Let's be honest, with more and more electric vehicles out in the world, it's getting easier to bring more and more of them together in one spot. Still, the work that goes into convincing over 500 EV owners to show up at one place at one time should be rewarded. And, in the case of the San Francisco Bay Leafs and Electric Auto Association Silicon Valley Chapter efforts yesterday as part of this year's National Drive Electric Week celebrations in in Cupertino, CA, the reward is a new Guinness World Record for the most electric vehicles in a parade. The number? 507 pure EVs gathered (sorry, plug-in hybrids).
Recent similar records were set with now-small-looking events that had 305 cars or 431 EVs. The most recent target that the groups were trying to beat was a record originally set at the WAVE rally in Stuttgart, Germany earlier this year, where organizers also claimed to have 507 EVs. Plug In America (PIA) now says that the Stuttgart number was actually 481, giving California a 26-vehicle lead.
The most unusual EV at the event was Stella, the solar-powered EV that is touring the world. PIA says that this four-person EV "can produce twice as much energy as it needs in a day," so it should feel right at home in the Golden State.
*UPDATE: A previous version of this article said that the parade was organized directly by PIA. We have corrected the error. We've also added a video from Nissan about the parade below.
Recent similar records were set with now-small-looking events that had 305 cars or 431 EVs. The most recent target that the groups were trying to beat was a record originally set at the WAVE rally in Stuttgart, Germany earlier this year, where organizers also claimed to have 507 EVs. Plug In America (PIA) now says that the Stuttgart number was actually 481, giving California a 26-vehicle lead.
The most unusual EV at the event was Stella, the solar-powered EV that is touring the world. PIA says that this four-person EV "can produce twice as much energy as it needs in a day," so it should feel right at home in the Golden State.
*UPDATE: A previous version of this article said that the parade was organized directly by PIA. We have corrected the error. We've also added a video from Nissan about the parade below.
NEW GUINNESS WORLD RECORD FOR NUMBER OF EVS IN A PARADE SET TODAY DURING NATIONAL DRIVE ELECTRIC WEEK IN CUPERTINO
World Record set with 507 EVs, beating previous record by 26
CUPERTINO, Calif., Sept. 20, 2014-Philip Robertson, a judge with GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS®, today pronounced a new world record for most electric vehicles in a parade: 507. The record-breaking EV procession took place at the National Drive Electric Week event in Cupertino, Calif. Every vehicle was zero-emission, all-electric. No hybrid-electrics were allowed.
399 Panoramic view taken by Bruce Southwick.
Stuttgart, Germany held the previous world record for a 481-EV parade in May 2014.
"Congratulations on helping to drive the future of automotive technology," Robertson said upon presenting the Guinness certificate to a cheering crowd of thousands. "This is a change moment."
Parade EVs included the Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model S and Roadster, Fiat 500e, Ford Focus Electric, Smart ForTwo Electric Drive, Zero Motorcycles, Lightening Motorcycles, BMW i3, Mitsubishi iMieV, Toyota RAV4EV (legacy and newer) and the Kia Soul EV. Historic EVs included the AC Propulsion tzero. Stella, a multi-passenger vehicle powered by onboard solar that can produce twice as much energy as it needs in a day, was among the parade's lead EVs, along with a Tesla Model S driven by executives from SAP, a main parade sponsor. Stella launched National Drive Electric Week in Venice, Calif. on Monday (915).
National Drive Electric Week, Sept. 15-21, features 152 events in more than 130 cities and 35 states. Events in cities in Italy, Canada and The Netherlands are part of that count. National Drive Electric Week was founded by Plug In America, which organizes the event nationally with the Sierra Club and the Electric Auto Association, in collaboration with groups across the U.S. and beyond.
The Cupertino event, held at De Anza College, was organized by San Francisco BayLEAFs and the Silicon Valley chapter of the Electric Auto Association.
About Plug In America: Plug In America, a San Francisco-based national nonprofit organization, works to accelerate the shift to plug-in vehicles powered by clean, affordable, domestic electricity to reduce our nation's dependence on petroleum and improve the global environment. The organization conceived National Drive Electric Week (formerly National Plug In Day) and has advanced workplace charging by pioneering regular ride-and-drive events at such leading corporations as Google, Mattel and Paramount Pictures. It developed the world's largest, most dedicated network of plug-in vehicle owners and drivers, many of whom have driven EVs for well over a decade. We drive electric. You can, too. www.pluginamerica.org.
About the Sierra Club: The Sierra Club is the nation's oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization with more than 2.4 million members and supporters and chapters in all 50 states. The Sierra Club's national electric vehicles initiative advocates for a switch to EVs as one important way to reduce emissions and cut our addiction to oil. www.sierraclub.org/EVGuide.
About the Electric Auto Association: The Electric Auto Association, formed in 1967, is a nonprofit educational organization with 75 chapters worldwide that promotes the advancement and widespread adoption of electric vehicles. www.electricauto.org.
World Record set with 507 EVs, beating previous record by 26
CUPERTINO, Calif., Sept. 20, 2014-Philip Robertson, a judge with GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS®, today pronounced a new world record for most electric vehicles in a parade: 507. The record-breaking EV procession took place at the National Drive Electric Week event in Cupertino, Calif. Every vehicle was zero-emission, all-electric. No hybrid-electrics were allowed.
399 Panoramic view taken by Bruce Southwick.
Stuttgart, Germany held the previous world record for a 481-EV parade in May 2014.
"Congratulations on helping to drive the future of automotive technology," Robertson said upon presenting the Guinness certificate to a cheering crowd of thousands. "This is a change moment."
Parade EVs included the Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model S and Roadster, Fiat 500e, Ford Focus Electric, Smart ForTwo Electric Drive, Zero Motorcycles, Lightening Motorcycles, BMW i3, Mitsubishi iMieV, Toyota RAV4EV (legacy and newer) and the Kia Soul EV. Historic EVs included the AC Propulsion tzero. Stella, a multi-passenger vehicle powered by onboard solar that can produce twice as much energy as it needs in a day, was among the parade's lead EVs, along with a Tesla Model S driven by executives from SAP, a main parade sponsor. Stella launched National Drive Electric Week in Venice, Calif. on Monday (915).
National Drive Electric Week, Sept. 15-21, features 152 events in more than 130 cities and 35 states. Events in cities in Italy, Canada and The Netherlands are part of that count. National Drive Electric Week was founded by Plug In America, which organizes the event nationally with the Sierra Club and the Electric Auto Association, in collaboration with groups across the U.S. and beyond.
The Cupertino event, held at De Anza College, was organized by San Francisco BayLEAFs and the Silicon Valley chapter of the Electric Auto Association.
About Plug In America: Plug In America, a San Francisco-based national nonprofit organization, works to accelerate the shift to plug-in vehicles powered by clean, affordable, domestic electricity to reduce our nation's dependence on petroleum and improve the global environment. The organization conceived National Drive Electric Week (formerly National Plug In Day) and has advanced workplace charging by pioneering regular ride-and-drive events at such leading corporations as Google, Mattel and Paramount Pictures. It developed the world's largest, most dedicated network of plug-in vehicle owners and drivers, many of whom have driven EVs for well over a decade. We drive electric. You can, too. www.pluginamerica.org.
About the Sierra Club: The Sierra Club is the nation's oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization with more than 2.4 million members and supporters and chapters in all 50 states. The Sierra Club's national electric vehicles initiative advocates for a switch to EVs as one important way to reduce emissions and cut our addiction to oil. www.sierraclub.org/EVGuide.
About the Electric Auto Association: The Electric Auto Association, formed in 1967, is a nonprofit educational organization with 75 chapters worldwide that promotes the advancement and widespread adoption of electric vehicles. www.electricauto.org.
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