CSUN is hosting an electric vehicle car show and roundtable discussion on the future of such vehicles on Thursday, April 7. Photo by solarseven, iStock.

As gas prices continue to hover above $5 a gallon, more and more drivers are looking for vehicles that use alternative fuels. One possibility is electric vehicles.

California State University, Northridge is hosting an electric vehicle car show and roundtable discussion on the future of such vehicles on Thursday, April 7. The day will begin  at 11 a.m. with the car show on the grounds of CSUN’s Institute for Sustainability, with the discussion scheduled to take place at noon over Zoom and in person at the university’s Sustainability Center.

“The roundtable and car show are part of our goal to identify CSUN as the center of all aspects of sustainability in Southern California,” said Yan Searcy, dean of CSUN’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, home of the Institute for Sustainability. “Indeed, we aim for our region of the San Fernando Valley to be recognized as the ‘Sustainable Valley,’ just as the technology sector in Northern California is known as Silicon Valley.”

Searcy noted that sustainability is one of CSUN’s strategic priorities. The university has formal commitments related to reducing its climate emissions and campus and community resilience. CSUN’s Institute for Sustainability aims to broaden the definition of sustainability, promote innovation in the field, steward best practices and strategies, inform policy and create partnerships with the community and business leaders.

The electric vehicle show will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and offers attendees the opportunity to test drive cars from such automakers as Chevrolet, Tesla, Honda and Porsche.

The noon roundtable discussion on “The Future of Electric Vehicles in the U.S.” will feature representatives from Porsche AG, Tesla, Honda, Chevrolet and Chargie, which is developing a nationwide network of charging stations to support electric vehicle drivers. Among the topics the panelists will explore will be the future of electric vehicles and smart charging; the parallels, if any, between rising gas prices and the costs to buy and charge electric vehicles; and what infrastructure investments are needed to decrease carbon emissions.

Space for the in-person session of the roundtable discussion is limited, attendees can also participate in the discussion via the Zoom link https://tinyurl.com/2p8bcw3f.

For more information about the event, visit the website https://www.csun.edu/social-behavioral-sciences/events/roundtable-discussion-future-electric-vehicles-us.

Car Show, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, CSUN Institute for Sustainability, electric vehicle