The Town’s volunteer Sustainable Fairfield Task Force (SFTF) announced today that the public is invited to attend the “Green Wheels Expo” which will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fairfield Train Station overflow commuter parking lot at 140 Mill Plain Road (across from the Eunice Postol Recreation Center and the Sportsplex).
In celebration of National Drive Electric Week which begins Saturday, September 14, 2019, the SFTF is hosting Connecticut’s largest display of electrical vehicle (EV) technology featuring dozens of the latest in electric cars, bikes, motorbikes, lawn mowers and school buses, with some available for test rides.
This free annual event, formerly called the EV Showcase, will bring together local car dealers, electric car club members, and private EV owners from Connecticut and throughout the tri-state region to display the current state of the technology. The Expo also will feature an electric school bus, from the City of White Plains, NY, manufactured by the Lion Electric Company and operated by National Express Transit. There will be kid-friendly activities as well as exhibits on the environmental benefits of carpooling and bike sharing, mass transportation, and biking, hiking and walking. Refreshments will be available from MiniMunch and PopCentric food trucks.
The event’s sponsors include Aquarion, Greater New Haven Clean Cities Coalition, CT Southwestern Area Clean Cities Coalition, Live Green CT, Maritime Chevrolet, and United Illuminating.
Showcasing Fairfield’s EV Leadership
First Selectman Mike Tetreau said, “This year’s event will showcase the Town of Fairfield’s statewide leadership in encouraging greater use of EVs, with many owners on hand to provide their first-hand perspective on all the fun and advantages of ‘greening their ride.’ The Green Wheels Expo is a terrific opportunity to learn more about why owning an EV is so appealing – and to get a close-up look at all of the options that the fast-growing EV market now offers. I wish to thank all of the Town’s dedicated SFTF members for hosting this community event!”
Models registered for display by owners – representing more than 600,000 miles driven electrically – include the Tesla Model 3, Model S, Model X, and Roadster; the Chevrolet Bolt and Volt; the BMW i3 Rex and i8; the Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid; the Hyundai KONA Electric; the Jaguar I-Pace; the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV; the Nissan Leaf from model years 2011 through 2018; the Smart for two electric drive, and the Volvo XC90 AWD PHEV. Also on display will be the Vespa Elettrica motor scooter, along with electric lawn mowers from Mow Green.
EV’s – both cars and e-bikes – will be available for test rides from dealers on site including Paul Miller Nissan of Fairfield, Porsche of Fairfield, Audi Fairfield, BMW, Maritime Chevrolet, Honda of Westport, Jaguar/Land Rover, Stamford Motorsports, Fairfield Mitsubishi, Dan Perkins Subaru Milford, Tesla Motors, and Zane's Cycles.
The Green Wheels Expo will be a “zero waste event,” with focus on reducing the event’s solid waste, reusing materials, and collecting refuse items such as paper cups and food scraps for recycling and composting. The Expo needs volunteers to man collection stations – and learn more about implementing zero waste approaches at home and work. To volunteer, please contact SFTF member Mary Hogue at maryhogue350@gmail.com.
National Drive Electric Week (NDEW), September 14-22, is a nationwide celebration to heighten awareness of today's widespread availability of plug-in vehicles and to highlight the benefits of all-electric and hybrid-electric cars, trucks, motorcycles, and more.
Local EV owners are invited to bring their vehicles to display at the event; for information on how to register a vehicle, please visit the Fairfield event page on the NDEW website. To view videos featuring Fairfield enthusiasts describing their EV experiences, please visit the SFTF Facebook page. For more information on National Drive Electric Week, please visit their website.
For further information, please contact SFTF Chair and Fairfield resident, Scott Thompson at (203) 912-0211.