The recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has drawn our attention more than ever to modern day energy use, and there is an increasing imperative for us to find alternative sources of energy. From the Jetsons to the modern-day Toyota Prius, the notion of an electric car has existed for a long time. In 2006, the fate of electric cars was documented in the cult hit Who Killed The Electric Car?
The good news is the people are finally waking up to the need for change – including the city of Amsterdam, which is aiming to put up 10,000 electric charging stations by 2015. In short, that’s a great incentive for someone to start driving an electric car. Other benefits include a subsidy, free parking all over Amsterdam, a parking space with a charging station close to your house and free green electricity to charge your car! The New Motion, an Amsterdam-based company which wants to accelerate the adoption of electric transport, thinks this is definitely a reason to celebrate, and so the Plug’N’Party was born…
It’s another on the long list of strange sights you might encounter on the streets of Amsterdam, but one that will make you smile for an altogether different reason. At a Plug’N’Party the DJ plugs his decks into the car charging stations for an instant party on the streets. The newest and coolest electric cars are there to offer people the experience of accelerating from 0 to 100km in just 3.9 seconds!
“With the Plug’N'Parties we aim to create awareness with the crowd in Amsterdam that is likely to start driving an EV soon,” says Alef Arendsen, founder at The New Motion. “Electric cars are definitely not boring anymore-on the contrary, they’re cool cars, fun to drive and a lot faster than their gas-guzzling counterparts. I started driving one late last year and I can tell you: I never want to go back anymore.”
The first Plug’N’Parties were held in May and July at the charging stations on the Keizersgracht & Amsteldijk. They were attended by 300 party-goers dancing on the streets and experiencing electric mobility in the Tesla and Lotus Elise cars. Even The New York Times heard about the Plug’N’Party, saying that it ‘“communicates something new in a fun, very Amsterdam way,” adding: “The city is always ahead of the curve in terms of being green. This is creating a buzz that will lead people to check it out.”
To sign up for these Plug’N’Parties people must RSVP up at www.plugnparty.nl in order to receive a text message with the location of the next party 48 hours before it starts.
The New Motion aims to promote electric mobility by making it affordable, convenient and advantageous (which includes making it fun!). The company organizes everything from the cars, the financing (lease, insurance & subsidy application), the charging station, the upkeep, the battery-monitoring and much much more to ensure that you have no more reasons not to start driving an electric car! For more information visit www.thenewmotion.com
Here’s some footage of one of the recent parties:
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