March EV Meeting
Kent Bullard
Electric Vehicle Advocates of Ventura County
Monthly Gathering and Meeting
6:30 PM, Tuesday March 18th, 2025
It’s time for our third monthly meeting as we start gearing up for Earth Day Events.
When – March 18th, start gathering at 6:30 to mingle, socialize and have a bite to eat. Then at 7:00 we will hold the meeting.
Where – Spencer Makenzie’s, http://spencermakenzies.com/index.html
311 Carmen Drive, Camarillo, CA 93010
Spencer Makenzie’s is famous for their fish tacos and the “Taco Tuesday” offerings. But of course, the other menu items are also tasty. There are even special prices for some of the on-tap beverages. 🍺🌮🌮 🍺
We have reservations at 6:30 for 20+ inside at the corner booths.
The weather forecast for Tuesday is for clear skies with a high of 64 and low of 41, it will be in the high 50s during our meeting time, I have requested inside seating, but you should bring a jacket just in case.
It is important to RSVP to me at kentb...@gmail.com if you are going to attend so we can make sure to have table space for you.
Bring – News of the EV world and our community. Of course, also bring your EV, interested (or interesting) friends and your desire to meet up as we discuss a variety of topics (including EVs) and to introduce others to the cause.
Get a Charge while parking for the meeting –
If you need a charge during the meeting, the City of Camarillo has 12 Level 2 Charge Point chargers on SE side of City Hall which is about a four-minute walk (1,056 feet) from Spencer Makenzie’s. ($0.29 per kW).https://www.plugshare.com/location/523336
We are now planning for our upcoming outreach for Drive Electric Earth Month (the whole of April). As of now, we will be participating at three locations –
April 19th, Ventura Plaza Park Earth Day and EV Showcase.
Saturday from 11am to 4pm. Join us for the City of Ventura Earth Day, held once again at Plaza Park in downtown Ventura. Register and bring your Electric Vehicle and spend the day mingling with others in the EV community while we educate festival attendees about EV ownership. Last year we had 35 vehicles on display representing a wide variety of available vehicles. This year, we will have a great selection, ranging from a 1916 Rauch & Lange to a 2025 Cadillac Optiq.
We need volunteers to make the event happen in the setup and breakdown stages.
Register to showcase your vehicle at https://driveelectricearthmonth.org/4651
April 19th, Thousand Oaks Arbor Day and EV Showcase.
Saturday from 10am to 2pm. Bring your vehicle and come to this free, family-friendly event. It will include kids’ activities, live music, a plant giveaway, and free compost.
We will host an electric vehicle display area where EV owners will display their vehicles and be available to answer questions and provide first-hand experience and insight on EV ownership.
We have space for up to 30 vehicles.
Register to showcase your vehicle at https://driveelectricearthmonth.org/4652
April 26th and 27th. Santa Barbara Earth Day 2025 and Green Car Show
Saturday 11am to 8pm, Sunday 11am to 7pm.
Earth Day in Santa Barbara is a two-day event drawing in over 30,000 participants to celebrate the earth, this is one of the longest running Earth Day celebrations.
One big draw at the event is the Green Car Show which has several elements including ride and drive opportunities in electric vehicles, static demonstration of various makes, model and types of electric cars, trucks and equipment.
Also included is the Owners Corner in which local EV owners showcase their personal vehicles and answer questions on how EV ownership has made their life better.
Register to showcase your vehicle at https://driveelectricearthmonth.org/4664
Each day we have spaces for eight vehicles. Come for either or both days.
Currently we have these vehicles lined up.
Saturday- Rivian R1T, Cadillac Optiq, Ford Mach-e, Ford Lightning,
Sunday- VW ID4, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ford Mach-e, Ford Lightning.
There is space waiting for you to help with the showcase and volunteer to spread the word.
If you know of other great Earth Day events where we can participate, please let us know.
Also, what we have been celebrating as National Drive Electric Week in October is now being reprogramed as Drive Electric Month which will take place from September 12th to October 12th.
This is good as we can now participate in other events as we as continue organizing our big event in the Ventura Harbor. Save the date as we have selected October 5th as the date for our annual Ventura EV Showcase.
We have also been invited once again to have a showcase and the educational booth at the Port of Hueneme Banana Festival on September 27th.
We can also participate in other events if we find them.
Other items which may be of interest to the group.
Some things you can also do is to listen to the recent podcasts of The Energy Show by Barry Cinnamon, monitor and support the activities at The Solar Rights Alliance and follow the Boiling Point from Sammy Roth.
EV Charging Access updates -
Agoura Supercharger (I know it’s not in Ventura County) on the south side of the 101 & Kanan, just east of Wood Ranch. In the final stages of construction. 32 V4 325kW units.
There are a couple of charging stations in Ventura which have been under construction for several months with finalization relying on SCE time, which I just learned is akin to “Fiji time”.
Ventura Harbor EV Charging scout Richard Baldwin reports the two locations are nearing activation.
Does anyone have tips on other new stations?
See you Tuesday Evening…