| Powering Arizona’s EV Future Through Community, Education, Advocacy & EVents |
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| | FEBRUARY 2026 NEWSLETTER VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 2 |
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Why a DRIVE Electric Arizona EV Ride & Drive Is Your Best First Test Drive |
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If you’re curious about electric vehicles—or seriously considering your first EV—where you test drive matters almost as much as what you drive. While dealerships and showrooms play an important role, thousands of Arizonans have discovered that a DRIVE Electric Arizona Ride & Drive offers a uniquely valuable, low-pressure way to explore EVs before stepping onto a sales lot. Over the last two years, DRIVE Electric Arizona has provided opportunities to learn about and test drive EVs through more than 20 Ride & Drives in communities throughout the state. Upcoming Ride & Drive events include the EV Ride & Drive @ Skyfire Environmental Film Festival in Mesa on March 28 and the Earth Day EV Ride & Drive in Scottsdale on April 25. (Mark your calendars!) Here’s why starting with a DRIVE Electric Arizona Ride & Drive can make all the difference: |
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| No Sales Pressure - Just Real Answers
At a Ride & Drive, there are no sales quotas, no commissions, and no closing tactics. You’re free to ask honest questions and take your time. The focus is education, not persuasion—so you can explore EVs at your own pace and leave with clarity, not confusion.
Learn from Real EV Owners
Instead of only hearing a sales pitch, you’ll talk with actual EV owners—people who charge at home, road-trip across Arizona, the US, and Canada, and live with these vehicles every day. They’ll share the good, the great, and the practical realities: charging routines, costs, maintenance, and what they wish they’d known before buying. |
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Compare Multiple EVs Side-by-Side
Dealerships typically showcase one brand at a time. Ride & Drives bring many makes and models together in one place, allowing you to compare size, performance, interiors, and features back-to-back—often in the same afternoon. It’s the fastest way to figure out what truly fits your lifestyle.
Read more about charging, education, Arizona-specific insights, and EV community… |
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| Check out our website’s EVENT CALENDAR and RSVP to get involved - attend, volunteer!
March 7, 2026 | Prescott Regional SciTech Fest/March Rally, Prescott
March 21, 2026 | Cars of Encanterra, San Tan Valley
March 28, 2026 | EV Ride & Drive @ Skyfire Environmental Film Festival, Mesa
April 7, 2026 | Earth Day @ Estrella Mountain Community College, Avondale
April 25, 2026 | Earth Day EV Ride & Drive, Scottsdale
May 1-3, 2026 | 100th Anniversary Route 66 Fun Run, Kingman |
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VOLUNTEER PROFILE: Amanda Toughill |
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| If you’ve ever seen someone light up while talking about EVs, that might be Amanda Toughill. One of our dedicated volunteers, Amanda truly enjoys interacting with others, especially when it comes to sharing her experience and knowledge about EVs.
Amanda, who works in the FinTech industry and is an avid Lego builder, lives in Waddell, Arizona. While she’s called Arizona home for more than 20 years, her story spans a few places along the way: Birmingham, Chattanooga, and St. Louis. That mix shows up in how she connects with people—warm, direct, and easy to talk to.
Amanda and her husband Scott—both EV owners—first found DRIVE Electric Arizona and the Valley of the Sun Electric Vehicle Association the way a lot of great things happen: they wanted to make new friends, searched for an EV community, spotted the group on MeetUp, and decided to show up. That first step turned into a regular commitment to helping other Arizonans feel comfortable exploring EVs in a friendly, no-pressure setting. |
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Amanda is a hands-on volunteer who helps with event setup and logistics for our Ride & Drives, showcases her EV, and spends time with attendees. She loves community outreach and genuinely enjoys every event. She says each one gets better than the last.
“The more people understand EVs, the less intimidating they seem, and the more likely people are to embrace this new technology,” shares Amanda about why volunteering is important to her. “I also volunteer because educating the public about EVs helps improve both EV production and infrastructure.” |
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Amanda Toughill and her BMW i4 - EV driving is like “driving a video game. You are always trying to get better regen.” |
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| Today, Amanda drives a BMW i4, a car that matches her style: innovative, quick, and high-performing. But her EV journey started with something much more relatable—she bought her first electric car, a Nissan LEAF, for one reason nearly everyone understands immediately: she wanted to stop paying for gas. The savings were real, and the switch stuck.
“Most people are shocked at how little our electric bill increased when we added two EVs to our house,” she says. In addition to being more economical, Amanda believes that EVs are easier and more practical than most people think. “Charging is simple, maintenance is minimal, and they offer a smooth, quiet, and fun driving experience.”
Read more about Amanda and her love of sharing EVs with others… |
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What Does It Really Cost to Drive Electric in Arizona? |
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At our community events and EV Ride & Drive days, one topic comes up again and again: cost. People are curious, skeptical, and often surprised by what it actually costs to own and drive an electric vehicle in Arizona. The short answer is simple: if you charge at home, an EV is dramatically cheaper to “fuel” than a gasoline car—and the savings show up every month. Before diving in, one important clarification: the comparisons below focus only on fuel or energy costs—what you pay for gasoline versus electricity to drive the same distance. They don’t include vehicle purchase price, financing, registration, insurance, or maintenance (we’ll touch on those later).
Gasoline: Familiar, But Expensive and Unpredictable |
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| | A commonly used benchmark for an “average” gasoline passenger car is about 24.4 miles per gallon (U.S. Department of Energy fuel‑economy data, https://afdc.energy.gov/data/10310).
Gas prices, however, are anything but stable. As of February 25, 2026, AAA lists Arizona’s statewide average price for regular gasoline at about $3.27 per gallon.
At roughly 24.4 mpg, that works out to about $13 in fuel cost per 100 miles driven. And when gas prices rise—as they often do—that number climbs quickly.
The bigger issue is volatility. Gasoline prices are tied to global oil markets, refinery outages, and seasonal demand. Drivers have very little control over what they’ll pay from one week to the next. |
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| Electric Vehicles: Home Charging Changes the Math
Most EV owners do the majority of their charging at home, where electricity is both cheaper and far more predictable than gasoline.
In Arizona, utilities such as APS, SRP, and TEP offer time‑of‑use (TOU) plans that make electricity least expensive during specific hours—often overnight. Under these plans, off‑peak (or super off‑peak) electricity commonly falls in the 5–8¢ per kWh range, depending on the plan, season, and time of day.
This is where EV costs can look complicated on paper—but powerful in real life. When you charge matters. Most EVs allow you to schedule charging so it happens automatically during the cheapest hours. You don’t need perfect optimization—just a routine that reliably meets your daily driving needs while hitting low‑cost hours most of the time. |
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| | | DRIVE ELECTRIC ARIZONA CHAPTER UPDATES |
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| EV Engagement at the Asian Festival |
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| DRIVE Electric Arizona and Valley of the Sun Electric Vehicle Association were proud to participate in the Asian Festival at Mesa Community College on Sunday, February 1, 2026 — marking our very first time engaging with this vibrant and diverse community celebration.
Under the solar canopies in the south parking lot, our EV information booth and eight-vehicle display created a welcoming space for meaningful conversations about electric transportation. Throughout the day, our volunteer team engaged with more than 800 attendees — answering questions, sharing real-world ownership experiences, and helping demystify what it truly means to drive electric in Arizona. |
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| From first-time EV explorers to families curious about charging, road trips, incentives, and long-term ownership, the conversations were thoughtful, energetic, and inspiring. Events like this remind us that education happens best person-to-person — through authentic stories, honest answers, and the opportunity to see and experience the vehicles up close. We are incredibly grateful to Salt River Project (SRP) for sponsoring our participation and generously allowing us to utilize their booth space for the Sunday time slot. Their partnership continues to make community-based EV education possible across the region. Finish the article here… |
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| Photo credit: Peter Culin |
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| | DRIVE Electric Arizona Engages Thousands at the Fountain Festival of Arts & Crafts |
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Photo credit: Peter Culin, Rachel Culin |
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| That number is staggering.
For a display powered entirely by volunteers and featuring only three vehicles per day, the depth and volume of engagement speaks volumes about both public interest in EVs and the dedication of our team. Conversations ranged from basic EV 101 questions to detailed discussions about charging infrastructure, battery longevity, cost savings, road trips, incentives, and real-world ownership experiences here in Arizona.
This is what grassroots EV education looks like. None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support of Salt River Project (SRP), whose partnership allows us to bring accurate, trusted information directly to the community. Their commitment to electrification and customer education aligns perfectly with our mission to accelerate EV adoption statewide. |
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| | | Chandler Innovation Fair Showcases a Full Spectrum of EVs |
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| DRIVE Electric Arizona and Valley of the Sun Electric Vehicle Association were proud to participate in this year’s Chandler Innovation Fair, sharing a diverse, real-world lineup of electric vehicles with hundreds of families throughout the day. From first-time EV explorers to longtime owners, attendees had the opportunity to experience the full spectrum of electric transportation up close. Our display highlighted everything from an efficient and affordable Chevrolet Bolt EUV to the spacious and award-winning Kia EV9 family hauler—demonstrating that there truly is an EV for every lifestyle and budget. Families spent time asking questions, sitting inside vehicles, comparing cargo space, and learning about charging options, incentives, and real-world ownership experiences. Seeing compact commuters alongside larger, three-row SUVs helped many attendees realize just how far the EV market has evolved.
One of the biggest highlights of the day was the incredible engagement from young attendees. Kids (and their parents) were especially drawn to the impressive toy EV collection curated by Nathan, our Youth Membership Manager. His display sparked conversations about innovation, sustainability, and the future of transportation—proving that the next generation is already paying attention.
Read more about the EV Showcase at the Chandler Innovation Fair here… |
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| ABOUT DRIVE ELECTRIC ARIZONA
DRIVE Electric Arizona is Arizona's statewide "Drive Electric" program developed as an Arizona non-profit corporation under the DRIVE Electric USA Initiative. With grant funding from the Department of Energy, and in partnership with 27 states across the country, DRIVE Electric Arizona's mission is to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles. Currently, DRIVE Electric Arizona’s three chapters are Valley of the Sun, Tribal Nations (formerly Three Rivers Tribes), and Route 66 Kingman.
Launched in January 2024, the all-volunteer organization and its partners educate consumers, utilities, utility regulators, and government officials. DRIVE Electric Arizona engages auto dealers and fleet leaders, in addition to assisting with EV infrastructure planning.
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| | | CALL TO ACTION!
Support DRIVE Electric Arizona
As we work to grow Arizona's EV community, there are many easy ways to support DRIVE Electric Arizona: • please share this newsletter • engage on our social media sites • participate in EVents • make a donation |
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| | | | FORCE FOR GOOD Arizona Impact for Good is a membership organization devoted to uniting nonprofits and philanthropy across the state. DRIVE Electric Arizona is working with AZ Impact for Good to strenghen our all-volunteer efforts to advance our mission to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles throughout Arizona. |
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| | | | | Help us sustain our momentum by tagging us in your posts
and using the following hashtags! |
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| #DriveElectricAZ #VOTSEVA
#indigenousEVowners
#Route66EV
#driveelectric |
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| #electricvehicle
#eva
#deaz
#electrified #zeroemissions |
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Charge On!
John S Martinson and Peter Culin
Co-Founders
DRIVE Electric Arizona and
Valley of the Sun Electric Vehicle Association |
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