EVs in the Spotlight at the Maricopa Home and Garden Show
DRIVE Electric Arizona, in partnership with Valley of the Sun EVA and sponsored by Salt River Project (SRP), returned to the Maricopa County Home and Garden Show January 9–11 for our second annual electric vehicle showcase—and the weekend delivered strong engagement and meaningful conversations.
Our display featured an impressive and varying lineup of electric vehicles throughout the three-day event, giving attendees the opportunity to experience a wide range of EV options up close. Vehicles on display included the Cadillac Lyriq, Ford F-150 Lightning, GMC Hummer EV, Kia EV6, Lucid Gravity, Polestar 2, Polestar 4, Rivian R1S, and Tesla Model Y. In addition, neighboring vendors—unassociated with our display—also showcased a Rivian R1T and another Ford F-150 Lightning, reinforcing the growing visibility of electric vehicles across the show floor.
A defining highlight of the weekend was the energy and dedication of our volunteers. Our team remained active and engaging throughout the event, logging more than 4,000 direct conversations with show attendees. Visitors were encouraged to sit inside vehicles, ask questions of real EV owners, and learn about ownership, charging, costs, and daily driving in a relaxed, no-sales-pressure environment. These one-on-one conversations continue to be one of the most effective ways to build confidence and curiosity around driving electric.
One unexpected crowd favorite perfectly captured the spirit of the event: Shaun’s Kia EV6 powering an amplifier and a classic 8-track tape player directly from the vehicle. The setup sparked smiles, questions, and plenty of nostalgia—an unforgettable moment that bridged old-school technology with cutting-edge electric innovation, and a great reminder that EVs can power far more than just transportation.
We are deeply grateful for SRP’s continued support and sponsorship, and we extend our sincere thanks to the entire SRP team for helping make this event possible. We also thank our volunteers and vehicle owners whose time and enthusiasm helped make our second appearance at the Maricopa County Home Show a true success.
What’s Next?
We invite you to explore upcoming DRIVE Electric Arizona events on our event calendar, where you’ll find opportunities across the state to learn more about electric vehicles through hands-on, community-driven experiences.
For those ready to get behind the wheel, we extend a direct invitation to join us at our Cave Creek EV Ride & Drive on January 24th, where attendees will have the opportunity to test drive electric vehicles and speak one-on-one with EV owners about their real-world experiences. There’s no better way to understand what driving electric feels like.
We look forward to seeing you at a future event and continuing the conversation about electric transportation in Arizona.
Photos and video credit: Shaun Barnette
Shaun’s EV6 putting its charge port to work—powering an amplifier and an 8-track tape player!