Dufferin County and Plug’n Drive Bring EV Test Drives to Orangeville Ontario and Surrounding Area

24 April 2025

Alder Recreation Centre to Offer Thursday to Sunday Test Drives with Five Different EVs between May 1 to May 18, plus NAPA AUTOPRO Weekday Stops in Flesherton, Brantford, Shelburne, Ingersoll, and Springwater (Barrie), ON

ORANGEVILLE, ON –(COMMUNITYWIRE)– The County of Dufferin, Townof Orangeville and Plug’n Drive will bring a fleet of all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles for test drives as well as key information right to consumers from May 1 to May 18 at MEET Orangeville at the Alder Recreation Centre, at 275 Alder St., Orangeville, ON L9W 5H6.

This will be the second stop of the Eastern leg of Plug’n Drive’s EVs are for Everyone Cross-Canada Tour, a groundbreaking initiative bringing electric vehicle (EV) education and test drives to communities across the country, brought to the Orangeville area in part by Tour National Champion RBC.

Presented by the County of Dufferin as Local Presenting Sponsor, there will be five different EVs for local drivers to sample.

“Electric vehicles offer health and climate benefits through lower emissions that are key to a cleaner future, but are also a growing part of the present for many Canadians,” said Sara MacRae, Manager of Energy and Climate at the County of Dufferin. “Whether visitors drive EVs now or are looking to learn about how they would fit into their lives, we are excited to partner with Plug’n Drive to bring free EV test drives to Dufferin County.”

Over the three weekends between May 1 and Sunday May 18, the fleet of EVs will be available for test drives Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Alder Recreation Centre in Orangeville, with test drives available to be scheduled now, or in person if available. The Town of Orangeville is also a Local Site Sponsor, and was key to bringing the EVs and information to local drivers.

Experience EV Test Drives with Plug’n Drive

There will be five different EVs available to test drive, including a long-range electric pickup from Chevrolet, electric sedans from Hyundai and Polestar, a Mitsubishi plug-in hybrid SUV, and an all-electric Volvo compact SUV.

Organizing the test drives and answering EV questions will be EV Ambassadors from Canadian non-profit Plug’n Drive, which takes EVs to communities across the country.

“It’s a tumultuous time in the auto industry right now, and savvy consumers are considering whether it may be wise to look into new or used EVs sooner than later,” said Tracy Walden, Vice President of Engagement at Plug’n Drive. “These test drive events are an easy way to experience how smooth and futuristic they feel from behind the wheel, plus ask questions surrounding overall EV ownership in Ontario.”

List of EVs available for test drives

Attendees will have the opportunity to test drive five electric vehicles from five EV brands, including:

2025 Chevrolet Silverado EV
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 6 EV
2024 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
2024 Polestar 2 EV
2024 Volvo XC40 EV

Interested drivers at the Alder Recreation Centre can book test drives in advance, though drop-ins will be welcome as well. Test drivers must be 21 with a valid full/unrestricted Class 5 driver’s license. Hours for the Alder Recreation Centre test drives are:

Thursday May 1 to Sunday May 4, 2025, 10:00am-5 pm
Thursday May 8 to Sunday May 11, 2025, 10:00am-5 pm
Thursday May 15 to Sunday May 18, 2025, 10:00am-5 pm

Other MEET Orangeville EV Test Drive Locations

Branching out from MEET Orangeville, EV Roadshows will also offer EV test drives with EV Ambassadors in four other locations in or near Orangeville during those three weeks, all hosted at local NAPA AUTO locations.

“NAPA AUTOPRO is happy to help bring EV test drives and more first-hand EV owner information to consumers as part of Plug’n Drive’s Cross Canada Tour,” said Yves Racette, Director of NAPA’s High Voltage/NexDrive program, which specializes in electrified vehicle (EV and hybrid) maintenance and repair. “These EV Roadshow days at local NAPA locations are a great way to showcase the latest EV technology to the local community, and provide extra value and information to our customers.”

These EV Roadshow events take place on Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays, and unlike the MEET, there is no sign-up list. The test drives at the Roadshows are available on a first come, first served basis.

“We’re happy to bring these EVs to five nearby NAPA locations throughout May,” said Camille Jobin, Marketing Coordinator for NAPA. “Customers and visitors in Flesherton, Brantford, Shelburne, Ingersoll and Springwater near Barrie will be able to test drive any or all of the vehicles with a Plug’n Drive EV Ambassador, and get answers to questions they may have about making the switch to electric.”

These locations include:

EV Roadshow: Flesherton
Tuesday, May 6 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
NAPA AUTOPRO – Bernard’s Quality Cars
94 Sydenham St.
Flesherton, ON N0C 1E0

EV Roadshow: Brantford
Wednesday, May 7 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
NAPA AUTOPRO – Fleming Automotive
50 Roy Blvd.
Brantford, ON N3R 7K2

EV Roadshow: Shelburne
Monday, May 12 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
NAPA AUTOPRO – Auto Care Plus
710C Industrial Rd.
Shelburne, ON L9V 2Z4

EV Roadshow: Ingersoll
Tuesday, May 13 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
NAPA AUTOPRO NexDrive Certified – Butterworth’s Service Centre
119 Charles St. E.
Ingersoll, ON N5C 1J9

EV Roadshow: Springwater (Barrie)
Wednesday, May 14 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
NAPA AUTOPRO Nexdrive Certified – Abram’s Service Centre AUTOPRO
4934 County Rd. 90
Springwater, ON L9X 0R8

Media and Public Invited to Engage with Plug’n Drive

Plug’n Drive representatives will be available to both media and the public throughout the duration of MEET Orangeville, and are encouraged to contact Plug’n Drive for more information.

For more information about the 2025 MEET Orangeville, or any of the EV Roadshows, visit the MEET Orangeville website.

Anticipated Tour Schedule

MEET Western Canada 2025

April 3-20 MEET Kelowna BC – now over!
Apr 24-May 18 MEET Calgary AB
May 22 – Jun 8 MEET Saskatoon SK
Jun 12-29 MEET Winnipeg MB
Jul 3-20 MEET Regina SK
Jul 24-Aug 17 MEET Calgary AB
Aug 21-Sep 7 MEET Edmonton AB
Sep 11-28 MEET Banff AB
Oct 2-19 MEET Canmore AB
Oct 23-Nov 10 MEET Vancouver Island BC

MEET Eastern Canada 2025

Apr 10-27 MEET St. Thomas ON
May 1-18 MEET Orangeville ON
May 22-Jun 8 MEET Sudbury ON
Jun 12-22 MEET Gatineau QC
Jun 26-Jul 13 MEET L’Ancienne-Lorette QC
Jul 17-Aug 3 MEET Edmundston/Grand Falls NB
Aug 7-24 MEET Halifax/Dartmouth NS
Aug 28-Sep 14 MEET Moncton NB
Sep 18-Oct 5 MEET Rimouski QC
Oct 9-26 MEET Quebec City QC
Oct 30-Nov 16 MEET St-Jérôme QC

Learn about Plug’n Drive’s EVs are for Everyone Cross-Canada Tour.

About Plug’n Drive

Plug’n Drive is a not-for-profit organization accelerating EV adoption in Canada to maximize the environmental and economic benefits of an electrified transportation sector. Our vision is to help Canada achieve its goal of 100% electric vehicle sales by 2035 or earlier. Since 2011, we have made incredible strides in our mission through a variety of consumer education programs, including the launch of the world’s first Electric Vehicle Discovery Centre (EVDC) in Toronto, the Electric Vehicle Roadshow event series as well as the Mobile EV Education Trailer (MEET). Our corporate partnerships include EV auto manufacturers, utilities, EV charger manufacturers, and others. For more information about Plug’n Drive’s programs, services, and events, visit plugndrive.ca and sign up for our newsletter. Join our community on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Alan Downward, Communications Advisor
Plug’n Drive
alan@plugndrive.ca
(647) 449-9715