A huge shift in personal transportation has been predicted by experts for some time – and it’s here now. Driven by many factors, including the desire of many vehicle owners to reduce pollution and carbon emissions, the trend towards electric vehicles (EV’s) is here to stay. This is particularly so as electric vehicles become more economically viable, not to mention that they are fun to drive!
There’s lots to learn about Electric Vehicles and the lack of knowledge and familiarity can create hesitation among consumers to take the EV plunge. And it can be a challenge sourcing information on what vehicles are available, what to ask and look for an EV purchase. To help answer those questions, Sustainable Orillia and Bentall GreenOak have collaborated to showcase the world of electric vehicles with an Electric Vehicle Demo Weekend this coming Saturday Sept 11th and Sunday Sept 12th at the Orillia Square Mall.
A wide variety of electric vehicle makes and models will be on display in the parking lot, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. both days. Members of the public are invited to come, see and speak with EV owners who will help demystify the world of Electric Vehicles while sharing the pros and cons of electric vehicle ownership from their real-world point of view. Several of our local dealers will be on-hand with their vehicles as well. A must see for sportscar enthusiasts, is the new Ford Mach E Mustang. This fully electric Mustang is the feature car for the weekend.
Enhancing the experience, located inside the mall – there will be free, half hour presentations given by industry experts, including:
– Darryl Croft from EVNet, President of an on-line EV only used car dealership who will speak on the topic of what to look for and how to go about buying a used electric vehicle.
– Ken Bokor, a well-known host and industry expert from the popular You Tube and Podcast “EV Revolution Show”. Ken will talk about the merits of electric vehicles and industry trends.
– Jeff Butler from the international on-line journal “Plug Boats”, will be on-hand to highlight the trends and news about electric boats around the world, in particular the growing trend towards electrification of all types of watercrafts.
– And from the Waterloo region, Ian Graham, the owner of an off-the-grid recording studio, ‘Small Dog Studio’ will be speaking about his real-life experience of going “off-grid” and how to power your lifestyle with clean renewable energy. In addition to operating his recording studio, Ian also owns and operates an electric vehicle and an electric boat.
These half-hour talks will be in person with a Q&A after each session. Most topics will be scheduled several times over the weekend to ensure every opportunity to attend as COVID protocols for social distancing will be enforced and numbers will be limited for each of these presentations. Please see ‘SustainableOrillia.ca’ for details on times and location.
This EV weekend is the kick-off event for Sustainable Orillia Month and throughout the following week at the Orillia Square Mall, there will be a continuing program of sustainable related events. These include an exhibition of art created and submitted on sustainable themes, ongoing EV and Sustainable Orillia information centres and closing off with a Repair café on Saturday 18th .
Date and Times: Saturday September 11th and Sunday September 12th, 2021, between 10AM and 3PM both days.
Location: Orillia Square Mall (1029 Brodie Dr, Severn ON L3V 0V2) scheduled for.
For more information (details and schedules) – go to the Sustainable Orillia Month page on our website, at ‘sustainableorillia.ca’.
Current COVID protocols will be strictly adhered to at the time of the event and may include mandatory social distancing, wearing of masks and hand sanitizing.
