Photo: Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition Drive Electric Month continues this week with over 150 online and in-person events celebrating electric vehicles through most of September and the start of October. Events will be held for the next few weekends, with events in most US states, and one in Canada. And in the midst of a global oil price spike, there couldn’t be a better time to learn how to become energy independent. Drive Electric Month is an annual event organized by Plug In America, the Electric Vehicle Association, EVHybridNoire, Drive Electric USA, and the Sierra Club. This is the event’s 16th year. It started in the US as National Drive Electric Week, but for the last few years, the event has expanded to cover most of the month of September, with a few events in October as well. These events are an opportunity for prospective EV buyers to talk directly with EV owners about the experience of owning an electric car, and EV owners to network with each other and share tips. The dealership experience is not ideal for many EV shoppers, so unfiltered conversations with EV owners can be a great way to learn. Advertisement - scroll for more content Each event is organized by local EV advocates, and they range in size from small parking lot meetups and local EV parades to large festivals with lots of booths from nearby car dealers and green businesses. Many events have live music, family-friendly activities, food trucks and the like. Drive Electric Month has a map and list of events happening over the course of the month. Most events are in-person, but there are some webinar-style online events that you can attend to hear about various topics related to electric vehicles if you can’t get to any local events. You can also search for events near you. Be sure to click through to each individual event’s page to see what your local events will look like, what types of EVs might be in attendance, and register your interest. Here’s a sample of some of the events happening over the course of the month: Columbia, SC took over an intersection with a school bus, ID. Buzz, electric G wagen, and custom VW Beetle restomod. Photo: Jeremy Hickman EV Assoc of San Diego Ride and Drive in San Diego, CA on Sep 19, 9am-12pm – Head on over to Balboa Park to see a bunch of cool EVs, including the Aptera solar EV. If you take a test drive/ride in an EV, you’ll get a free ticket to the San Diego Automotive Museum. National Drive Electric Month in Poolesville, MD on September 19, 10am-4pm: Historically one of the largest NDEM events, at least 40 EVs and 20 different models will be on display, including Pebble’s all-electric Flow RV trailer. The theme for the year is “Camping with EVs,” so expect more camping-related displays. Wichita, KS threatened rain last year, but still had good turnout. Photo: Lori Lawrence Enfield EV Showcase in Enfield, NC on September 19, 10am-4pm: The first event of this type to ever hit the small town of Enfield, population 1,864. After experiencing a multiday power outage, the organizer wants to prepare his community for future outages by sharing how EVs can help during outages and boost the community’s resilience. The event happens as part of the community’s 2nd annual Revitalization Day. Let’s Taco ‘Bout EVs! in Great Bend, KS on September 21 and Scott City, KS on October 12, 4:30-6:30pm: This event will be held twice, in two different cities in Kansas, and will have free tacos just before Monday Night Football. Local utility Wheatland Electric will be showing off its all-electric fleet vehicles and answering questions. Wenatchee, WA has held several “EV Line-Ups.” It’s doing another one this year. Photo: Julie Banken Take Charge East LA Ride and Drive in Los Angeles, CA on September 26, 10am-1pm: LA has had some huge events in the past, though things have calmed down a bit as electric cars have become more normalized around these parts. Nevertheless, this looks like it will probably be the largest event in the area this year. PoutineFest EVA Maine in Portland, ME on September 19, 11:30am-4pm: Look, I don’t even like poutine, but I had to highlight this one, just because of the name alone. This event looks like it will be relatively well-attended and there will be lots of food and music, alongside opportunities to talk to EV owners and take test rides. Muskegon, MI’s Drive Electric Month/Sun Day event from 2025. Photo: Karl Bloss EV Ride & Drive at Beltrami Electric Cooperative in Bemidji, MN on October 1, 4-6pm: Held at the local electric co-op, a few electric trucks will be available for test drives and attendees can learn about EV rebates and cheaper off-peak electricity rates to fuel their cars. energz EV EXPO in Banning, CA on October 3, 10am-2pm: A family-friendly event with test drives from local dealers, and opportunities to learn about career opportunities in electric mobility. Even Hawaii has events, both in Lihue and Hilo. This is last year’s Hilo event. Photo: Gary Miller National Drive Electric Month Waterloo 2026 in Waterloo, Ontario on October 3, 11am-3pm: This has been quite a large event in the past, and should be particularly interesting this year given the entry of Chinese EVs into the Canadian market. No Chinese EVs have been registered to attend yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if one shows up, or if there’s a lot of talk about them… Knoxville Drive Electric Festival in Knoxville, TN on October 10, 10am-3pm: This is always one of the biggest ones of the year, and it looks like this year will be no different, with 67 cars already registered. Last year, a Rivian that survived a hurricane was on display, and this year there will be a Rivian R2 on site, the new smaller-sized, more affordable Rivian. Plus various electric buses and fleet vehicles, and lots of entertainment and food. A previous Knoxville event. Photo: East Tennessee Clean Fuels Not all the events are large or hosted in big cities. There are also smaller events happening in town centers, church parking lots, and so on, often with just a handful of EV owners who are typically happy to stand around and have a frank discussion with members of the public about what it’s like to own an EV, or to network with other local EV owners. If you can’t make it to any in-person events or there aren’t any in your area, there are still a couple online webinars about electric car ownership. These are “Electric Vehicles: Where are we now? Where are we going?” on Sep 23 from 12-1:30pm PDT and “All about electric vehicles: Ownership, charging, and how to get money back” on Sep23 and Oct 27, both from 12-12:45pm PDT. Ventura, CA always has a good turnout at the marina. Photo: Jeff Calimlim If you’d like to attend any of these events, either to show your vehicle, to volunteer to help run the event, or just to show up and look around, you can check out the list of events, then go to each event’s page to find more information. Remember to click the “RSVP” or “Volunteer” links near the top to register your interest (or register at the links mentioned in the event description). Charge your electric vehicle at home using rooftop solar panels. Find a reliable and competitively priced solar installer near you on EnergySage, for free. They have pre-vetted installers competing for your business, ensuring high-quality solutions and 20-30% savings. It’s free, with no sales calls until you choose an installer. Compare personalized solar quotes online and receive guidance from unbiased Energy Advisers. Get started here. – ad* Stay up to date with the latest content by subscribing to Electrek on Google News. You’re reading Electrek— experts who break news about Tesla, electric vehicles, and green energy, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow Electrek on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? 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