Electrify Expo – North America’s largest electric vehicle (EV) festival – is set to make its triumphant return to New York after debuting there last year, with the event once again slated to take place at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale this August 12th and 13th, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.
Tickets are $20 each – with kids five and under getting in free – and LongIsland.com readers can receive a 25 percent discount when they use the code EELOCAL25 at checkout. And with admission, attendees will have the opportunity to try out the latest in environmentally-sustainable, cutting-edge automotive technology and electrically-powered personal transport, with all of the top manufacturers in the field on-hand to show off their high-tech wares.
BJ Birtwell, founder and owner of Electrify Expo, noted that last year's New York debut was a huge success for the event. This year, it’s going to be even bigger and better, he said, with a number of firsts that are sure to entice even more people to come and experience the wonders of electrically-powered conveyances first-hand.
Birtwell is quick to point out that Electrify Expo is not your typical auto show; in reality, it's a family-friendly outdoor festival featuring music, food, and a number of amazing experiences that makes for a fun day for friends and loved ones to gather and experience a number of amazing technological wonders for themselves.
“Our goal here is to drive EV adoption, and when I say ‘EV’ I mean all things EV, so not just cars and trucks, but scooters, bikes, skateboards, boats, you name it. And the best way to drive adoption is to experience it,” he said. “There's a lot of people out there that either have misconceptions about EVs or they’re relying on information that’s several years old. Technology has changed so much over the past few years and electric cars now have more range and charge faster, and when people go to Electrify Expo, they have a ‘light bulb’ moment. They then realize they want to go electric as well.”
Electrify Expo functions as an annual tour, visiting multiple cities throughout the United States each year in an attempt to help spread the word on the advancements of electric vehicle technology to the masses. New York represents the tour’s midway point; it initially began earlier this year in Los Angeles before heading to San Francisco, Washington D.C. and then New York, followed by Seattle, Miami, and Austin.
One of the major new additions to this year's Electrify Expo is a rarity when it comes to events of this type: the notable participation of South African tech tycoon Elon Musk's Tesla, a company that typically shies away from publicity efforts of this type.
“Tesla doesn't do any marketing or advertising...I think we're one of the only event properties that they're participating in this year, and they're going to be with us at all seven stops, including New York,” Birtwell said. “At the Nassau Coliseum show they're going to be showing off all of their models and doing demos, so anyone who has not had a chance to be in a Tesla or test drive one will certainly have that opportunity. In addition, there will be Tesla representatives there to answer any questions that any of our attendees may have.”
And for those wishing to experience the true power and torque that an electric vehicle can put out, Birtwell noted that Tesla's infamous Plaid model will be at this year's Electrify Expo for guests to get up-close and personal with.
“The Plaid is Tesla's 0-to-60 in 1.9 seconds car, which is just super-fast. It's the fastest electric car on the road,” he said. “Not only will a Plaid be there for people to look at, but people can test drive it as well. It'll be a really cool experience for people to feel the thrill of going electric in something like a Tesla Plaid.”
Birtwell also said that there will be some never-before seen vehicles at this year's Electrify Expo in New York, including the new Volvo EX30 SUV, which will be making its North American reveal. In addition, Volvo will also be showing off their brand-new third-row SUV, the EX90, which will be making its New York debut at the event.
Other notable exhibitors will include Volkswagen – which will be displaying its new electrified ID.Buzz 7-seater electric microbus – as well as Ford, which will be showcasing their EV Ford Lightning pickup truck, in addition to many, many other companies.
One aspect of Electrify Expo that was not present at the New York event in 2022 – but has been added this year – is something known as the “Thrill Zone,” Birtwell noted, which will include numerous fascinating demos for attendees to participate in, including one that's especially guaranteed to set your hair on end.
“What's happening in the Thrill Zone is that Ford is bringing their 1,400 horsepower all-electric Mustang Mach-E 1400 Prototype, which is basically a race car," he said "They're going to put one of their race car drivers in it, Collette Davis, and we're going to put people in the shotgun seat with her and they get to go take a thrill ride around our footprint. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience...tires are smoking, she's drifting, doing donuts...it's a really fun activation that we offer in the Thrill Zone.”
Other new activities at this year's Electrify Expo include a high-speed bike zone demo course – which allows people to try out electric-powered bicycles that go faster than traditional e-bikes – in addition to popular holdovers from 2022, such as demos of regular e-bikes, skateboards, and scooters.
Birtwell said that attendance at last year's New York debut of Electrify Expo at the Nassau Coliseum was an unbridled success, and this extraordinarily positive response encouraged him to expand the scope of its upcoming 2023 sequel, with an even bigger turnout for the exciting, family-friendly event expected this year.
“I think that's the most rewarding thing...whether you're a skeptic of EVs or you're an enthusiast, Electrify Expo has something for you to learn and get educated about,” he said. “Overall, you're going to have a really thrilling experience here, whether you're a kid or an adult. There's something here for everybody.”
To find out more about the Electrify Expo, please visit their website at https://www.electrifyexpo.com/ny.