BJ Birtwell based the Electrify Expo in 2019. Nonetheless, he needed to wait to host the primary occasion till 2021 because of coronavirus-induced lockdowns. He already had a background in organizing and producing giant reside occasions, together with live shows and reside model activations. A whole lot of the occasions he ran have been within the motorsports and powersports trade.

He grew up modifying and customizing automobiles and spending a ton of cash making automobiles look cool and tuning them to go sooner. As an auto fanatic and a “petrolhead,” he used to assume that electrical automobiles didn’t have a soul. He says he felt like, “If I can’t hear the rumble of a V8 or the sound from an inline 4 Turbo, you’ll be able to neglect about it, you’re by no means getting me behind the wheel of that automobile.”

Then one thing attention-grabbing occurred in 2016 when he bought behind the wheel of a Tesla Mannequin S for the primary time. That’s when he had a lightbulb second and realized, wow, electrical is the longer term. It dawned on him that he actually wanted to drive one to understand simply how superior electrical automobiles have been and this hands-on expertise is what he wanted to actually get it. That’s when he realized that for extra automobile fanatic petrolheads like him to get it, in addition to individuals generally, a first-hand expertise with electrical automobiles can actually be among the best methods to boost consciousness about electrical automobiles and get extra individuals into the fantastic world of electrical mobility. Armed together with his lengthy historical past and expertise in organizing and producing large reside occasions and exhibits, he determined to make one targeted on electrical mobility. That was the start of Electrify Expo.

BJ needed Electrify Expo to be totally different from numerous the auto exhibits the place individuals are taking a look at automobiles behind a velvet rope, and very often these occasions are typically very constrained occasions in conference facilities. More often than not, if they’ve product demo experiences, they’re transient and held within the basement of a conference corridor, for instance, or fast drives via begin and cease site visitors within the downtown space close to the conference middle. This, to him, didn’t supply one of the best expertise. He then determined to make an electrical car present that’s extra alongside the traces of a competition atmosphere and completely out of doors. This may be bundled in with music, meals, tradition with a correct competition vibe. Individuals attending the competition would get a great likelihood to actually take a look at drive as many automobiles as attainable across the competition grounds in addition to within the close by suburban areas, with a number of roads closed for actual thrilling driving experiences in among the zones.

In 2021, the primary three occasions of Electrify Expo have been held in Orange County, Miami, and Austin. Then in 2022 they grew to 5 occasions, including Seattle and New York. This 12 months, they’ve grown once more to seven occasions, including Washington, DC, which was held final month on 22 and 23 of July in Lengthy Seashore and San Francisco, California. Orange County was not on the roster this 12 months.

The following occasion is being held in Lengthy Island, New York, on the Nassau Coliseum on August 12–13. Electrify Expo has managed to get a lot of the auto producers within the EV trade to return and exhibit and provides demo drive classes with a variety of autos, which is fairly spectacular in simply the third 12 months for the reason that Expo began.

BJ Birtwell says numerous automakers are seeing that they get numerous throughput and numerous demo rides at these Electrify Expo occasions. They’re all the time maxing out on their demos and have been incrementally including extra automobiles to the demo rides part of the Expo. The OEMs are seeing this as an occasion to actually get behind and help. It’s this help from the auto producers that has actually assist propel the Expo to change into the biggest electrical car showcase occasion in North America.

It isn’t simply automobiles and SUVs and vans. There may be additionally a motorcycle monitor. The present promotes micromobility, showcasing electrical bicycles, scooters, and skateboards. Electrical bikes additionally function prominently. After all, given his background, there’s a giant exhibition part referred to as Electrify Showoff, “The Epicentre of EV Customization.” It’s targeted on EV personalization and is the breeding floor for personalization traits. Showoff options the world’s most radically custom-made EVs and evokes Electrify Expo attendees with concepts of how they’ll customise their very own rides. It’s sort of like an Xzibit-style “Pimp my experience” exhibition however for EVs. Since inception, Electrify Expo has managed to double participation from automakers. The automakers are bringing in additional automobiles and have expanded the footprint of their exhibitions and stands and show. He says many automakers are actually treating Electrify Expo as an anchor occasion of their calendars.

The Washington, DC, version of Electrify Expo lined one million sq. ft, and the automakers actually got here via with numerous autos and reveals to convey the competition to life. BJ says the aim of the Expo is actually simply to advertise EV adoption by elevating consciousness. He says numerous the individuals are actually popping out to the Expo to attempt stuff earlier than they purchase stuff. These are people who find themselves most likely halfway via the acquisition funnel, and by the point they depart after attempting out all of the EVs, they are going to have a good suggestion of which of them they wish to purchase. He added that attendances on the Expo continue to grow and numbers have gone as much as 40,000 guests per occasion. Most people attending the Expo say they’ve by no means been in an electrical automobile earlier than, and the Expo expertise is definitely the primary time most of them get behind the wheel of an electrical automobile, truck, or bike. BJ says about 90% of the individuals say that they’re first-timers by way of experiencing an EV.

I actually like these sorts of occasions, as they’re certainly one of he greatest methods to boost consciousness and promote adoption.

Photos courtesy of Electrify Expo

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