Today's Most Popular Video
Nov 25, 2008 9:24 am US/Central
2 New Electric Cars Join Minneapolis Fleet
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) ―
-
-
The initials of the ZENN stand for "Zero Emissions, No Noise."
CBS
The Mayor of Minneapolis showed off two new electric cars which the city has added to its fleet Monday, one of which was actually made in Minnesota.
The cars use no gasoline and make almost no sound. Minneapolis plans for inspectors in the downtown area to use these vehicles for their rounds.
The city says it will cost just 56 cents to fully charge each electric car. The cars only travel about 25 miles per hour, and aren't expected to be used for emergency services.
"They will be vehicles we use for regulatory services, and having our inspectors go into neighborhoods. They will be things we can use for our traffic control agents," said Mayor R.T. Rybak. "And having the right car for the right use is not only a good environmental strategy, but a good economic strategy as well."
The EXV4, which looks like a cross between an Army truck and a golf cart, is made in Princeton, Minn. It's built with aluminum and fiberglass and weighs just less than one ton.
The initials of the ZENN, the other electric car added to Minneapolis' fleet looks more like a conventional car, stand for "Zero Emissions, No Noise."
Both vehicles have electric heaters and defrosters.
"Part of the reason we bought one of each type of vehicle is because we're kind of hard on cars here in Minnesota. The winters can be hard on cars, and we're excited to have a full winter's data coming up about how they work," said Burt Osborne, with the City of Minneapolis.
These electric cars also require very little maintenance, and the people who make them say their future is very bright.
"We're right on the verge of totally exploding. We're working on some large contracts right now, and in the next year you'll hear a lot of us, I hope," said Kurt Bauerly of E-Ride Industries.
The City of Minneapolis also has in its fleet 50 hybrid vehicles which use electric motors and small gasoline engines.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Man Recalls Night Friend Was Shot By Cop
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
