall Supercharger in town too. The Chamber of Commerce has installed several NEMA 14-50 outlets like those at RV parks in their parking lot and at other places in town.
This year our son Earl talked us into driving our old 2008 Roadster and our old 2012 Model S to the rally. This is the first time we have attended the event.
It was somewhat interesting with about 90 Teslas from all over the U.S. and a very enthusiastic group of Tesla owners. The 500 mile drive from Lincoln in the Roadster was a bit of an adventure. We had a relative keep the Roadster in Grand Island and have it fully charged for us to pick up Thursday morning. Earl and Mary then Supercharged the old Model S and followed me in the Roadster up HY-2. We charged at RV parks in Broken Bow and Mullen. We stayed overnight in Alliance and charged at an RV park overnight. Mary and Earl in the Model S followed me and I drove the Roadster on to Custer Friday morning. We stopped in Chadron, NE and I took on a little Roadster charge at a ChargePoint 30 amp charger.
This event has been going every year for several years and has grown from 10 Teslas the first year to 90 this year. Custer Chamber of Commerce makes a big deal of the rally. They have destination chargers (donated by Tesla) at most of the hotels in town and Tesla installed an 8 stall Supercharger in town too. The Chamber of Commerce has installed several NEMA 14-50 outlets like those at RV parks in their parking lot and at other places in town. There was not an issue keeping the Teslas charged.
Saturday was mostly driving around the Black Hills in Teslas with photos of the group in the afternoon (see above). I drove back Sunday all day to Grand Island. Was a difficult drive with 20 mph headwind until Mullen, NE, and rain part of the way. We left the Roadster in Grand Island about 2 AM Monday and arrived later in Lincoln in the 2 Model Ss – the 2012 had been taken to Custer and the 2017 had been left with relatives in Grand Island.
It was a challenging adventure and quite tiring.