Contact: Pamela.McCurdy@state.mn.us, 651-757-2559
St. Paul, Minn. ― Visitors to the Minnesota State Fair will be driven with eco-inspiration when they see the latest trend in personal transportation. The fair’s Eco Experience will feature several models of electric cars, scooters and mopeds including the:
- Tesla Roadster, a full-use electric vehicle that accelerates from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.7 seconds and can go about 300 miles on a charge;
- Mitsubishi I-MiEV, an affordable, full-featured, four-passenger electric vehicle that will become available for purchase in the fall of 2011; and
- Wheego Whip LiFe, a highway-capable, two-seat electric car that can go about 100 miles per charge.
After viewing the electric vehicles, fairgoers can learn how to charge them with power from the sun at the solar carport in the Green Street exhibit at the Eco Experience. They can also register to win an e-Go Rolling Charger, a portable solar charger that can charge light electric vehicles, cell phones, GPS devices, cameras and other small electronics.
Fairgoers can also learn about transit, bike options and how to keep up with city traffic without contributing to air pollution with either of the two electric scooters that will be on display: the Zapino electric scooter, which can reach speeds up to 30 mph, or the Ego, a scooter that can go 20-25 miles per charge with a top speed of 24 mph.
For more information, go to www.ecoexperience.org.
The Eco Experience, a partnership between the Minnesota State Fair, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and dozens of organizations and businesses across the state, has become the second most popular exhibit at the fair. The Eco Experience is the largest environmental event of its kind in the country. Since 2006, more than 1.5 million visitors have attended the 25,000 square-foot exhibit to learn more about clean
air and water, saving energy, climate change, healthy local food, transportation, green building and remodeling, and other ways to lead more eco-friendly lives.
