Drivers Can Test Latest EVs at Charge Up LA!
If you’re curious about electric vehicles, Chavez Ravine is the place to be this Saturday.
Charge Up LA!, an event where major auto manufacturers will show off their latest models of electric cars and make them available for test drives, will be held at the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center next to Dodger Stadium.
Enthusiastic EV drivers will also be at the event, which is being sponsored by Southern California Edison and the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, to talk to prospective buyers about their emission-free driving experience and the EV lifestyle.
Joel Levin, executive director of Plug In America, the national association of EV drivers that is organizing Charge Up LA!, says the event will afford attendees the opportunity to compare a wide variety of electric cars with no pressure to buy.
“Many different car manufacturers will be at Charge Up LA! with their selection of EVs,” Levin said. “You can test drive all of them, and no one’s going to try to sell you anything.”
Last year, there were nearly 1,200 attendees at Charge Up LA! The event is one of hundreds scheduled across the U.S., Canada and Mexico during National Drive Electric Week, Sept. 14-22.
The weeklong series of events, primarily organized by local volunteers, will showcase the latest electric cars and EV technology available and demonstrate how electric cars clean the air, cut down on fuel and maintenance costs and are more fun to drive than conventional vehicles.
What sets Charge Up LA! apart from the other events, Levin says, is the sheer volume of cars that will be on display. So far, the lineup includes Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Honda, Kia, MINI, Nissan and Toyota.
SCE representatives will be on hand to talk about the utility’s programs that help EV owners, including a rebate program for EV owners called Clean Fuel Reward.
“We are excited about SCE’s Clean Fuel Reward program, which offers customers a $1,000 rebate when they purchase or lease an EV,” said Katie Sloan, SCE’s director of eMobility and Building Electrification. “The program is not just for new EV owners. Second and third EV owners can apply for a rebate as well.”
We are excited about SCE’s Clean fuel reward program, which offers customers a $1,000 rebate when they purchase or lease an EV. The program is not just for new EV owners. Second and third EV owners can apply for a rebate as well.”
Katie Sloan, SCE Director
Sloan noted that customers interested in purchasing EVs can visit Cars.SCE.com, an easy-to-use, online car comparison tool that shows car buyers the total cost of car ownership over the lifetime of the car. Plug In America has a similar tool, Plugstar.com.
SCE has also been a financial supporter of Plug In America ride and drive events within the utility’s service area. This year, SCE is also sponsoring National Drive Electric Week events in Gardena, Inglewood, Ventura and Monterey Park.
“Letting customers experience the cars directly is very important because many people don’t know about EVs or they have misconceptions,” Levin said. “You can talk till you’re blue in the face, but when you get somebody behind the wheel, they get it. This is a fundamentally different experience.”
Admission and parking at Charge Up LA! are free.
