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http://www.portagelife.com/index.php/business/512/5137

South Shore Clean Cities, State of Indiana to Award Electric Vehicles to Northern Indiana Cities
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Written by Purdue University
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sscc-thinkMunicipal leaders from 13 cities in northern Indiana will receive electric vehicles manufactured in Elkhart, Ind., during an event Wednesday (Sept. 21) at the Purdue Technology Center of Northwest Indiana.

Officials from Angola, Cedar Lake, Chesterton, Crown Point, Dyer, Elkhart, Gary, Hammond, Schererville, South Bend and Whiting each will receive a THINK City electric vehicle. Two THINK City vehicles will be presented to officials from LaPorte and Michigan City.

The vehicles are being awarded through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding from the state of Indiana. Executives from South Shore Clean Cities selected which cities would receive the vehicles. Leaders at South Shore Clean Cities also are officials at Legacy Environmental Services Inc., based at the Purdue Research Park.

"South Shore Clean Cities' goal is to work on building partnerships to reduce petroleum use in transportation," said Carl Lisek, executive director. "South Shore Clean Cities advances Indiana's economic, environmental and energy security by supporting local actions to reduce petroleum consumption in transportation. A national network of nearly 100 Clean Cities coalitions brings together stakeholders in the public and private sectors to deploy alternative and renewable fuels, idle-reduction measures, fuel economy improvements, and emerging transportation technologies. This will assist us in making Indiana ready for electric vehicles and coordinating unity in our communities."

The vehicle presentation will be at 11 a.m. CST at the Purdue Technology Center, 9800 Connecticut Drive, Crown Point, Ind.

The THINK City is the first electric car to be granted pan-European regulatory safety approval. It is sold across Europe, with sales and production in the United States and operations being developed in Asia.

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http://www.wndu.com/localnews/headlines/13..._130277753.html

13 cities across northern Indiana are getting some of the all-electric Think City vehicles Wednesday.

The cars are manufactured at the plant in Elkhart.

Wednesday, city leaders from places like Angola, Crown Point, Gary, LaPorte, Michigan City and South Bend will be taking home at least one of the Think City cars.

The cars are being given out through funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

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http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2011/0...d8511283951.txt

Company gives two electric cars to city

Althea Allen stands with the two-seat all-electric car. Photo by Deborah Sederberg
By Deborah Sederberg
Staff Writer
Published: Friday, September 23, 2011 5:08 PM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — Althea Allen has had the city’s new blue car go up to 70 mph.

“And it drove well,” Allen, Michigan City Central Maintenance Department assistant superintendent, said. “But that wasn’t in town. It was on the highway.”

The car uses no gasoline. It’s a Think City: an all-electric car. Gifts from the Elkhart-based Think company, a manufacturer of all-electric cars, two vehicles went to La Porte last week and two to Michigan City on Thursday. One also went to Chesterton and others to Lake County communities: Cedar Lake, Crown Point, Dyer, Gary, Hammond, Schererville and Whiting.

In addition, cars were to be delivered to Angola, Elkhart and South Bend.

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Think worked in partnership with the South Shore Clean Cities, a non-profit group with a strong connection to the Indiana Office of Energy Development, on the project, “an opportunity to add clean, pure electric vehicles to (northern Indiana) city fleets,” THINK spokesman Brendan Prebo said.

Mayor Chuck Oberlie said Thursday he is working with various city officials, including Charlie Cate, Central Maintenance Department superintendent, on the matter.

“We’re still trying to decide what to do with them,” he said.

Cate agreed, but people who stopped by Central Maintenance wanted at least to sit in it, if not ride in it around the block.

Michigan City Police Officer Michael Chamberlain, a tall man, sat in it, but a man standing outside closed the door for him.

“He practically broke my arm,” Chamberlain said.

Cate said, “It’s important to remember that when the police department had Chevy Impala patrol cars, the officers complained that they were too small. A lot of officers are tall.”

In town and on U.S. 12, with Allen behind the wheel, the two-seater car traveled smoothly. She said it handled easily. Behind the seats is a roomy, trunk-like compartment. With the hood open, the battery is hidden by other parts, but the air conditioner is clearly visible.

The body is made of recycled plastic impregnated with color. It is extremely quiet.

“I chose blue,” Cate said. “They also come in red and black.”

The car will run for 100 miles before it needs another charge, and a charge takes about eight hours with standard 110-volt service. With 220 service, the charge takes about four hours.

The charging mechanism looks much like a gas pump hose. A lens covering a brake light above the back window has “Ford” stamped on the plastic.

The electric car is designed to lessen U.S. dependence on foreign oil and to improve air quality, Prebo said in a release.

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http://www.thenewsdispatch.com/articles/20...97636518483.txt

Michigan City has a new 'cool' factor with electric cars

Published: Monday, September 26, 2011 5:08 PM CDT
Michigan City and La Porte have joined an elite group of cities that now possess all-electric cars, bringing the cities into the forefront of a new generation of transportation possibilities.

The cars are gifts from the Elkhart-based Think company, which manufactures all-electric cars. Each city received two cars, along with Cedar Lake, Crown Point, Dyer, Gary, Hammond, Schererville and Whiting. Cars are also going to Angola, Elkhart and South Bend.

These are the first all-electric vehicles to be part of the city fleets.

As the city works out what it is going to do with the new vehicles, it's still good to know that we're getting some first-hand experience in 2011 about the future of transportation in Michigan City. Electric cars can reduce our dependence on foreign oil and all-electric cars are a cleaner option for the air.

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And our city has kind of a "cool" factor going now. Part of our fleet is electric.

We'll check back in with the city as to how the vehicles are being used and how city employees like driving them. So watch for the cars out there on our streets. Will this become a trend? We are at the forefront of finding out.