This year's Electric Vehicle "Sociability Run," will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the original EV rally, about 65 miles northwest of the original site. This year, electric-vehicle enthusiasts will meet up in Charles Town, WV – and not Washington, DC – on June 7 to toast their slice of EV Nation and take to the roads. In fact, Ground Zero will be the American Public University System (APUS) Solar Parking Lot, which has 14 charging stations alone, all powered by the sun.
From there, participants can choose from one of three itineraries that will take the drivers across the Maryland border about seven miles away. One of the itineraries is especially designed for Tesla Model S owners who can recharge with the Supercharger in Hagerstown, MD. And then brag about it to the other drivers.
The tour marks the 100th Anniversary of the first Electric Sociability Run, which took place in 1914 and included 54 electric vehicle owners taking their vehicles on a 14-mile jaunt from Rock Creek Park to central Washington, DC. That trip took a leisurely 75 minutes. Last year, the 99th Anniversary version was based out of the nation's capital.
Lanny Hartmann, one of the event's organizers, said there was good reason to change the location of this year's tour. "Since modern EV's are speedier, we decided to make a run in about the same hour and 15 minutes it took them," Hartmann wrote in an e-mail to AutoblogGreen. "Also, one of the goals of the organizers of the early Sociability Runs was to prove the 'country-running ability' of electrics to both prospective buyers and even to those who already had them."
Check out the press release on the event below and link to the event page here.
From there, participants can choose from one of three itineraries that will take the drivers across the Maryland border about seven miles away. One of the itineraries is especially designed for Tesla Model S owners who can recharge with the Supercharger in Hagerstown, MD. And then brag about it to the other drivers.
The tour marks the 100th Anniversary of the first Electric Sociability Run, which took place in 1914 and included 54 electric vehicle owners taking their vehicles on a 14-mile jaunt from Rock Creek Park to central Washington, DC. That trip took a leisurely 75 minutes. Last year, the 99th Anniversary version was based out of the nation's capital.
Lanny Hartmann, one of the event's organizers, said there was good reason to change the location of this year's tour. "Since modern EV's are speedier, we decided to make a run in about the same hour and 15 minutes it took them," Hartmann wrote in an e-mail to AutoblogGreen. "Also, one of the goals of the organizers of the early Sociability Runs was to prove the 'country-running ability' of electrics to both prospective buyers and even to those who already had them."
Check out the press release on the event below and link to the event page here.
2014 WV EV Sociability Run
Electric Vehicle "Sociability Run" 100th Anniversary
Road trip to celebrate the history and future of electric cars.
On Saturday, June 7, 2014, dozens of electric vehicle owners from the Washington, DC area will take a scenic drive to Charles Town, West Virginia - home of fourteen EV charging stations shaded by large solar canopies. Participants will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first "Electric Sociability Run." It was an historic event in which 54 electric car owners set out to prove that electric vehicles were capable of being more than a "city car."
Today, EVs are not just capturing modern imagination, they are making a comeback. "Enthusiastic drivers of plug-in cars are eager to take road trips," says Lanny Hartmann, one of the centennial commemoration's co-organizers. "This will be the modern version of 1914′s original 'Electric Sociability Run,' a gathering to demonstrate the 'country-running ability' of electric cars."
"This historic occasion is happening right in our own backyard," says Mark Czajka, Director of MD Volt Inc., a Maryland non-profit with close to 200 plug-in electric drivers. "The passion of our members is 'electric,' and many of them will be participating in the Sociability Run." Czajka will be driving his Ford Fusion Energi, stopping at five or six charging stations along the way from Charles County, Maryland. "The electric vehicle charging infrastructure is now in place to make longer trips using only electricity."
Scott Wilson, another event organizer, who owns a Nissan Leaf adds, "People are discovering that electric cars can be taken on weekend or vacation trips and if more communities like Charles Town put charging stations near 'Main Street,' both the drivers and local merchants will benefit."
"EV charging stations are bringing visitors who drive plug-in vehicles into the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia," attests Sociability Run co-organizer Rick Rohn of Martinsburg, West Virginia.
This region is demonstrating how we can reach into the future with forward-thinking technologies. Its impressive solar array at the American Public University System's campus produces enough energy annually to power electric cars nearly two million miles. Plenty for a weekend road trip.
Highlights (details at pluginrally.org)
Saturday:
•10:00 AM: Arrival and welcome by local dignitaries. Presentations, awards and a DJ.
•Noon: Excursions to Shepherdstown, Harpers Ferry and Hagerstown, Maryland.
•Evening: Return to Charles Town for dinner at local restaurants.
Sunday:
•9 AM: Group breakfast at Mountain View Diner before road trip back home.
Visit pluginrally.org to learn more and to register for the West Virginia EV Sociability Run.
Twitter: @SociabilityRun
Electric Vehicle "Sociability Run" 100th Anniversary
Road trip to celebrate the history and future of electric cars.
On Saturday, June 7, 2014, dozens of electric vehicle owners from the Washington, DC area will take a scenic drive to Charles Town, West Virginia - home of fourteen EV charging stations shaded by large solar canopies. Participants will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first "Electric Sociability Run." It was an historic event in which 54 electric car owners set out to prove that electric vehicles were capable of being more than a "city car."
Today, EVs are not just capturing modern imagination, they are making a comeback. "Enthusiastic drivers of plug-in cars are eager to take road trips," says Lanny Hartmann, one of the centennial commemoration's co-organizers. "This will be the modern version of 1914′s original 'Electric Sociability Run,' a gathering to demonstrate the 'country-running ability' of electric cars."
"This historic occasion is happening right in our own backyard," says Mark Czajka, Director of MD Volt Inc., a Maryland non-profit with close to 200 plug-in electric drivers. "The passion of our members is 'electric,' and many of them will be participating in the Sociability Run." Czajka will be driving his Ford Fusion Energi, stopping at five or six charging stations along the way from Charles County, Maryland. "The electric vehicle charging infrastructure is now in place to make longer trips using only electricity."
Scott Wilson, another event organizer, who owns a Nissan Leaf adds, "People are discovering that electric cars can be taken on weekend or vacation trips and if more communities like Charles Town put charging stations near 'Main Street,' both the drivers and local merchants will benefit."
"EV charging stations are bringing visitors who drive plug-in vehicles into the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia," attests Sociability Run co-organizer Rick Rohn of Martinsburg, West Virginia.
This region is demonstrating how we can reach into the future with forward-thinking technologies. Its impressive solar array at the American Public University System's campus produces enough energy annually to power electric cars nearly two million miles. Plenty for a weekend road trip.
Highlights (details at pluginrally.org)
Saturday:
•10:00 AM: Arrival and welcome by local dignitaries. Presentations, awards and a DJ.
•Noon: Excursions to Shepherdstown, Harpers Ferry and Hagerstown, Maryland.
•Evening: Return to Charles Town for dinner at local restaurants.
Sunday:
•9 AM: Group breakfast at Mountain View Diner before road trip back home.
Visit pluginrally.org to learn more and to register for the West Virginia EV Sociability Run.
Twitter: @SociabilityRun
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