| Powering Arizona’s EV Future Through Community, Education, Advocacy & EVents |
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| | SEPTEMBER 2026 NEWSLETTER VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 9 |
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| | | Test Drive. Ask Questions. Drive Electric. Phoenix EV Ride & Drive on October 3 |
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| Check out our website’s EVENT CALENDAR and RSVP to get involved - attend, volunteer!
October 1, 2026 | SRP Local Roots elEVated, Tempe (volunteer!)
October 3, 2026 | Phoenix EV Ride & Drive (NDEM), Glendale
October 14, 2026 | City of Phoenix Employee EV Ride & Drive, Phoenix (volunteer!)
October 17, 2026 | October EV Rally to Winslow, Winslow
October 24, 2026 | iONNA Tempe Grand Opening Celebration, Tempe
October 25, 2026 | Sedona EV Ride & Drive, Sedona
October 25, 2026 | Mesa Arts Center Dia de los Meurtos, Mesa
October 26, 2026 | Arizona Forward Summit EV Ride & Drive, Tempe
November 7, 2026 | Local First Fall Festival, Phoenix
November 21, 2026 | Surprise SciTech Festival, Surprise
January 15-17, 2027 | Maricopa County Home & Garden Show EV Showcase, Phoenix
January 16, 2027 | OdySea Aquarium EV Showcase, Scottsdale
January 30-31, 2027 | Asian Festival EV Ride & Drive, Mesa
February 27, 2027 | Cave Creek Ride & Drive, Cave Creek
April 30-May 2, 2027 | Route 66 Fun Run “Electrify the Run,” Kingman |
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| DRIVE Electric Arizona | Built By Volunteers |
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A Statewide Nonprofit Built Around People, Partnerships and Communities |
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| DRIVE Electric Arizona is a virtual, all-volunteer nonprofit organization. We have no headquarters, no paid staff and no paid CEO or executive director. Our officers, board members, chapter leaders and event volunteers contribute their time because they believe in helping Arizonans understand, experience and adopt electric transportation. Rather than building an organization around an office in Phoenix, we're building one around people and communities across Arizona. Volunteers Are the Organization Our administrative work happens virtually, but our organization is built on personal relationships. We meet online—and face-to-face at rallies, Ride & Drives, EV showcases and community events throughout the state. Today, more than 200 volunteers help DRIVE Electric Arizona and our partners conduct 60+ events annually. And we've demonstrated what that volunteer model can accomplish. During a recent 24-month period of our DRIVE Electric USA project, we conducted:
19 Ride & Drives 1,024 EV test drives 25,224 people directly reached 410,376 onsite impressions
Our volunteers have brought EV education from metropolitan Phoenix and Tucson to Flagstaff, Sedona, Kingman, Peach Springs and Tribal communities across Arizona. Building Local Capacity Our goal isn't simply to arrive in a community, conduct an event and leave. We're building regional chapters and local partnerships that can create lasting capacity. Along Historic Route 66, our outreach helped lead to the creation of DRIVE Electric Northern Arizona, serving Coconino County, the Verde Valley and Route 66 communities east through Winslow and Holbrook. In 2026, our Route 66 EV Education and Outreach initiative earned national recognition at the Driving Forward Together Clean Cities and Communities Training Workshop for expanding EV awareness and infrastructure efforts across rural and historic corridors. Working With Native Nations Our statewide DRIVE Electric Native Nations chapter is helping us develop relationships with Arizona's 22 federally recognized Tribal Nations. In April 2026, volunteers helped conduct the first Tribal Drive Electric Earth Month Ride & Drive at the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. A week later, 17 EVs traveled to Peach Springs for an EV Showcase with the Hualapai Tribe during the Historic Route 66 Fun Run. These aren't simply EV events. They create opportunities for conversations about transportation, infrastructure, tourism, economic development and community priorities. That work is expanding through our selection as a 2026 Charging Smart Regional Engagement Partner. Working with the Interstate Renewable Energy Council's Charging Smart program, DRIVE Electric Arizona is helping Native Sovereign Nations explore EV charging infrastructure and the economic opportunities it can create. Our philosophy is simple: work with communities to build local capacity—not simply do projects for them.
Continue reading to learn more about our infrastructure, why our funding goes further, and how to support our efforts… |
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| | Rally to Winslow to Celebrate Northern Arizona’s Chapter Launch on Oct 17! (Spend the Night Option at La Posada Hotel!) |
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| VOLUNTEER PROFILE: Bob Levitan |
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Meet Bob Levitan, Scottsdale EV enthusiast, volunteer educator, Lucid owner, recovering gas-station customer—and a man who freely admits one of his favorite hobbies is making people laugh. Bob fits right in around here. Originally from Sharon, Massachusetts, Bob and his wife Shari have owned a home in Arizona since 2008 and became full-time Arizonans in 2018. When Bob isn’t explaining regenerative braking to someone in a parking lot, he works as a self-employed consultant to retail paint and decorating stores. His non-EV interests include traveling, cooking, photography, art, music, architecture and design. In other words, Bob apparently has hobbies that do not involve kilowatts. Note: We haven't independently confirmed this.
It Started with an Audi |
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| Bob's first EV was a 2019 Audi e-tron SUV. Why an Audi? After decades of owning Audis, Bob figured that if he was going to make the leap into this strange new world of electric propulsion, at least he'd know where the controls were. That’s reasonable. It apparently worked, because Bob didn't exactly retreat from electric vehicles. Today his garage contains a 2024 Lucid Air Touring and a 2026 Lucid Gravity GT. Some people dip a toe into EV ownership. Bob cannonballed into the deep end. |
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| Bob with his 2024 Lucid Air Touring. Some of his favorite volunteer moments include “Talking to families about EV ownership for doing their part for the environment on behalf of the kids.” |
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Wait…You Can Stop Without the Brake Pedal?
Ask Bob what he loves about EVs and the list comes quickly: they're fun to drive, quick, quiet, don't require trips to gas stations and offer environmental benefits. But one of his favorite parts of volunteering is introducing other people to all of this. Bob remembers one particularly enthusiastic reaction during an EV experience: “Holy sh.t, this is so easy and fun to drive! Wow! You can stop the car without using the brake pedal?” And there it is. The feel behind the wheel. You can explain regenerative braking for 20 minutes. Or you can put somebody behind the wheel for 20 seconds. |
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| A Meetuup Created a Volunteer
Bob's involvement began in spring 2022, when he got his first Lucid and spotted a post about a meetup for what was then Scottsdale EVA, now Valley of the Sun EVA. He showed up. This is something we strongly encourage! Today Bob helps with Ride & Drives, event setup and logistics, answers questions from new EV owners, provides technical and charging expertise, and participates in chapter leadership. What does he get out of all that work? Bob says it's the opportunity to educate, enjoy the camaraderie and work toward a common purpose. He also describes volunteering as energizing and providing a sense of community. We appreciate you, Bob!
Bob My Have Accidentally Sold Some Cars
DRIVE Electric Arizona and Valley of the Sun EVA don't sell cars. Bob doesn't sell cars. But apparently Bob is pretty good at not selling cars. Contacts at Lucid have told him that conversations he had with prospective EV owners helped influence a couple of successful purchases. One came after a particularly long conversation with someone who was still on the fence about switching to electric. That's exactly what makes volunteer EV education different. No commission. No sales quota. No guy asking, “What would it take to get you into this vehicle today?” Just an experienced EV owner saying: “What do you want to know?”
Got an Objection? Bob Wants to Hear It. Bob doesn't expect everyone to arrive at an EV event already convinced. Quite the opposite. His message to someone who's unsure about EVs is: “Tell me your objections or concerns and let’s have a thoughtful and meaningful conversation.” That's a pretty good philosophy for EV education. Bring your questions. Bring your concerns. Bring the thing your brother-in-law posted on Facebook. Bob's ready. He particularly enjoys correcting misinformation about battery life and EV fires, and he wants people to hear the benefits of EV ownership rather than simply accepting the idea that electric vehicles have somehow been “forced” on them. And Bob's EV Elevator Pitch? We asked Bob to describe EV driving in one sentence. His answer started with three words: CHEAPER. FASTER. BETTER. He followed that with “a blast to drive,” very little maintenance, convenient home charging when available, cleaner air and the value of hearing from actual EV owners. We could probably have stopped after “a blast to drive!” Because that's ultimately why Bob spends his time at Ride & Drives talking to complete strangers about electric cars. He's discovered something he enjoys. He wants other people to experience it. And preferably, he'd like to make them laugh while he's explaining it. Thank you, Bob, for making learning fun! |
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Join Us for the iONNA Tempe Station Grand Opening on October 24! |
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| | DRIVE Electric Arizona Awarded IREC Charging Smart GrantHelping Native Nations Build Local Capacity for EVs and Charging Infrastructure |
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DRIVE Electric Arizona is pleased to announce that we have been selected as a 2026 Charging Smart Regional Engagement Partner, an important new opportunity to expand our work with Native Sovereign Nations across Arizona. Led by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) as part of its Energy Ready suite of programs, Charging Smart provides technical assistance and recognition to communities working to make electric vehicle charging easier to plan, permit and deploy. Under this grant, DRIVE Electric Arizona will focus specifically on helping Native Nations across Arizona work toward Charging Smart Bronze-level designation. |
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| Building with Native Nations
Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized Tribal Nations, each with its own government, priorities, geography and economic opportunities. Our approach begins with a principle that has become central to DRIVE Electric Arizona:
Don’t bring the answer. Listen first.
Rather than bringing a predetermined EV infrastructure plan into a community, we will work with Tribal leaders and staff to understand their priorities and help them navigate the Charging Smart process. Achieving Bronze designation can establish an important foundation for future EV charging by helping communities evaluate local practices, identify opportunities and develop the knowledge and processes needed to support charging infrastructure. But the designation itself is not our ultimate goal. Our larger objective is to build local capacity so that Native Nations can increasingly plan, develop and ultimately own the transportation and charging infrastructure that serves their communities. |
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Charging as Economic Infrastructure
For many rural and Tribal communities, EV charging is more than transportation infrastructure. Properly located charging can bring travelers into communities, support tourism and local businesses, strengthen important transportation corridors and create new opportunities for economic development. That is particularly important in Arizona, where Tribal lands intersect with some of the state's most important travel and tourism routes. Our work through Charging Smart will therefore connect EV readiness with a broader question: How can transportation electrification create lasting value for the community?
A Volunteer Team Leading the Effort
The project will draw on the experience of DRIVE Electric Arizona's Native Nations Chapter and a volunteer team with expertise in Tribal engagement, utilities, transportation, EV infrastructure and community development. As an all-volunteer statewide nonprofit, DRIVE Electric Arizona has built its model around partnerships and local leadership rather than a centralized, one-size-fits-all approach. Charging Smart gives us another tool to bring statewide resources into communities while allowing each Nation to determine what works locally. Our goal is straightforward: Respect sovereignty. Build local capacity. Create pathways to local ownership. Because the strongest programs are ultimately the ones communities can sustain—and own—themselves.
Read the article here… |
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Leadership Changes: Growing Together, Leading in New Roles |
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| | John Martinson and Peter Culin co-founded both Valley of the Sun Electric Vehicle Association (VOTSEVA) and DRIVE Electric Arizona (DEAZ) and have worked side by side to build a statewide network of EV owners, volunteers, community leaders and partners. As the organizations have matured, the two are taking on more clearly defined executive responsibilities while continuing to work closely together. |
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Peter Culin will take over as President and thus chapter leader of VOTSEVA, leading its growing Phoenix-area community of EV owners and volunteers. Peter will also help DEAZ's new Chapter Leaders to recruit and develop volunteers and plan and produce successful local events. He will serve as VOTSEVA's primary liaison with the national Electric Vehicle Association.
John Martinson will remain President of DRIVE Electric Arizona and take on the role of Chair of its Board of Directors. John will focus on strengthening DEAZ's governance, holding more regular Board meetings, developing grant and major funding opportunities, and working with statewide stakeholders, chapters and partners. He will continue as the primary liaison with DRIVE Electric USA and Clean Cities and Communities.
The new roles reflect how the organizations have grown: Peter will concentrate more on people, volunteers, chapters and events, while John will concentrate more on governance, funding, partnerships and statewide strategy. Both will continue working together across the two organizations.
Read the article here… |
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| | Sedona EV Ride & Drive in the Red Rocks! See you on Sunday, October 25! |
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| | DRIVE ELECTRIC ARIZONA CHAPTER UPDATES |
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DRIVE Electric Tucson Welcomes Scott Jones as Chapter LeaderPassion, Experience and a Commitment to “Growing This Community the Tucson Way” |
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DRIVE Electric Arizona is pleased to announce Scott Jones as Chapter Leader of DRIVE Electric Tucson, bringing a remarkable depth of EV experience, professional leadership skills and enthusiasm to our work throughout Tucson and Southern Arizona.
Scott is about as passionate an EV enthusiast as you will find.
Over the years, he has helped numerous friends and family members find the electric vehicle that best fits their lifestyles. That interest eventually led him to launch Jones EV Consulting, a small consulting business with a similar mission: helping people determine whether an EV is right for them and, if so, which type of vehicle best meets their needs.
When Peter Culin and John Martinson invited Scott to lead DRIVE Electric Tucson, however, they were looking for more than someone who knows electric vehicles.
They wanted someone willing to take ownership of the chapter, bring people together, develop relationships throughout Southern Arizona and build an organization that reflects Tucson's unique character. |
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Scott's response told them a lot about the kind of Chapter Leader he intends to be:
“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve my community and bring fresh ideas, perspective, and energy to the region. I don't take this challenge lightly and will do my level best to mold the chapter to match Tucson and Southern Arizona's unique vibe.”
Or, as Scott put it more simply:
“Growing this community the Tucson way!” |
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| He Knows EVs Because He's Lived With Them
Scott's EV knowledge isn't theoretical.
His personal EV journey has included an unusually diverse collection of battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles: 2016 Fiat 500e 2016 Cadillac ELR 2018 BMW i3 REX 2020 Kia Niro EV 2016 Ford C-Max Energi 2021 Hyundai Kona 2022 Kia EV6 2022 Mazda MX-30 2024 Nissan Ariya 2021 Audi e-Tron
That's ten electrified vehicles representing different manufacturers, technologies, price points, ranges and approaches to electric transportation.
That experience matters.
One of the principles behind DRIVE Electric Arizona's educational programs is that there is no single EV that's right for everyone. A commuter, a family, a retiree, a rural driver and someone who regularly travels long distances may all have very different requirements.
Scott understands that firsthand.
His instinct isn't simply to tell someone to buy an EV. It's to help people understand the technology and determine what works for their lifestyle. That philosophy fits naturally with DRIVE Electric Arizona's educational mission and our Ride & Drive approach: give people good information, let them talk with experienced EV owners, let them experience the vehicles and allow them to make their own decisions.
Leadership Beyond Electric Vehicles
Scott also brings another set of skills to the chapter.
Professionally, he works in the cybersecurity industry, where he has experience building and leading sales teams and regularly speaks at conferences and events.
That background has taught him how to communicate complex subjects, build teams, develop relationships with vendors and industry leaders, and—perhaps most importantly—connect with people.
Those skills will be invaluable as DRIVE Electric Tucson develops relationships with EV owners, utilities, dealerships, OEMs, businesses, universities, municipalities, tourism organizations and other community stakeholders.
A successful DRIVE Electric Arizona Chapter Leader doesn't need to know everything or do everything personally. The job is to bring the right people together and help them accomplish something collectively.
Scott has spent much of his professional career doing exactly that.
Continue reading to learn more about Scott’s community service and his goals for the Tucson chapter… |
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| Flagstaff EV Ride & Drive a Success! |
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| 72 test drives. A fantastic collection of EVs. Perfect Flagstaff weather. And an incredible community that made this one to rememer. |
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| After Mother Nature didn’t cooperate with our first attempt, we couldn’t have asked for better conditions this time around. Perfect weather, a fantastic lineup of electric vehicles, and an enthusiastic crowd made the Flagstaff EV Ride & Drive a tremendous success.
Attendees had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a wide variety of EVs, explore even more vehicles on display, and talk directly with EV owners about charging, range, road trips, everyday ownership, and more. |
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By the end of the event, we had hosted 72 EV test drives — 72 opportunities for people to get behind the wheel and experience electric driving firsthand.
13 EVs Available for Test Drives Our test-drive lineup represented an impressive variety of electric vehicles — from sedans and crossovers to electric pickups. Visitors had the opportunity to experience vehicles from a wide range of manufacturers, all in one place.
And Plenty More to Explore The experience didn’t stop with the test drives. Our static display brought together another diverse collection of EVs, giving visitors even more opportunitis to see what’s available - and what’s possible. Find out more about the Flagstaff EV Ride & Drive here… |
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| Photo credits: Shaun Barnette, Rachel Culin |
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| EV Rally to Payson & Pine: A Perfect Day on the Road |
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Perfect weather, great food, beautiful Arizona scenery and, most importantly, a great group of people made the EV Rally to Payson & Pine a day to remember. DRIVE Electric Arizona brought EV owners and enthusiasts together for a Saturday road trip from Fountain Hills to Payson and Pine, with plenty of time along the way to drive, charge, eat, relax and enjoy each other's company. Donuts, EVs and an Unexpected Addition The morning started at Rainbow Donuts in Fountain Hills, where rally-goers gathered over donuts and conversation before getting ready to head north.
And before we even left, the rally picked up an unexpected addition. A Tesla Model Y owner happened to stop by Rainbow Donuts, learned what the group was doing and decided to join the caravan to Payson. Sometimes the best parts of an EV rally aren't planned.
Heading North on SR-87 With everyone ready to go, the group headed north from Fountain Hills on SR-87 toward Payson. Clear skies and beautiful weather made for a perfect drive through some of Arizona's most scenic terrain. |
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Charging and Lunch in Payson Once in Payson, the group had some time to charge, catch up and talk EVs before lunch. It also provided one of the more fitting photo opportunities of the day: a lineup of electric vehicles charging beneath a sign displaying the day's gasoline prices.
Relaxing at Cowabunga Camp After lunch, the rally continued from Payson to Pine for our final destination: Cowabunga Camp.
The private lounge was the perfect place to slow things down after a morning on the road. Rally-goers had time to relax, explore the property, talk EVs and simply enjoy a beautiful afternoon in the pines.
Read more here…! |
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| Photo credits: Scott Toughill, Rachel Culin, Peter Culin |
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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, Native 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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