Plug-in America’s Inaugural Parade
Guest Blogger Colby Trudeau takes us behind the scenes at Plug In America's Inaugural Parade
All photos take by our Production Photographer, Todd Westphal.
What an amazing day! Last Saturday, January 17th, 2009, 77 highway capable plug-in vehicles, their drivers, and spectators came together to celebrate the upcoming inauguration.
[caption id="attachment_1479" align="alignleft" width="186" caption="Jordan Howard, member of the "Green Ambassadors" youth group."]
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After gathering in the parking lot of Santa Monica Civic Center for a press conference, the cars silently paraded out into the city streets armed with signs, American flags, and enthusiastic passengers.
[caption id="attachment_1487" align="alignright" width="266" caption="Chris Paine in his Tesla as he drove in the Plug In America Inaugural Parade."]
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It all started when we heard that Plug In America had not been accepted into the 2009 Inaugural Parade. One of our board members, Paul Scott, suggested having our own parade here on the West Coast.
We started organizing and planning - with an initial goal of 30 plug-ins for the parade. Less than three weeks later, we found ourselves driving through the streets of Santa Monica surrounded by nearly 80 plug-in vehicles, including a number of prototypes from major auto manufacturers.
Yet again, our supporters amazed us with their numbers. After confirming 74 plug-ins for the parade, not only did every single one of them show up, but also three more unexpectedly arrived.
In addition to drivers and their families, numerous EV enthusiasts from around the US and Canada came to Santa Monica for our event.
The EV movement is here and no one can stop it!
Plug In America is very excited with the Obama administration’s plans for one million plug-ins by 2015, but we would like to see it happen even faster.
Plug In America calls for one million plug-ins by 2012, the end of the new president’s first term, and 10 million by 2016.
I was absolutely astounded at how well this parade went and I can only imagine what the future holds.
This event was the first of many steps that the EV movement will take on its journey with the new presidential administration.
4 Comments
Colby, great post! Too bad I got there too late that day and missed most of the fun! I’ve been trying to contact you for a while now – we met at the Kick Gas Festival this year. I’m hoping to ‘plug in’ to Plug In America and do some volunteer work for you guys. I spoke to Jeanne Trombley but haven’t heard back from her yet. I’m local to you in San Diego, maybe I can help you and Lisa Wires out somehow? My contact info is on my blog.
Sebastian Schepis
Editor, ZoomiLife
Hi Chris:
Great meeting you at the Parade, (I was the guy taping the PIA sign to the door of your Tesla). All though my wife and I did not plan on taking pictures, we got several good ones mostly highlighting the incredible condition of the six to eight year old Rav4 EV’s. We were blown away by the mileage these cars are showing on their original battery packs, 160,000 plus on one and 100,000 on several others. We are looking forward to taking delivery of our Phoenix SUT, (it’s the only blue one on their back lot). Would love to have your crew film the delivery if you’d be interested. That may be a problem as I will most likely be balling like a baby when it happens. I’ve been fighting for this day for close to 10 years. We’re almost there! You should check them out if you haven’t already. We test drove one of their trucks in ’07 and paid for one in ’08. We were suppossed to take delivery in July of ’08. Karen and I were there December 22, 08 to get the latest from Bryon Bliss on the updated delivery date. They have hundreds of cars either in the process of getting integrated with battery packs or waiting for integration. It’s an awesome sight. Now we just need to get them and others into mass production. I won’t quit pushing to make it happen until EV’s are available in every showroom in the world. My grandkids are going to breath clean air…
ken muir
Hi. What a great event. I watched the video on the PIA YouTube channel.
I want to make one minor correction to Chris’ speech. The Lunar Rover has not been on the Moon for 40 years. It was taken there by Apollo 15 in 1971. He still makes a good point, I just wanted to make the correction before it ended up in the movie.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_rover
Great meeting you at the Parade, (I was the guy taping the PIA sign to the door of your Tesla). All though my wife and I did not plan on taking pictures, we got several good ones mostly highlighting the incredible condition of the six to eight year old Rav4 EV’s.
http://rentalcar.kaiserdealxa.com/
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