Silence reigns at electric vehicle exhibitions

GLENDALE — In a stadium parking lot filled with vehicles, one thing was noticeably absent: the loud roar of engines.

The vast grounds had transformed into a vehicle demonstration track, dealership and car show all in one. The visitors took to the lanes instead of sitting in postgame traffic.

Families rode scooters, bikes and skateboards, professional drivers took thrill-seekers everywhere, and car enthusiasts discovered a small fleet of flashy, custom-built cars.

Aside from the screeching of tires, the vehicles made little noise. No exhaust fumes lingered in the air and exhibitionists didn’t have to worry about running out of gas in the middle of the event.

Each vehicle was electric.

The Electrify Expo will take place outside State Farm Stadium on May 4, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona.

Electrify Expo took over State Farm Stadium this past weekend, showcasing battery-powered vehicles in nearly every category in one visit.

“The level of curiosity about cars, trucks and all things electric is skyrocketing,” said BJ Birtwell, founder and CEO of Electrify Expo. “Consumers can try virtually anything. »

While many people were shopping the major brands for their next car, the expo featured exhibits built around the recreational lifestyles of Arizonians. Organizers showcased numerous modes of transportation, helping consumers find vehicles to cross the desert and cruise the golf courses.

“The environment is ideal for electric vehicles,” Birtwell said. “It’s now called Battery Valley.

Demonstrations of alternative modes of transportation attracted the most attention.

There was a line out the door for Lightship, an all-electric self-propelled camper, kids begging their parents for an electric dirt bike from Rawrr, and golfers and retirees rating the golf carts at solar energy from Phantom.

Lightship RV: road trip, trailer towing

Despite the heat, a crowd of visitors crowded into the Lightship camper on display, marveling at the trailer that looked more like a spaceship than a vehicle.

Founders Ben Parker and Toby Kraus, who previously worked at Tesla, and their team designed the camper’s aerodynamic edges, large tinted windows and shiny silver exterior, giving it a look as futuristic as the technology.

“I like the design better than a regular camper,” said Tami Altergott, electric vehicle enthusiast. “If I were to really consider investing in something, it would be because we love camping and we love the outdoors.”

Parker and Kraus recognized that trucks and campers are an integral part of the American road trip identity and wanted to create an electric camper to complement electrified trucks.

Parker said the Denver and San Francisco-based company has solved the “Achilles heel” of electric trucks and campers: limited mileage due to carrying extra weight.

“Most trailers are dead weight. The truck does all the work,” Parker said. “But in our case, the engine helps propel the trailer, so from the truck’s perspective the trailer is weightless.”

Lightship is equipped with a self-propelled engine, which makes it float on the hitch. The 26-foot-long roof is equipped with solar panels, creating nearly infinite battery life as long as the sun is out.

Instead of relying on a generator or electrical hookup, the panels power air conditioning, appliances and other utilities.

“It’s not going to be a problem in Arizona,” Parker said. “If it’s nice outside, you can run your air conditioner off-grid almost perpetually.”

Lightship estimates that motorhomes are underutilized because they can sit in a driveway 50 weeks a year when not in use. So they designed their campers to act as a home solar system when they’re stationary.

Homeowners can use Lightship as backup power in the event of an outage or to save money on their energy bills and buy less on the grid.

“Now instead of using your RV three or four weekends a year, you use it every day,” Parker said.

Motorcycle: designed for off-road travel

Nine-year-old Levi Carmichael’s birthday is over a month away, but he already knows what’s on his wish list.

After doing laps on the demo track, his smile evident even behind his crash helmet, he hopes to convince his father to buy a Mantis Mini, a small electric motorcycle from Rawrr, an electric two-wheeler brand based in Los Angeles.

Designed for young, smaller riders, the Mantis Mini is an all-terrain bike with a removable battery. Despite its small size, the bike can reach up to 53 mph, a prospect that excited Carmichael.

“It was so much fun,” he said. “Every time you hit the gas you felt like you were going to fall, but other than that it was great.”

The dirt bike quickly eclipsed his bike at home.

“It’s between a motorcycle and an electric mountain bike,” said Edward Ying, senior social media and social commerce consultant for Rawrr. “It was designed for off-roading.”

While the mini is available for pre-order, Rawrr offers larger bikes, like the Rawrr Mantis 72V.

Removable bicycle batteries make it easier to use the bicycle on outdoor adventures while protecting the environment.

“We want to go green and with gasoline, especially if you drive on dirt, there’s a lot of pollution,” Ying said. “Electricity is convenient, you don’t need to find a gas station if you want to take a long day trip. Just bring a few extra batteries.

Solar golf carts: Arizona is a good market

Whether navigating between holes on golf courses or traversing resorts and retirement communities, golf carts are an Arizona staple. But outside the Phoenix metro area, enthusiasts are trading in their wagons for all-terrain vehicles to explore the desert.

Phantom, the Californian electric vehicle brand, has created a golf cart suitable for the city and wild landscapes while adopting EV technologies.

Parked in the middle of the exhibition grounds, visitors examined the camouflage-printed exterior of the Solar 2+2, a four-seat golf cart and all-terrain vehicle, all in one vehicle. Their electric carts are lifted and equipped with tires to travel off-road and reach 23 mph to travel the roads.

They have rechargeable lithium batteries, which take eight to ten hours to charge from zero to 100 percent. Thanks to the solar panels on the roof, the battery charge can last longer during sunny days on the greens.

“With such pleasant weather year-round, Arizona is undoubtedly an important market to reach,” said Tommy Pease, sales specialist for Phantom. “There are a lot of golf cart communities here. People take golf carts to pick up their kids.

The company is working with the Department of Motor Vehicles to make them road legal across the country.

Traveling beyond electric cars

All brands at the Electrify Expo recognized the need for electrical products across the industry, not just in cars.

Phantom offers electric alternatives in several categories, like scooters, bikes, skateboards and even an electric suitcase that can follow its owners around the airport.

“I don’t think electric bikes or scooters are going anywhere,” Pease said. “The demand will become greater and greater, especially among young people. »

Many of the products on display at the exhibition could help people convert to an electrified lifestyle or accompany gasoline-powered cars to make their lives easier and reduce emissions.

Lightship can complement gas-powered trucks, which have reduced range and gas mileage compared to the added weight of a typical camper. Enthusiasts can load Rawrr dirt bikes onto their car, taking a few extra batteries instead of containers or gasoline on a road trip.

“If electrification is to become a reality, then all of America must have a line of quality, purpose-built electrical products and be ready at the prices people are accustomed to paying,” he said . “If electrification is to take off, electric vehicles must meet people where they are.”

Hayleigh Evans covers environmental issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to [email protected].