First ever World EV Day takes place

Today is the first ever World EV Day. Billed as a ‘social media-led digital event’, it’s designed to celebrate the benefits of electric vehicles and encourage drivers and business owners to consider switching from conventionally powered vehicles.

Vanarama, one of the event’s founding partners, recently conducted a survey in which 83% of commercial vehicle customers said they would consider an EV for their next business vehicle. However, 90% of their customers said they didn’t know enough about EVs, and World EV Day has been set up in part to help educate and raise awareness of how EVs work and their benefits.

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Carbuyer and sister titles Auto Express and DrivingElectric are all media partners of the event. Other partners include Nissan, Jaguar Land Rover, Hyundai and Polestar, plus energy and charging infrastructure companies. Participating brands will share content on social media platforms but there will also be four panels discussing the ‘key narratives driving electrification and sustainable transport forwards’ throughout the day. UK transport minister Rachel Maclean is scheduled to speak on one of the panels.

The event will also promote the EV pledge campaign, which asks drivers to commit to buying an electric car next. It already has signatures from more than 60 countries.

World EV Day has been created by sustainability media agency Green.TV in partnership with tech company ABB.

Ade Thomas, founder of Green.TV, said: "The rapid transition to electrified, sustainable mobility has never been more urgent. With World EV Day, we are hopeful that we have helped energise and highlight the need to decarbonise transport and encourage everyone to look to electric as a way to continue to build prosperity, enable access and deliver a sustainable way of life."

Interested in electric cars? Read our top 10 of the cheapest on sale and our article on what they're like to drive and own.