Hot Cars & Coffee July 2024

On Saturday, July 13th, 8 volunteers and 6 electric vehicles made their way to the Martin Auto Museum and Event Center in Glendale for a car show. It was great to see many classics, customs, and of course, electric vehicles! The show was a charity event, taking donated school backpacks and supplies for families needing assistance: one donated school bag = one admission into the museum.

Our display consisted of a Ford F-150 Lightning, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Nissan Ariya, Chevrolet Bolt, Tesla Model Y and Rivian R1S. During the opening announcements kicking off the event, our electric vehicle group was called out as a welcome addition. The EV’s were well received, garnering many questions from event-goers.

Youth Membership Manager, 11-year old Nathan Culin, also displayed his extensive EV Hot Wheels collection, and WOW did it get attention! The emcee of the event called Nathan up to the microphone and asked him to tell everyone about his collection. This was followed up with a question about what his group was all about, and Nathan proudly announced to everyone that we are DRIVE Electric Arizona and the Electric Vehicle Association, nonprofits that educate and advocate for the adoption of electric vehicles. Way to go, Nathan!

If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit this auto museum, it is an absolute gem. It has an enormous collection of cars, many of which are interactive and can be sat in and enjoyed from behind the (not moving) wheel. There is also an arcade, carousel and ballroom. It is fun for the whole family!

Photo credit : Zach Morris and Peter Culin