Photo: Newly crowned 2025 Tulip Festival Queen, Abigail, driven by EVA member Lisa.
This year the 77th Annual Tulip Festival parade in Albany, NY was 100 percent electric. The new tulip queen and her court all experienced their first ride in an electric vehicle with an all female line up of EV drivers. Kate, a long time Tulip Festival attendee and EV owner since 2015, shares how it happened.
In the lead-up to the 75th Annual Tulip Festival, I started thinking about how this long-standing community tradition—one that draws thousands of visitors each year—could evolve to reflect thefuture. For decades, classic car clubs have proudly driven in the parade, celebrating the legacy of American automotive culture. As a long-term electric vehicle (EV) owner, I approached the festival organizers and proposed they consider using EVs in the parade. By incorporating electric vehicles, we had an opportunity to honor tradition while embracing the clean energy technologies that will define the next generation.
As a long-term electric vehicle owner, I approached the festival organizers and proposed they consider using EVs in the parade. By incorporating electric vehicles, we had an opportunity to honor tradition while embracing the clean energy technologies that will define the next generation.
Festival organizers were supportive and asked me if I knew EV owners who would volunteer to drive in the parade. As President of the New York Capital District Electric Vehicle Association, I said yes, and then decided to take it a step further by asking fellow women EV members of the group to be drivers for the Tulip Court. That was in 2023, and we’ve been asked to participate every year since. It’s a great way to bring together two things I love – EVs and my region’s Mother’s Day tradition, the Tulip Festival.
Photo: Kate and members of the New York Capital District Electric Vehicle Association with the 2025 Tulip Festival Court.
For the parade, we showcased a range of affordable electric vehicles that are practical and accessible for everyday drivers, including models like the Chevy Bolt and Kia EV6. Many people still believe EVs are only luxury items, but our group aims to highlight budget-friendly options that fit real-world needs. I don’t think people even realized that the cars were electric that first year we drove the EVs in the parade. Other than the quiet cars, the parade experience was completely the same. The announcer thanked the Electric Vehicle Association for participating, which may have tipped some people off that they were EVs. We’ve received feedback from the Tulip Queen and Court – they really appreciate being with women drivers and in clean running vehicles for the parade. It was also really fun to take all five of these women for their first ride in an EV.
Many people still believe EVs are only luxury items, but our group aims to highlight budget-friendly options that fit real-world needs.
Kate shared this story through the 10,000 EV Rides campaign. Generation180 and our partner, the Electric Vehicle Association, launched 10k EV Rides with the goal of giving more people firsthand experiences in electric vehicles. Research shows that just one ride in an EV makes someone up to three times more likely to consider an EV for their next car. We also love Kate’s focus on women EV owners and introducing the next generation of car drivers and owners to electric vehicles, a goal of the I’ll Drive What She’s Driving campaign.
