Driving the Future: Highlights from Seattle City Light’s Second Annual Electric Car Guest Drive

While onlookers gathered to gawk at, and even test drive, a Tesla Cybertruck, the 6,500 lbs futuristic behemoth recently debuted by the electric automaker, most attendees of the second-annual Electric Car Guest Drive got behind the wheel of more practical electric vehicles (EVs) too.

Drivers gathered at Golden Gardens on September 14 for the event, which featured a range of EV options - from affordable EVs like the Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq, and Volkswagen ID.4 to more luxurious models like the Polestar 2 and Rivian R1S. Test drives were hosted by real EV owners, allowing attendees to avoid the pressure of a salesperson.

Running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the event featured micromobility partners Lime and Bird, along with information about charging, carshare, and City Light's work around electrification in Seattle.

Seattle is on a mission to electrify all modes of transportation. The city's sustainability goals emphasize a zero-emissions future, with the target being 90% of all personal trips aboard zero-emission modes of transport by 2030. To accomplish this, we're working hand in hand with numerous partners from both the public and private sectors.

We continue to see promising growth toward these goals. King County has the 9^th highest rate of EV adoption per capita in the country, according to recent Department of Commerce data, and in 2023, 168,850 electric vehicles were registered in Washington, a 43% increase over last year.

As our customers move toward more electric vehicles, the demand for electricity grows, and so does the need for a more robust and flexible grid. In response, we're enhancing our public charging infrastructure and are working on our power grid to accommodate the growing demand. We are also charting plans for more efficient storage and better utilization of electricity while also testing new technologies to maintain affordable services and a reliable system.

In line with the state's environmental goals, by 2030 66% of all new cars sold should be zero-emission. By 2035, every new vehicle sold in the state should run on clean energy. Our path to this electrified future will require a concerted effort. We're proud to be associated with this event and excited about our continued work in our service areas to guide us towards an affordable, equal, and reliable clean-energy future for everyone.