Nearly 150 years ago, the driving of the ceremonial “Golden Spike” signaled the completion of the first transcontinental railroad across North America. This weekend, electric-vehicle owners will converge near the USA/Canada border to symbolically connect the charging networks along the West Coast Electric Highway, before unplugging and departing on an unprecedented international adventure.

On Sat., June 29, the public is invited to attend a “Golden Plug” celebration at the Peace Arch State Park, where a dozen electric-vehicle drivers will begin the journey from Canada to Mexico powered solely by electricity. Drivers will make the 1,500-mile, nine-day road trip, called the “BC2BC” (British Columbia to Baja California), without using a drop of gas.

Washington State Department of Transportation Secretary Lynn Peterson, Parliamentary Secretary to the British Columbia Premier for Intergovernmental Affairs Norm Letnick and other dignitaries will lead the celebration for the electric-vehicle rally at 11 a.m. Guests at the event will have opportunities to test-drive electric-vehicles and speak with rally drivers before they set out on the trip south.

After the ceremony, the vehicles will make their departures in five-minute intervals. Guests are encouraged to wave flags and cheer for the drivers as they take to the road.

The BC2BC is the brainchild of event organizer Tony Williams who, along with his 10-year-old daughter, completed the same nine-day voyage in an electric-vehicle last June. That experience led to the newly created BC2BC, an invitational rally which Williams hopes will turn into an annual event.

More information is available online at allelectricvehiclerally.org.