The University of Notre Dame is teaming up with the City of South Bend, Michiana Area Council of Governments and South Shore Clean Cities to present an Electric Vehicle Expo as part of National Drive Electric Week and the 15th Annual Notre Dame Energy Week, organizers announced Monday.
Attendees will have a chance to get behind the wheel, experience electric vehicles firsthand and hear from local owners about the benefits of the vehicles. The event is free and open to the public.
“The Center for Sustainable Energy at Notre Dame and Notre Dame’s Office of Sustainability are thrilled to partner with the City of South Bend, Michiana Area Council of Governments and South Shore Clean Cities to showcase the multiple benefits of electric vehicles,” said Peter C. Burns, Massman professor of civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences and director of ND Energy. “The expo will highlight the economic and environmental advantages of driving electric vehicles, introduce visitors to university and city members who have already embraced this technology and will assist them in getting the information they need to make the switch as well.”
South Shore Clean Cities representatives will be on hand to provide details on what electric vehicles are available locally, how and where to find electric vehicle charging stations and what incentives are available for purchasing vehicles and charging infrastructure for homes and businesses, such as the new IM Plugged-In program from Indiana Michigan Power.
The Electric Vehicle Expo will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25 in the parking lot at Notre Dame’s Innovation Park, 1400 E. Angela Blvd. across from the main campus. All-electric vehicles scheduled for display include the Chevrolet Bolt, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Nissan LEAF, Smart fortwo electric and Tesla Models S. Scheduled plug-in hybrid vehicles include the Chrysler Pacifica minivan, Kia Niro, Honda Clarity, Toyota Prius Prime, Toyota RAV4 Prime and more.
The event is part of the annual Notre Dame Energy Week, which has been hosted by ND Energy since 2007. This annual event is designed to create awareness and educate the campus and broader communities about critical energy-related issues and topics, offering a wide range of activities suitable for everyone. Learn more at https://energy.nd.edu/outreach/2021-energy-week/.
The electric vehicle expo is also taking place as part of National Drive Electric Week, a nationwide celebration Sept. 25 to Oct. 3 to heighten awareness of the widespread availability of plug-in vehicles. The event also highlights the benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid-electric cars, trucks, motorcycles and other modes of transportation.
More than 300 National Drive Electric Week events are taking place this year throughout the U.S. Plug In America, the Sierra Club, the Electric Auto Association and EVHybridNoire team up with local groups to organize the events. Nissan and Wells Fargo are the national sponsors. For a complete list of National Drive Electric Week events, visit www.driveelectricweek.org.
For more information, contact MACOG Senior Environmental Planner Leah Thill at lthill@macog.com or (574) 287-1829 x801
About the Center for Sustainable Energy at Notre Dame (ND Energy): ND Energy is a University Center whose mission is to build a better world by creating new energy technologies and systems and educating individuals to help solve the most critical energy challenges facing the world today. For more information, visit the ND Energy website at energy.nd.edu or contact Barbara Villarosa, Business and Communications Program Director, at bvillaro@nd.edu or 574-631-4776.
About the Notre Dame Office of Sustainability: The Office of Sustainability supports the University of Notre Dame's mission to be a leader in sustainable operations, education and research, and a role model for responsible citizenship. Notre Dame recognizes its responsibility to conserve the natural environment while promoting long-term economic and social justice for all members of society and works to foster a pervasive focus on the connection between environmental stewardship and the Common Good. Learn more at green.nd.edu.
About the City of South Bend Office of Sustainability: The City of South Bend’s Office of Sustainability is leading the effort to coordinate our community’s response to the urgent threat of climate change. The Office’s approach includes climate adaptation and mitigation strategies that center equity. The Office is focused on promoting access to and utilization of renewable energy, improving our buildings’ energy efficiency, expanding clean transportation, and fostering green entrepreneurship and workforce development opportunities. Learn more at https://southbendin.gov/department/community-investment/sustainability/.
About the Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG): The Michiana Area Council of Governments is a metropolitan planning commission serving Elkhart, Kosciusko, Marshall and St. Joseph counties in northern Indiana. The voluntary organization of local governments studies and attempts to resolve, for the benefit of each member and the region, areas of interlocal issues, which includes but is not limited to transportation, transit, economic development, environment and other issues that impact the region. To learn more, go to www.macog.com.
About South Shore Clean Cities: South Shore Clean Cities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization managed by Legacy Environmental Services, Inc., an Indiana Certified Women’s Business Enterprise. Designated as the 71st Clean Cities coalition on June 15, 1999, South Shore Clean Cities is one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s more than 75 Clean Cities coalitions and is the only Clean Cities coalition in the state of Indiana. The organizations support the nation’s energy and economic security by building partnerships to advance affordable domestic transportation fuels, energy efficient mobility systems and other fuel-saving technologies and practices. Learn more at www.southshorecleancities.org.