Electric vehicle showcase in Lansing demonstrates breadth of EV uses
LANSING, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Clean fuel innovation descended on the Capitol on Tuesday.
Organizers tell CBS News Detroit the goal is to showcase what's available and what's coming to the world of EVs.
"We've got electric vehicles available for test drives, as well as static display vehicles and electric vehicle charging station exhibitors underneath the tent on the Capitol lawn to display the breadth of the electric vehicle industry to our state's policymakers," said Jane McCurry, executive director of Clean Fuels Michigan.
On the block surrounding the capitol are electric cars you already see on the streets to EV trucks and school buses. Tuesday's showcase provided an example of what EVs have to offer.
"I'm excited to see how we can not only clean the atmosphere but also bring, call it homegrown energy here in the US," said Don Gibson, director of sales for FreeWire Technologies a fast-charging company using infrastructure that's already available.
Gibson said his company's products can juice up a car pretty quickly.
"You can charge a vehicle pretty much up to 80% in anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes and just using that infrastructure that you have available and already installed there," he said.
Also on display was a new type of electric truck from Bollinger Motors in Oak Park. Michael Schmall explained that medium-duty vehicles like his could have a major positive impact on the environment.
"Medium-duty vehicles like this one tend to be extreme polluters in our society today," he said. "It will have a great impact on the environment. When they're out there substituting for current vehicles. You can do everything you can do with a traditional vehicle with this vehicle obviously being cognizant of the range."
Holding the showcase at the Capitol was no accident either, as companies were able to show lawmakers their products and drum up legislative support for electric vehicles.