Curious onlookers and prospective owners alike stopped by the Alameda EV Expo & Espresso event behind City Hall on Sunday, October 8, in search of their next electric car or bicycle. Jointly organized by Alameda Municipal Power (AMP) and Ride and Drive Clean, the showcase featured e-bikes for test rides and EV owners ready to show off and talk candidly about their vehicles—along with plenty of coffee to go around.
“I just happened to walk by and saw the event,” said Pedro Fernandez, who recently moved to Alameda. “I’m learning about the prices of the different cars and looking forward to buying one.” He and others checked out the Chevrolet Bolt, Tesla Models 3 and Y, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and other EVs on display.
Gautham and Sheela Hegde and their daughter Myra inspected a two-seater Rad Power e-bike. “We’re a one-car family, so we’re trying to find an e-bike to take [Myra] to school,” Gautham said.
The event comes at the tail end of Public Power Week, a national awareness campaign to help residents “understand how they can better engage with their community-owned utility and benefit from all its offerings,” according to the American Public Power Association.
“We’re here to promote our initiatives and show the community where their 100% clean energy comes from,” said AMP Senior Communications Specialist Kim Ish. She also highlighted the utility’s key role as a community partner, noting that staff recently volunteered at the Alameda Food Bank, led power safety presentations at the Boys and Girls Club, and organized fundraisers to benefit local shelters.
Although Public Power Week has ended, AMP continues to offer e-bike, EV, and other electrification rebates to customers. More information is available on the AMP website.
Ken Der is a contributing writer for the Alameda Post. Contact him via [email protected]. His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Ken-Der.
