Maui residents turn out for National Drive Electric event

The 11th annual National Drive Electric Week, a coast-to-coast celebration of electric vehicles (EVs), was held Sept. 24 at UH Maui College as part of the national week of celebrations taking place in every state through Oct. 3.  

“Maui drivers were excited to learn about all the options to switch to clean, powerful, electric vehicles,” said Rob Weltman, representing Maui Nui EV Association. “Saturday’s event at UHMC allowed residents to get their questions answered by owners and dealers, and even test drive one.”

Maui’s BMW dealership was on site and saw a steady flow of people during the event. Christian Apo Takayama, Client Advisor & Product Genius for BMW along with Noe Kauhaahaa and Marc Paguirigan said people were excited about EVs. BMW brought two of its EVs to the event including the BMW i4 eDrive40 sedan and BMW iX xDrive50 SUV.

“The goal for BMW is to provide an EV option for all categories,” said Apo Takayama.

There are now more than 1.5 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 US are interested in electric vehicles. There are now more than 40 models available in the US, with many of the newer models having a range of 200-300 miles or more.

An electric vehicle is any vehicle that can drive on electricity derived from a power plug. An all-electric vehicle, sometimes called a battery electric vehicle or BEV, drives solely on power from the plug.

A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a car that can take both electricity (from plugging in) and gasoline. Usually, they run on electricity first and then draw on gasoline later. That way, you are driving electric around town and only use gasoline for long trips.

Plug-in vehicles offer a quiet, smooth and powerful ride. An electric motor provides full torque from a standstill and completely changes the experience of getting onto a fast-moving highway. Watch the following video for a taste of driving electric.

Organizers provided a list of benefits of an EV including:

• Instant torque allowing you to quickly speed up and merge onto the freeway
• $1.24 per Gallon (US Average); no fuel costs if you have PV panels 
• Latest technology such as driver assist lane tracking, emergency braking, and over-the-air updates
• Less maintenance 
• Safer. Organizers say EVs are 10 times less likely to catch fire than conventional cars and they’re better for the environment, even when accounting for their manufacturing carbon emissions and when using electricity from the grid.

Maui Nui EV Association and EV Maui with the support of the County of Maui and the County of Mauiʻs Office of Economic Development organized the Kahului event. 

National organizers Plug In America, the Electric Auto Association, the Sierra Club, and EVHybridNoire are the presenters of NDEW. Nissan LEAF® is the exclusive automotive sponsor of NDEW 2021 and Wells Fargo is the exclusive banking sponsor of NDEW 2021. ClipperCreek and Electrify America are silver level sponsors. Edison International and Enel X are bronze level sponsors. IBEW 11 is a green level sponsor. 

For more information about EVs on Maui visit: evmaui.com.