Alternative Vehicles Area
East end, outside of Grandstand
This emerging technology exhibit showcases new thinking on transportation choices and vehicle technology, boasting a bigger lineup of environmental vehicles from major manufacturers than most auto shows. See examples of remarkable efficiency along with use of renewable energy.
 Related: Workshops and exhibits on transportation and energy
New Vehicle Technologies
A variety of zero-emission and fuel-efficient vehicle models will be on display at the Living Green Expo. Featuring models that are currently available or on the immediate horizon.
 Fuel cells. Expo visitors can get a first glimpse of the new Chevrolet Fuel Cell Equinox. Only 100 of these Green Car Vision Award SUVs are being tested in the United States. All power for the car is generated via a nickel-metal-hydride battery pack powered by the hydrogen fuel cell and regenerative braking, and its tailpipe emissions are only water.
Neighborhood electric vehicles (NEV) offer options for commuters that typically drive 30 mph or less to get to work or run errands around town. Electric utility trucks offer materials-transport capacity, while 4-seater sedans have ample room for passengers.  These battery-run electric vehicles are recharged using standard electrical outlets, and some models have the capacity to recharge through a solar panel affixed to the roof!
Gas/electric hybrids have been recognized for their use of an electric motor that works so the gasoline-powered engine doesn't have to, extending gas mileage. Hybrids accounted for 2.2% of the U.S. market in 2007, with over 350,000 new registrations.
Showcasing innovation. Higher costs for fuel and environmental costs are driving the development of more efficient transportation options that use little energy and right-sized for just a few riders.
Cleaner fuels. See an impressive display of vehicles that use the brand-new clean diesel technology that makes diesel cleaner and quieter, or flex-fuel vehicles that use 85% ethanol (E85). There will be ample opportunity to talk directly with vendors to find out more about fuel savings and environmental benefits.
Converted Electric Vehicles
 Minnesota Electric Automobile Association members will be showing off their converted electric vehicles. The gasoline-powered engines have been replaced by electric motors and batteries.
- Check out the "Volt Vette," a sporty 1987 Corvette that has gone green and gets the equivalent of 40 to 100 miles per gallon.
- A Pontiac Fiero
(1986)
- Two Chevy S-10 pick-up trucks: both a conversion and an electric factory production model
- A converted 1966 Chevy Corvair
Veggie Oil Diesel Conversions
Did know that there's a conversion process that enables diesel vehicles to run on used fryer oil (UFO) or straight veggie oil (SVO)? See how waste fryer oil is filtered for use as fuel. The expo features several vehicle examples from Oil Conversions.
- 1982 Mercedes Benz 300SD
- 1994 Chevrolet 2500 pickup truck
- 2001 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
Featured vehicle
 See Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak’s official car, which gets 70 to 100 miles per gallon. The car's amazing gas mileage comes from a retrofit that makes it possible to recharge the car's batteries by plugging into a standard electric outlet—a "plug-in hybrid electric vehicle." This car will soon be recharged using a solar array system on a city-owned building. This combination of technologies—using renewable solar energy to charge an electric-hybrid car—means zero emissions, both when the electricity is generated by the solar panel and while it is used by the car.
Vehicle to Grid Technology (V2G)
 Xcel Energy will display a Ford Escape plug-in hybrid that is designed to allow electricity to flow from the vehicle batteries back to power lines. “Vehicle to grid” (V2G) is innovative, offering a source of energy that could supplement electrical power during peak loads or provide power during an outage. A typical electric-drive vehicle can put out over 10kW, the average draw of 10 houses.
|
