Electrify Expo New York Helps Urban Commuters of All Ages Fully Embrace the Future of E-Mobility

Photography: Mike Maravilla

  • Electrify Expo New York was the penultimate stop on its 2024 tour, helping provide a venue for the EV-curious to try out the full gamut of e-mobility before we fully commit to the new dawn.
  • Car enthusiasts were able to drive a plethora of electric cars, from behemoths like the Hummer EV and the Tesla Cybertruck to sensible options like the Nissan ARIYA, Rivian R1, and Volvo C40 Recharge.
  • Attendees in every age group sampled the expo’s other “micromobility” fares, like e-skateboards, electric bikes, go-karts, scooters, and more.
  • The Amazon Recharge Zone allowed visitors to address concerns in real-time, while the traveling Electrify “Showoff” made sure enthusiasts knew they had a place in the greener world.

Before I got on the highway for Electrify Expo New York, I pulled into a gas station, and the fuel pump overfilled my car. I dropped the squeegee and pulled the pump nozzle out of my fuel filler neck. Fuel was pouring everywhere, and as I cleaned up the mess with paper towels—watching gas drip profusely down my rear fender and the ever-growing puddle beneath my tire. Driving two hours into New York smelling like gas was a rather ironic way to start a day with electric-powered things, and I couldn’t help but think about the growing automotive revolution ahead.

New York, or the entire East Coast for that matter, isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of green cities. So, I was surprised when I heard that it’s one of the top three EV adoption markets in the United States. BJ Birtwell, CEO and founder of Electrify Expo said, “New Yorkers are leading the way for electric transportation of all kinds, from cars to bikes to scooters and more, and we are excited to bring our festival back to Long Island to thrill and surprise thousands of attendees.”

NEW DIGS

A couple of weeks before the event, Electrify Expo announced that there’d be a venue change to Nassau Coliseum in Long Island. As hectic as that probably made the day-to-day leading up to the show, the update was warranted. It allowed all of the spectators to experience the full gamut of e-mobility solutions across the coliseum’s vast footprint. From the moment you walked onto the Electrify Expo grounds, there was something to touch, another thing to interact with. The Expo founders understood that breaking down barriers to the electric revolution would require buy-in, and not just from people who are used to being beta testers—it needed the naysayers, too. To do this right, Electrify Expo adopted a “no locked doors” policy that encouraged event attendees to be active participants—not just viewers—with the technology.

FREE SAMPLES

Established names like Super73 were there alongside eager upstarts who wanted to get their products in front of every attendee they could. As you’d imagine, the demo areas were super popular. E-bikes and skateboards from 20+ different manufacturers were constantly buzzing by the coliseum entrances as people came to grips with the controls.

One of the coolest parts about Electrify Expo was that it didn’t prioritize one age group or demographic over another. Seasoned but curious e-enthusiasts were there in equal measure to teens who were a few years away from earning their driver’s licenses. Kids weren’t left out either; there was a separate demo course for kids to try out Ninebot Gokarts at the center of the event space. It was a nice way to make a good impression on the next generation.

GAINING TRACTION

Speaking of impressions, Toyota and Volvo were the first manufacturers to greet you after walking into the venue, and they were keen to have every guest see what they had to offer. The Prius is the grandfather of the hybrid world nowadays, but I have to admit that the new Prius Prime is a handsome reinterpretation of the platform. The refresh has kept it relevant amidst a rising wave of strictly electric options that want to take its crown. The all-new bZ4X was there too. In the flesh, this stylish electric-only SUV appears to be a happy medium between the Rav4 and the Venza. It should be a hit.

Volvo also showed up in a big way, bringing a healthy lineup of its own SUVs to the show. Volvo pulled a page out of BMW and started developing a flexible architecture that could float between gasoline, hybrid, and electric powerplant options. I think this Sweden-based company is doing a lot of things right—including its styling—and will continue to eat up electric market share from other luxury brands.

POWER PLAYERS

You started running into the more familiar names in e-mobility once you got into the show space. Rivian came out in a big way, previewing its highly-anticipated R2 alongside its refreshed R1 lineup. A handful of interior and exterior swatches were also on hand, which gave prospective buyers a first-hand look at the finishes. I imagine that the scarcity of electric car-focused dealerships has made this tactile experience difficult, so it was a good idea to bring that part out to the public.

It was nice to see the new Macan E in a couple of different hues, too. I’d seen it for the first time at Goodwood Festival of Speed in a pastel color it calls “Provence,” but the Porsche SUV takes on a very different personality in Gentian Blue and Oak Green Metallic Neo. Both hues are less novel, for sure, but may be more livable for the average buyer.

I think Lucid did a great job of revealing the “secret sauce” behind this transportation revolution: technology. Whereas other manufacturers were keen to keep the focus on colors and finishes, Lucid was true to its name and showed off its battery packs and charging units in equal measure to its cars and configurations. I think that transparency earned them some points here.

TINKER AND TAILOR

There was no denying that Tesla was the top of the pop in the Yokohama-sponsored Electrify “Showoff” section. As we mentioned before, Electrify “Showoff” is North America’s largest modified EV gathering and was a centerpiece of the expo and gave mainstays within our community—like Yokohama, Falken, and Hankook—a forum for individualization to shine. It’s become a little predictable to see Tesla frunk compressors wrapped to look like batteries, but I confess that these Model 3s look nice at this ride height. The white one parked at the Falken booth on BBS LMs took the cake for me.

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY

Naturally, we had to get behind the wheel of something while we were there. Behemoths like the Hummer EV and the Tesla Cybertruck attracted the lion’s share of attendee interest, but there were still plenty of people who wanted to drive more sensible fare, like the Nissan ARIYA.

The Volvo EX30 made the best impression when we first walked in—well-styled, sensible proportions, strong environmental considerations (even interior materials)—so it made sense to give it a go in the real world. On the road, it wasn’t jarringly fast, but I like that. Sure, the electric powertrain does have its advantages off the line, but this machismo about electric cars needing to blow the doors off anything on the road is stale. The EX30 reminded me a lot of a base Taycan—it does everything you need a car to do, but with style. I could see why it won the 2024 World Urban Car award, and I hope that more EV-powered vehicles adopt some of Volvo’s winning recipe.

NOVELTY FACTOR

I will say that Electrify Expo seems to have its finger on the pulse about the EV space: what consumers are curious about, how it can remedy misinformation, and how it can make EVs cool to the general population. Largely, Electrify Expo ticked a lot of boxes in each of these categories, even going so far as to offer collectible pins from each standout 2024 stop. Does this S2000 look familiar?

Although the technology is downright serious, the e-mobility world seems to balance the need for a more sustainable future with a desire to have fun. The people who visited Electrify Expo seemed to immediately share that sentiment. They relish the opportunity to create a responsible world for the next generation, and they’ll blow bubbles out of Tesla tailpipes to prove they can do so without losing an ounce of what makes us human.

As grim as the world looks sometimes, Electrify Expo stands as a beacon of a brighter future. Birtwell said that this event is designed to give you “real-world, hands-on experiences during the shopping process,” helping you make the switch with confidence. Although that cause is admirable, I’m a big believer that our shift toward e-mobility will end up being a small piece in the larger mindset shift that we need to manifest a kinder, more sustainable world for generations to come.


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