Electrify Expo is the largest and only consumer-to-business electric vehicle (EV) education and demo fiesta in North America. They have recently opened an inspiring new demo experience named “Electrify Weekender.” Attendees at the upcoming Los Angeles festival can zip an electric vehicle all the way home for the full festival weekend. The smart growth festival is planned for Saturday, June 21. We aim to provide consumers a practical, real-world opportunity to adopt an electric vehicle into their everyday lives. This unique experience takes place free of the traditional high-pressure, intimidating environment typically associated with car dealerships.
Electrify Expo has brought the festival experience all across the U.S. over the last five years. These events are helping create awareness and understanding of electric vehicles. This Electrify Weekender experience is a far bolder step in their new mission. It gives serious new car shoppers the opportunity to spend more than a 5-minute demo driving the EV. In order to participate, attendees will need to provide a current driver’s license and proof of automobile insurance.
BJ Birtwell, CEO of Electrify Expo, sounded a hopeful note for the Los Angeles launch. It is his wish that this becomes a testing ground. It will inform the program as it moves to the next festivals in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, New York and Dallas. According to Birtwell, the first partnerships will be focused on Tesla cars. He hopes to see other brands join the initiative in the coming months.
“It’s an opportunity for our attendees at Electrify Expo to have a no-pressure, non-sales-y experience with an electric vehicle on their terms, running errands and fitting this vehicle into their lives to see if it actually makes sense for them or not,” – BJ Birtwell.
Usually, these marked demo experiences are 8 to 10 minutes at Electrify Expo. But while these may seem like simple, short interactions, Birtwell was passionate about how well they work to convert attendees into EV-buyers. He stated that many festival-goers are actively cross-shopping among different electric cars and trucks, treating the event as a modern auto mall experience.
Additionally, insights from Consumer Reports suggest that half of all consumers in the U.S. are interested in test-driving an electric vehicle. This statistic highlights the need for efforts like Electrify Weekender to help create a ripple effect of increased EV adoption.
Sean O’Kane, a veteran reporter who has extensively covered the transformational change happening in the transportation industry, emphasized inclusive strategies to drive EV adoption.
“If we’re going to drive broader EV adoption beyond half the population, that means we need to appeal to everybody,” – Sean O’Kane.
With Electrify Expo getting ready for its next exciting adventure we wish Birtwell continued success on his quest to create valuable experiences for show goers. As described in this blog post, the goal of the Electrify Weekender is to connect the dots between curiosity and commitment for prospective EV buyers.
