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Electric transportation isn’t just about electric cars anymore, according to information shared Thursday at the fourth annual Lake Tahoe Electric Transportation Forum.
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The future, or really the present, is made up of electric boats, bikes, planes and even flying “cars” — technically called all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. All of these vehicles — minus the e-bike — were on display at the forum held at the Tahoe Blue Event Center in Stateline, Nevada.
The event featured a keynote speech from Heather Chirtea, the first female flying car pilot, and five panels covering topics ranging from EV transportation around Lake Tahoe to circular supply chains for EV materials. Conversations ranged from futuristic descriptions of everyday flying car trips to the ongoing struggles over funding for electric transit buses.
The event is “an educational advocacy forum that is dedicated to accelerating electrification on land, on the water and in the air,” said the forum’s founder, Kevin McGehee. The ultimate goal is to help keep Lake Tahoe clean, with many presenters and attendees touting the sustainability of the technology.
U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada first addressed the crowd of about 70 attendees, speaking about her efforts to support lithium battery production in Nevada. The state, she said, has the most complete “lithium loop,” meaning it addresses nearly every step in the lithium-ion battery cycle, from raw mining to manufacturing to recycling.
“Like all of you, I know that clean transportation isn’t just about expanding access to electric vehicles and installing charging ports,” Masto said. “We also need to ensure that we have a strong domestic supply chain for everything from critical minerals to battery manufacturing.”
The most prevalent use of electric transportation is on the road, with more than 150,000 electric vehicles sold so far this year in California, according to the California Energy Commission. However, after years of focusing on electric cars and other road vehicles, McGehee said he wanted to bring boats and aircraft into the conversation.
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“Where EVs were 10-12 years ago is where boats are now,” McGehee said, adding that he wants to get communication flowing about these developing technologies.
Jonathan Robinson, a panelist speaking on electric boats, said he and his wife, Tracy Robinson, were early adopters of electric vehicles and their company, Baywatch Boat Charters, was the first to lput an electric boat into charter service, according to the boat manufacturer ARC. That 25-foot ARC electric boat is available in South Lake Tahoe and even was scheduled to offer rides for forum attendees at the end of the day.
Jonathan Robinson said there are many benefits to an electric boat, including annual maintenance savings of about $3,000 and no exhaust pollution. It’s also less expensive to charge the boat than to fill it with gas. One drawback is that ARC is the only company that can service the boat, leaving the Robinsons reliant on it to keep the boat running.
Jeanette Mori and Mark Kennedy, a couple who have lived in South Lake Tahoe for five years, attended the event Thursday to learn about the developing technology and out of curiosity about the flying “car,” or all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. They have been leasing a Rivian electric vehicle since 2024 but recently purchased it and installed a home charger about two weeks ago.
Kennedy said he learned about the challenges of acquiring electric transit buses, including a current struggle with federal funding, while Mori got more information about battery capacity for some vehicles in cold weather.
“(It was) curiosity and also just wanting there to be less reliance on fossil fuels and taking care of the lake,” Mori said.
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This story was originally published August 20, 2026 at 4:10 PM.