9-22-2024 4:45pm

Somerville Electric Vehicle Show Returns for 2024 Street Fair

Donnella Tilery Editor

Somerville’s EV Show is returning as part of Somerville’s Street Fair and Craft Show on Sunday, October 6, 2024, to communicate the personal and societal 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 14th annual National Drive Electric Week, a coast-to-coast celebration of electric vehicles, between September 27 and October 6.

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. Similar to last year, the EV Show will complement the Street Fair, organized by the New Jersey Electric Vehicle Association (NJEVA) and the Somerville Environmental Commission. Joining will be 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 Lucid Air to the Toyota Prius Prime. 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.

"According to Bloomberg Green, three brands (Tesla, Hyundai-Kia and GM) offer EVs with more than 300 miles of range for less than the cost of the average new vehicle sold in the US. And that does not include incentives,” says Stanislav Jaracz, President of NJEVA. “NJEVA estimates that 1 in 7 vehicles sold in the state is now electric."

New Jersey Electric Vehicle Association, the Borough of Somerville, and the Somerville Environmental Commission 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, EVHybridNoire, and Drive Electric USA. Nissan LEAF® and Nissan ARIYA® are Platinum level automotive sponsors of NDEW 2024 and Wells Fargo is the Platinum level exclusive banking sponsor of NDEW 2024. Electric Vehicle Adoption Leadership is the Silver level sponsor, Edison International is the Bronze level sponsor, and Nokian Tyres is the Green level sponsor.

For more information about Somerville’s NDEW, visit: https://driveelectricweek.org/event?eventid=4527

For a complete list of National Drive Electric Week events, visit: DriveElectricWeek.org

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About NJEVA: NJEVA’s mission is to accelerate the widespread adoption of electric vehicles in NJ through education and demonstration. NJEVA strengthens and empowers EV advocates in NJ to proliferate independent EV shows; also offering public seminars, webinars and radio shows, always embracing collaboration approach. jerseyeva.org

About Somerville Environmental Commission: The Environmental Commission's mission is to educate, advocate, and promote best policies and practices for the Borough's Environment and the Health and Safety of its residents. somervillenj.org/environmentalcommission

About RideWise: RideWise is Somerset County’s go-to partner for information on environmentally-friendly transportation. We will connect you to the smartest ways to navigate Somerset County while reducing your carbon footprint and respecting the environment. ridewise.org

About Plug In America: Plug In America is the nation’s leading independent consumer voice for accelerating the use of plug-in electric vehicles in the United States. Formed as a non-profit in 2008, Plug In America provides practical, objective information collected from our coalition of plug-in vehicle drivers, through public outreach and education, policy work and a range of technical advisory services. Our expertise represents the world’s deepest pool of experience of driving and living with plug-in vehicles. We drive electric. You can too. PlugInAmerica.org

About the Electric Vehicle Association: The Electric Vehicle Association is North America’s leading volunteer organization that accelerates the adoption of EVs. More than 100 chapters and thousands of members talk neighbor-to-neighbor at community events about the benefits of driving electric. For more information, visit myeva.org.

About the Sierra Club: The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.8 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.