An event open to the broader York community on June 6 gave guests the opportunity to network with York alumni and test drive electric vehicles.
Ammon Cherry, BES student, explores test drive vehicles at Plug’n Drive Electric Vehicle Discovery Centre
Hosted by the Division of Advancement and the Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES), the event took place at the Plug’n Drive Electric Vehicle Discovery Centre, which was founded by York alumna Cara Clairman (MES ’93, LLB ’93). Clairman is the president and CEO of Plug’n Drive, which is the world’s first experiential learning facility dedicated to electric cars. The facility is open to the public, where one can explore how electric cars save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and experience top performance.
Test drive vehicles for the York event included nine different makes and models of electric cars, including the Audi A3 Sportback e-Tron, BMW i3, Chevrolet BOLT and Ford Fusion Energi.
Left to right: Alumni Engagement Executive Director Julie Lafford, York President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton, Plug’n Drive CEO Cara Clairman, Faculty of Environmental Studies Dean Alice Hovorka and Senior Development Officer Amanda Stastook
The event included a lively networking reception where alumni connected with the York University leadership team. Speakers included President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton, Vice-President Advancement Jeff O’Hagan and Faculty of Environmental Studies Dean Alice Hovorka, who spoke to their bold visions for the University.
Clairman gave an insightful talk on the myths of electric vehicles and the changes the centre has made for electric vehicles in Canada, and looked to the future of electric vehicles.
Glendon and FES alumnus Darnel Harris (BA ’11, MES ’15) said the reception was “a great event” that allowed him to enjoy driving electric cars.
“It also allowed me to meet the York University leadership team and learn more about the exciting future of York,” he said.
Photos from the event can be found on the Facebook page.
Visit the Plug’n Drive website to learn more about the centre.