The Big Island EV Association hosted an event Saturday to help educate the community about electric vehicles and sustainability.
The event brought several electric vehicle dealers and local organizations involved in clean energy and sustainable transportation together at Edith Kanaka‘ole Multi-Purpose Stadium to give people an opportunity to learn about new technologies that are more attainable than they may realize.
“This was primarily an electric vehicle advocacy event and we want to share the benefits of electric vehicles and sustainable transportation in general,” said Big Island EV Association co-founder Noel Morin. “It’s important, because we need to reduce our emissions and transportation represents a significant chunk of emissions.”
While people can make a difference by riding bikes, taking the bus, and sharing vehicles, electric vehicles are the best option for the long run in reducing emissions across the island, according to Big Island EV Association.
“There are misconceptions we want to clear up while we’re here. There are many issues that have been mitigated by manufacturers, but we do have a challenge with the amount of public charging stations and we need to enhance that infrastructure,” Morin said. “While some homeowners have a charging station, if you rent, you may not have a home charging station. We want to encourage private sectors and local governments to address this lack of charging stations.”
Morin said that Hawaii County has several charging stations that will be replaced soon, and the state has a program in the works to bring five large charging hubs across the island.
Attendees learned about rebates and tax credits for electric vehicles, charging equipment, solar and energy storage systems, and energy-efficient appliances while attending the event.
Keiki also explored and participated in STEM activities while learning about 3D printing and drone programs.
“While this is an EV event, we have so many organizations from across the island educating attendees on new sustainability technologies,” Morin said. “There are so many programs preparing our youth for jobs of the future, and they’ll be empowered with this information to help with sustainability efforts. It’s truly a sustainability event.”
More information on economic and environmental benefits of electric vehicles can be found at bigislandev.org.
Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com
