Chattanooga and National Drive Electric Week

Dozens of electric vehicles and enthusiasts converged at Whole Foods in Chattanooga Saturday to kick off the 3rd Chattanooga Drive Electric Week.

The Mayor was on hand to explain the importance doing your part, whatever it is, to take care of the planet.

"All of us have different ways of being able to change our lives and be more sustainable," Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke said. "One way is electric cars. As a city we’ve saved hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for tax payers just by doing something about our air-conditioning and heat. It’s all about making good decisions every day that make us live in a little more sustainable world."

Car owners proudly wore badges with their car make and miles displayed.

One enthusiastic Tesla owner explains why he made the switch to electric.

"I am not one of these green folks that buy it because they want to save the United States or save the atmosphere or anything like that," Chip Monk of Chattanooga said. "I bought it because of practicalities. I’ve got 51,128 miles on this and every single one of those miles has been free."

With a highly advanced and very powerful electric battery, the Tesla can be powered for free at the airport.

And if you ever use Uber in Chattanooga, Mr. Monk may look familiar.

"Zero to sixty in 3.8 seconds," Monk said. "And I’m not one of those guys that has to prove that all the time but knowing that it’s there and enjoying it every now and then. I drive for Uber and the Uber riders when I show it to them it’s like, Woah!"

So with a whole lot of pep and being incredibly light on the wallet, modern technology has left no doubt electric cars are here to stay.

"You don’t have to stop at a gas station to fill it up," said event captain Bill Reynolds "It’s so easy and so simple. Park the car where we’d park it anyway, at night, at the house, pick up the plug from the charger and just plug it in. It’s done. And the next morning it’s all charged up ready to go."

Over 100 drive electric events are being held across the country this week.

Chattanooga Drive Electric and the Cherokee Group of the Sierra Club organized the local event.