Santa Rosa, Sonoma County Spring Home & Garden Show to Host Free Electric Vehicle Test-Drive Event

OAKLAND, Calif., March 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Visitors to the Sonoma County Spring Home and Garden Show on Saturday, March 19 and Sunday, March 20 will be able to test drive some of the newest models of electric cars at the Sonoma County Event Center at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. The "Experience Electric – The Better Ride" campaign will offer free electric vehicle (EV) test drives both days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The ride-and-drive event will feature the BMW i3, Chevrolet Volt, Chevrolet Spark, Ford Fusion Energi, Ford Focus Electric and Nissan Leaf. Licensed drivers can try out these EVs on a first-come, first-served basis and feel the differences between driving with electricity versus driving a gasoline-powered car. Those taking test drives will receive Experience Electric souvenir sunglasses. The Event Center is located at 1350 Bennett Valley Road in Santa Rosa.

"Test-driving at a dealer's showroom can be a bit intimidating, but there's no pressure or sales hype at our events," said Vanessa Minei, Marketing Manager with the Center for Sustainable Energy. "We've all seen EVs on the road, but this is a chance to try one out, have some fun and feel the electric experience."

The Experience Electric campaign is a joint initiative of MTC, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and a consortium of EV organizations including the Center for Sustainable Energy, Plug In America and Charge Across Town. The campaign's goal is to increase EV adoption throughout the nine-county Bay Area. Accelerating EV use is a key strategy for state and local governments to reduce emissions from gas-powered vehicles, improve air quality and achieve goals for curbing greenhouse gas emissions.

To learn more about Experience Electric and future ride-and-drive events, visit www.facebook.com/thebetterride or www.energycenter.org/ExperienceElectric.

MTC is the transportation planning, coordinating and financing agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is the agency chartered with protecting air quality in the Bay Area.

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SOURCE Metropolitan Transportation Commission

Related Links

http://www.mtc.ca.gov