Historic Route 66 Centennial EV Showcase at Hualapai Nation
Peach Springs, Arizona — Historic Route 66 was alive with both nostalgia and innovation as DRIVE Electric Arizona’s Native Nations chapter hosted a Drive Electric Earth Month EV Showcase in Peach Springs, the cultural headquarters of the Hualapai Nation.
Held during the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona’s 37th Annual Fun Run, the event brought together classic car enthusiasts, EV owners, tribal leaders, and Route 66 travelers for a unique celebration of transportation past, present, and future.
Peach Springs sits along one of the most iconic stretches of Historic Route 66 in Northern Arizona and serves as the cultural headquarters of the Hualapai Nation, a one-million-acre American Indian Nation with deep ties to the land, the Grand Canyon region, and Route 66 history. Thanks to the generous hospitality of the Hualapai Nation, we were provided a display area in the center of all the action on Route 66, where we displayed as many as 17 EVs giving Fun Run participants and community members a chance to see, touch, and ask questions about today’s growing selection of electric cars and trucks.
EV owners traveled from across Arizona, as well as from Pacifica and Sacramento, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada, to share their vehicles and real-world driving experiences. The lineup included a wide range of electric vehicles, demonstrating that EVs are no longer a niche technology but a practical and exciting option for road trips, rural corridors, daily commuting, and community transportation needs.
DRIVE Electric Arizona was also pleased to welcome Jonathan Overly of Drive Electric USA and Tennessee Clean Fuels, who joined the event and helped support the broader mission of expanding EV education across communities and regions.
One of the highlights of the day was a conversation with Duane Clarke, Chairman of the Hualapai Tribal Council, about the tribe’s plans for EV infrastructure and future collaboration. The Hualapai Tribe is preparing to install both Level 2 and DC fast charging stations this year, an important step that will help support residents, visitors, tourism, and EV travel along Historic Route 66.
During the conversation, DRIVE Electric Arizona offered to return once the chargers are installed to host a full Ride & Drive event for the Hualapai community. The response was enthusiastic, opening the door for a future partnership focused on hands-on EV education, charging awareness, and community access to clean transportation options.
The Peach Springs EV Showcase was sponsored by DRIVE Electric Native Nations, DRIVE Electric Route 66 Kingman, DRIVE Electric Arizona, and the Hualapai Nation. Together, these partners helped create a meaningful event that connected Route 66 heritage with the next generation of transportation.
As Arizona prepares for the Route 66 Centennial on November 11, 2026, events like this show how electric vehicles can become part of the Route 66 story—not by replacing its history, but by adding a new chapter. From classic cars to clean electric trucks and SUVs, Peach Springs offered a powerful reminder that the road ahead can honor the past while driving toward a cleaner, more affordable, and more resilient future.