Electric Cars on Campus

A fully electric Dodge Firebird (Kyler Van Vliet)

By Kyler Van Vliet

On Wednesday, the Tucson Electric Vehicle Association (TEVA) held an electric vehicle car show to bring awareness to Earth Day and a bigger car show being held on Saturday, April 24.

The event, held in the parking lot of Pima’s Downtown Campus, had several electric vehicles on display including an electric-converted Pontiac Firebird, a Nissan Leaf, Chevy Bolt and various Tesla Models — all personal vehicles of event volunteers. 

One person at the event was TEVA’s public relations and outreach representative Jerry Asher, also known as EV Jerry. EV Jerry was kind enough to give me a hands-on demonstration of what an electric vehicle is all about and gave me a quick ride around in his 2017 Tesla Model X. 

During the ride, EV Jerry discussed the benefits of owning an EV such as the tax credits available for owners, less frequent maintenance, motors that run quieter than internal combustion engines and insane torque you can feel — not to mention the environmental benefits that come with owning an EV.  

TEVA, a chapter of the Electric Auto Association, says their personal mission is to accelerate the widespread adoption of electric vehicles through education, infrastructure support and physical demonstrations as stated on their website. The event had an abundance of brochures that talked about the vast selection of electric vehicles and hybrids available in 2021, a free link to the official Dummies Guide to Smart EV Charging and a personal guide to the world of at home charging. 

EV Jerry explained that anybody can join TEVA as long as they have a passion for electric vehicles. They do not have to be an owner of one. 

On TEVA’s website they offer meeting/event announcements and connections for anyone interested in joining.