Successful EV, e-bike Ride & Drive event hosted in Nashville

On Oct. 5, an electric vehicle ride and drive event held at the Richard Fulton Campus in Nashville, Tennessee. This event showcased EVs to the public, simultaneously educating interested attendees as well as passersby on the movement towards reduced carbon emissions and equal access to clean technology.

The event had three informational booths that allowed people to participate in a variety of fun, experiential activities, including test drives and a trivia game assessing the public on different environmental topics.

Middle-West Tennessee Clean Fuels organized an assortment of vehicles to be present at the event which allowed attendees to ride in and investigate EVs such as a Tesla and a Nissan Leaf.

For many participants, this was their first exposure to the wonders of electric cars such as their smooth acceleration and stop, significantly smaller maintenance/running cost and conservation and recapture of both energy, sound and range. Earth Rides, a Nashville-based electric vehicle rideshare company, coupons, were also distributed at the event to incentivize participants to continue engaging with EVs in the city.

Nashville BCycle, a bike share program, had five electric, pedal-assist bikes available to the public. Many took turns experiencing the ease of use that the pedal-assist provided and the no-sweat increased mobility the bicycles offered. BCycle’s representatives emphasized through their demonstrations and test-rides that switching electric is not limited to cars and trucks.

The last booth was managed by Socket, a Nashville sustainability outreach program informing the public on charging outlets around the city. Charging stations around Nashville were clearly mapped through informational leaflets, revealing the existence of 56 charging stations in over 23 locations where electric vehicles are free to charge. This helped communicate a message of accessibility to prospective electric vehicle users.

The event was an incredible highlight on Nashville’s increasing commitment to the electrification of shared mobility vehicles. The passion and interest displayed by both event organizers and participants was evident through their excited discussions and stated desire to become further involved.

This ride and drive event also helped expose more Tennesseans to electric vehicles (and e-bikes) in an effort to continue to move towards Drive Electric TN’s goal to see 200,000 EVs on Tennessee roads by 2028.