The third annual National Plug in Day is being held this weekend. The event has grown so much in the past two years that it's being spread over two days this year, (Saturday, September 28th & Sunday, September 29th) to accommodate more people that want to attend. Perhaps we'll have to change the name to National Plug In Weekend in the future!
National Plug in Day began in 2011 and was held in only a small handful of cities. It was an opportunity for owners of plug in cars to gather to display their cars and to talk to people interested in them. This year there will be about 100 different events spread around the country and even one in the UK! We'll have tens of thousands of people in combined attendance and well over 1,000 cars on display.
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| My MINI-E on display at the 2011 Plug In Day event in New York City. |
That's not surprising as more and more people are buying cars with plugs. In 2010 there were less than 1,000 plug in cars sold in the US. Then in 2011 that number jumped up to over 17,000 and in 2012 over 50,000 plug in cars were bought or leased in the US. Through the first eight months of 2013 we have already surpassed 2012's total and are on pace to come close to 100,000 plug in vehicle sales this year. It's true that number represents a very small percentage of overall automobile purchases, but it's also very clear the plug-in car movement is gaining traction.
So if you have a plug-in car, make sure to check out the official Plug in Day website to see where the closest event is being held and bring you car for the afternoon. They'll be plenty of curious onlookers there so make sure you're ready to tell them how much you love driving electric. If you don't have a plug in car, please come also. You can check out the cars, ask actual owners any questions you have and maybe even get to take one for a drive. I'll be at the North Jersey event at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City so if you're in the area, stop by and say hello. Our event is on Sunday, 9/29 from 10:00 am till 4:00pm. I hope to see you there!
