Knoxville EVA Casts A Wide Net for Drive Electric Events

 

Developing relationships throughout the year are essential in planning events. (Image Source: Knoxville EVA)

Grant Gerke, Senior Communications Specialist at the Electric Vehicle Association

“We want to go where people will be for April events, and we're just gonna do a lot of smaller events,” says Eric Cardwell, President of the Knoxville Electric Vehicle Association. This event strategy is proving very successful for the chapter as it heads into Drive Electric events.

“We decided to do smaller events for DEED 2023 and try to spread them out,” says Cardwell. “Since we host NDEW each year at a central location and it’s our biggest event, we wanted to make it easier on us with smaller events this time of year.”

For example, the Knoxville EV Chapter will officially participate in the Dogwoods Art Festival this year and the event draws over 10,000 people a day over the weekend event. “The festival is in downtown Knoxville, and last year we found an area right next to the event for 2022 but this year we were officially invited to be a part of the festival,” says Cardwell. The Dogwood event will showcase two EVs and one of those will be a F150 Ford Lighting.

For Knoxville EVA, another event being held this April is at Maryville College. There will be eleven or twelve EVs at Maryville College and the school will also advertise this event. The Knoxville chapter is working with Oak Ridge National Labs to host a private event featuring a ride-and-drive during their Earth Day celebrations for their 5,000+ employees.

For more information on all six events, see below — more event auto manufacturing sidebar. And, the KEVA chapter is still looking for Rivians and other vehicles to attend!

2023 Lakeway Area EV Ride & Drive

  • April 15th, 3pm-7pm

  • Carson Newman University 1646 Russell Avenue Jefferson City, TN 37760

This is an inaugural partnership with Appalachian Electric Cooperative (AEC) to host an EV showcase in Jefferson City. The city plans to advertise this so let's not disappoint and try and get at least 10 EVs, if not more out there. The registration is open on this drive electric page, just click on PARTICIPATE if you can bring an EV.

Blount County Drive Electric Earth Day Celebration

  • April 19th, 11am-1pm 

  • Maryville College 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway Maryville, TN 37804

This Blount County event has limited space and is almost full, unless you drive a Rivian, we would really like to have a Rivian here, if possible. Please contact Knoxville.EV.Club@gmail.com if you have a Rivian you can show off! 

 

  • In late March 2023, Ford announced Project T3 for its next-gen electric trucks and these vehicles will be built at the BlueOval City campus, located in western Tennessee. Below are some of the highlights of the new auto plant:

    • Truck production will start in 2025

    • The truck plant on the site will be capable of producing 500,000 electric trucks a year at full production

    • Ford calls Project T3 “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to revolutionize America’s truck”

    • Ford begins massive BlueOval Learning training program – K-12 STEM programs, post-secondary education partnerships and technical training – to fill 6,000 new jobs

    • Ford and its partners have contributed more than $20 million to Tennessee communities since announcing BlueOval City in 2021

    More Tennessee Auto News:
    • Cadillac Celebrates Launch at Spring Hill
    • 2023 VE ID.4 Produced in Chattanooga in the U.S

BEVs & Beverages at the Orange Hat Brewery

Celebrating Earth Day (event information) just so happens to coincide with the brewery's third anniversary so there will be fun celebrations to be had. This location is very family friendly with games and activities for kids. This place gets crowded on the weekends, so it’s a great opportunity to talk to people about EVs (and also have a drink). We have 1 committed vehicle, with space for 3 more vehicles to show off. We would love to have a truck here too. If you can bring a vehicle please contact us at Knoxville.EV.Club@gmail.com. We can also use more people to come hangout and talk to the public at this event!



Oak Ridge Farmers Market

  • April 22nd, 8am-noon

  • Jackson Square 281 Broadway Ave Oak Ridge, TN 37830

We have secured a space at the Oak Ridge Farmers Market for one Tesla Model Y. There’s no space for other EVs but feel free to come out and check out the market and talk about EVs. 



Spring Cars and Coffee (Harper Event)

  • April 23rd, 8am-11am (staging from 5-6am)

  • West Town Mall

This event is HUGE! There will be a massive amount of gas cars at this event, so let's show people there is an alternative and display multiple EVs! This is always a sunrise type event, where you to be there and parked early, as traffic getting to the mall becomes grid locked past 6am! We will provide free coffee and donuts! For additional details and to register, please visit here and go to click on PARTICIPATE so we can keep an adequate head count.


Dogwood Arts Festival

  • April 29th, 10am-7pm
    April 30th, 10am-5pm

The Knoxville Electric Vehicle Association has been invited to display 2 EVs during the weekend festival. We will be showcasing the Ford Lightning as well as an additional EV. Come out and have your EV questions answered while also checking out a ton of great Art from local artist at the festival. 

Find the Most Up-to-Date EV Tax Credit Guide

The IRA federal EV tax credit has numerous battery material and domestic manufacturing requirements. Download our EV Tax Credit Guide and find which EV models make the cut for a full or half tax credit as of early April 2023.

Chapter News, Knoxville EVAGrant Gerke