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Electric Vehicle Association to host EV car show Oct. 1

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Jeremiah Brockman and his son, Ryan, 8, are members of the National Electric Vehicle Association, for which Jeremiah is the Wisconsin president. They are standing in front of one of their EVs, a Tesla. An electric vehicle car show is planned for Oct. 1, at the Prairie Cinema parking lot, from noon to 4 p.m. (Photo by Correne Martin)

By Correne Martin

 

The National Electric Vehicle Association (EVA) has representation in Prairie du Chien. The volunteer president of the Wisconsin branch, Jeremiah Brockman, lives with his family and works in the community, and he is anxious to spread education and awareness about electric vehicles locally. 

In fact, he’s planning a PdC Drive Electric car show for Oct. 1, from noon to 4 p.m., in the Prairie Cinema parking lot. Owners are welcome to bring their vehicles, and community members are invited to come check them out. Topics will be: EV 101, home charging, local public charging and road trips. 

Jeremiah’s involvement with the EVA is fairly new; however, he and his wife, Amber Crawford, have owned EVs for five years. He is self-educated on the topic. 

“After we got our first one in March of 2017, I started doing research. I’ve always been really concerned about fuel efficiency, but I wasn’t even aware of electric cars before that,” he stated. “Now, we’ve had three total.”

They have driven two Teslas and a Toyota Hylander Hybrid. 

“Recently, we went on a trip to Colorado (in the Tesla Model Y midsize SUV), and we saved $250 on gas,” he added, explaining that he has an smartphone app that calculates his EV charging stats. Most recently, it showed he went about 1,200 miles on $41. 

Jeremiah shared a few other reasons why he’s happy that his family has gone electric. 

He said, EVs have half the carbon emissions that gas cars do, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. They also require less maintenance, in his opinion.

“Daily commuting is amazing. You just plug it in, in your garage, at night and it’s ready in the morning,” he shared.

Whenever Jeremiah is asked by someone if they should consider an electric vehicle, he said, it depends on who is asking. 

“If you like technology, they’re way more energy efficient. If you like fast cars, you can put the throttle to the floor in these you’ll about snap your head off,” he said with a grin.

A few of the questions he gets asked include where he charges his vehicles, how long a charge takes and where he gets them serviced.

Jeremiah and Amber had a charger installed right in their garage. Though, DH BP North has a public charging station, and several other businesses in Prairie du Chien have outlets for their employees and customers only. More public stations are becoming readily available all the time.

There are three levels of charging that offer varying amounts of voltage and windows of time to a full charge. One takes two to three days, while the others take hours or less than 60 minutes.

Service locally is a bit more difficult to come by for these types of vehicles. Jeremiah said he has found a very knowledgeable EV mechanic at RPM Automotive in Prairie du Chien. Plus, he said, cost is an issue right now as well. But the demand is there, as buying a brand new EV is said to take about a year.

Of course, there’s plenty more to say about EVs. Jeremiah is pleased to talk to anyone who might be curious about them. As the Wisconsin president of the EVA, he started a YouTube channel where he hopes to reach more people. Also, individuals can join the non-profit Facebook page at Wisconsin Electric Vehicle Association to keep up with the latest information, ask questions and share tips, and find upcoming event details.. 

Furthermore, anyone can sign up to be a member of the Wisconsin EVA. There is a suggested membership donation. Jeremiah happens to have a fellow member right in his own household too. His son, Ryan, who is 8 years old, is the second youngest member nationally.

To find out more about becoming a member, or to inquire about bringing a vehicle to the Oct. 1 car show, reach out to Jeremiah by email at wisceva@gmail.com. Or navigate to drivelectricweek.org and enter Prairie du Chien’s zip code, 53821, to access a link to the PdC Drive Electric event.

Currently, his Teslas—a Model Y and Model S—and a Ford F150 Lightning from Fillback Family of Dealerships will be available for viewing at the show. Attendees can browse the electric vehicles, and perhaps even sit in one or take a test drive.

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