Are you thinking about buying or leasing an electric car, scooter, or bicycle, or interested in learning about the benefits of EV ownership? Come to the second annual Electric Vehicle Fair on Saturday, October 3 from 1:00 – 4:00 pm at the Marlboro College Graduate School, 28 Vernon Street in downtown Brattleboro. A wide range of all-electric and plug-in hybrid cars, along with electric-assisted bikes, cargo bikes and electric scooters will be on display, with many available for test rides. Electric vehicle owners and local dealers will be on hand to answer questions, and table displays will provide information on electric vehicles. At 2:30 pm, local bike enthusiast Dave Cohen will offer a talk on the benefits of electric and cargo bikes.
Over half of all Vermont communities have plug-in electric vehicles registered. Owners spend the equivalent of $1 per gallon of gas to charge their vehicles, while saving $1,200 or more on annual maintenance costs. EV purchasers are eligible for up to $7,500 in federal tax credits. Electric vehicles accelerate faster than most equivalent gas-powered vehicles, and have increased traction for winter driving due to the weight of the batteries. EVs are quiet, produce zero tailpipe emissions, and can be powered with renewable energy. If all Vermont cars were electric, Vermont residents would save over $800 million in gasoline costs every year.
Electric bikes are unparalleled in their energy efficiency and profoundly expand the range, carrying capacity (children and cargo), hill climbing ease, comfort and the overall utility of biking. Additionally, a cargo bike with an e-assist system can be a replacement for an automobile for many local transportation needs. With the popularity of e-bikes and e-cargo bikes rising throughout the nation there is a growing recognition of the significant physical and mental benefits of being physically engaged in our transportation, as well as making our communities profoundly more livable . E-assist batteries are easily charged at home or in the office and can take a rider as far as 60 miles.
The Electric Vehicle Fair is free and open to the public, sponsored by Brattleboro Climate Protection, VBike, the Brattleboro Energy Committee, and the Marlboro College Graduate School.
For more information, contact:
Paul Cameron
Brattleboro Climate Protection
230 Main Street, Suite 202
Brattleboro, VT 05301
(802) 251-8135
Lead By Example
Great idea. I bet there will be a good amount of interest in this.
Time for the town to start using electric vehicles, too, don’t ya think?
Regular municipal vehicles and others could start being swapped in at replacement time. I’ve read about some electric dump trucks for mining that carry huge loads, and another company is looking to retrofit existing vehicles.
Drivers of police vehicles might enjoy the faster starts and silent approaches possible, too.
Old idea is new again
I was reading some 20th century history recently and it appears that electric cars were very early on the scene, right after the turn of the century. They were sometimes called runabouts and even young women were deemed qualified to drive them. The only problem seemed to be running out of juice at inopportune times.