Local Roots to host third Drive Electric Earth Day
Local Roots Market and Café in downtown Wooster will host its third annual Drive Electric Earth Day event on Saturday, April 16, the largest public electric vehicle event in Ohio.
Drive Electric Earth Day — a spin-off of National Drive Electric Week, which occurs in the fall — is a national campaign to promote and share information about electric personal vehicles during the month of April. In conjunction with the national initiative, local residents have created an annual event in Wooster to display, celebrate and learn about these vehicles.
On April 16 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Local Roots Market and Cafe in downtown Wooster will play host to an electric vehicle drive-in. A variety of EVs will be on display for the public to view, ask questions about and sit in. Some vehicles may be available for a drive, and vehicle owners will be present to answer questions.
“I’ve driven an electric vehicle since 2014,” said event captain Ryan Leeper, who was so impressed with the experience he wanted to share it with everyone.
This will be the third such event in Wooster and the second to be hosted by Local Roots. The first was held in 2019, with 2020 canceled due to the pandemic.
“This event has become a staple at Local Roots. Each year we are seeing more and more people showing up, newly interested in EV technology,” Local Roots executive director Adam Schwieterman said. “This event is particularly great for that because it encourages people to not only see the cars, but to hear testimonials from EV owners, learn the pros and cons of different models, and even go as far as to test drive the cars. Add in all the other vendors and it becomes a really fun afternoon out for everyone who attends.”
The drive-in provides an opportunity to learn about electric cars and encourages the transition to electric transportation. “The event will show the multiple different benefits of electrification,” Leeper said.
There will be a variety of vendors, nonprofits and kid-friendly activities at the free event.
Citizen’s Climate Lobby will be one of the organizations participating. Members of the Wooster chapter will be on hand with information and an interactive activity. The nonpartisan, grassroots nonprofit works to build bipartisan support for a solution to climate change.
The event will have eight local vendor booths including Friends of Secrest Arboretum, which will hand out free tree saplings, and local business The Curry Pot, which will offer traditional food from its home region of Kerala, India, on sale for lunch. Along with Local Roots, Ride On, Schaeffler and Friends of Secrest, other event Green Sponsors include Citizens Climate Lobby, Solar United Neighbors, Sustainable Energy Network Wayne County, Roberts Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, First Geothermal Energy, The Wilderness Center and Skycharge Energy.
What about someone who says they can’t afford an EV? Leeper said just like gas cars, electric vehicles come in all shapes and sizes to accommodate a variety of needs.
“The total cost of ownership of an EV is less than a comparable gas car after five years,” he said.
According to Leeper, EVs are currently able to travel cross-country, and within the next few years, EV charging stations will come close to outnumbering gas stations.
“I always tell people to think of comparing cars to tools,” Leeper said. “You wouldn’t use a sledgehammer to drive in finishing nails; you wouldn’t use a sedan to haul 4 tons of mulch — the right tool for the job. EVs just make more sense economically.”
Leeper pointed to current gas prices as another motivator for switching to electric. “With the efficiency of EVs, it would be like paying 70 cents per gallon for gas,” he said.
Leeper currently gets 133 miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent.
The Drive Electric Earth Day Drive-in will show multiple benefits of electrical vehicles including smoother operation, more fuel-efficient and convenient, reduced maintenance, and less pollution.
Currently, Wooster has six charging stations for electric cars including a high-speed charger. Vehicles registered to attend include Teslas, BMWs, Chryslers, Chevrolets, Audi, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Jaguar, with the list likely to grow beyond this prior to the event.
The event will take place at the Local Roots parking lot, 140 S. Walnut St., and Ride On parking lot, 146 W. South St. The event is free and open to all while Local Roots Market & Café will be open for its regular hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information on the benefits of driving an electric car or to register to attend, participate or volunteer, go to the Drive Electric Earth Day website at www.driveelectricearthday.org. For more information email Adam Schwieterman at adam@localrootswooster.com, Sarah Stoner at sarah@localrootswooster.com or Ryan Leeper at leeperpharmd@gmail.com.
“I’ve already talked my parents into buying an EV — only took eight years,” Leeper said. “If they can jump in, anyone can. Electric vehicles are coming, much faster than most think. EV ownership has been doubling every 18 months for the past decade. The United States just hit 2% of the population with an EV. Now is the time to get educated about EVs.”