You know how it is with car enthusiasts. There's always that friendly rivalry — you've got your Ford fans, your Chevy fans, the Mustang® crowd, and the Camaro crew. But honestly, at the end of the day, a shared passion for driving brings us all together at the same car shows.

When the electric vehicle community really started to grow, I noticed a different dynamic. The scene felt ... siloed. We had founded Tesla Club SoCal, which grew into a very big club, and my wife and I were proud of it. But as Ford, Chevrolet, and everyone else began bringing their EVs out, I thought, "This is going to be the next big thing."

I could see a potential problem on the horizon. Someone who owns a Ford electric vehicle may not feel comfortable going to a Tesla-only event, right? To build a true, lasting community, I knew something had to change.

So, in 2021, my wife Marty and I founded SoCal EVs with a simple, powerful mission: to include everyone.

I wanted to create a space where the brand of your electric vehicle didn't matter. As I always say, "I don't care if you have a Ford, Chevy, Tesla, or whatever. You're my friend."

Let's bring our cars together just like regular cars and coffee would. If you had an old Chevy and an old Ford, you'd go to the same event. So, we're trying to do the same thing with electric vehicles.

It feels fitting, then, that my daily driver is a Ford F-150 Lightning®.

The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive.

When SoCal EVs started welcoming all brands, the reaction from the group was the opposite of what some might expect.

Everyone's really excited to watch the community grow.

Today, SoCalEVs is a thriving and diverse group with over 500 members.

Events that once were 99% one brand now feature a wide variety of electric vehicles.

Our flagship gathering, EV Fest, is another testament to this inclusion. Drawing 400 to 500 electric vehicles and up to 1,000 people, the event is free to the public, removing any barrier for the electric-curious. It’s a full-blown celebration with a kid’s video game truck, a car show with trophies, and a chance for people to see the diversity of the electric landscape firsthand.

For my wife and I, it’s about more than just cars. It’s about building a stronger, more unified culture around a shared goal. By bringing owners of all stripes together, SoCal EVs is helping to accelerate the transition to electric mobility, one friendly car meet at a time. It’s a testament to the idea that a community, like a great truck, can bring everyone along for the ride.

Will Morrise, with his wife, Marty, is the driving force behind SoCal EVs, Southern California's largest electric vehicle club.