Evansville’s electric car show and car cruise, EVs for EVV (an acronym for ‘electric vehicles for Evansville/Vanderburgh’) debuted in 2022.
Organizer Caroline Nellis likened the inaugural event to a cute, seven-pound baby, birthed into the world.
“And by year two, it is now seven-foot tall and weighs 300 pounds,” she said with a laugh. “There's really been a lot of growth.”
For example in 2022, it was a modest but successful event held alongside the Evansville Road Knights classic car cruise off the Lloyd Expressway, in a parking lot. The Road Knights helped Nellis and her volunteers get off the ground.
But this year they’re moving it to 10 acres at the Eykamp Scout Center because someone noted that maybe an earth-friendly propulsion style should be featured in an earth-friendly location.
Another big change is the availability of EVs to check out from local dealerships, because that pesky chip shortage has eased a little.
Dealerships will bring up to 24 vehicles. For example, D Patrick Ford will be bringing a Ford F-150 Lightning Pickup and Mustang Mach E, and both can be test driven.
“So, between the EVS that are owner operated, the 20 of those and the 14 to 24 ones that we expect to be coming from the auto dealerships, there'll be plenty of EVs for people to look at,” Nellis said. “We're also hoping for E-bikes.”
There will even be electric lawn and garden equipment.
It’s also on a Saturday so technically, dealers could make sales at the location and have staff working that day to oversee the vehicles.
Nellis is with Tri-State Creation Care, a faith-based organization.
“What we're trying to promote is good stewardship of the earth. And part of that is keeping the air clean for our youth," she said. "This area has high asthma rates, cardiac problems and cancer rates. So clean air has plays a role in preventing some of that that's part of going to electric vehicles.”
They’re also trying to reduce greenhouse gases.
Nellis said there will be several "celebrity drivers" such as Sheriff Noah Robinson and Ivy Tech’s talent connection manager Chris Johnson. You can look up the event on Facebook.
It’s September 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will include lots of activities for families, live music, high school robots demonstrations
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