Hybridfest 2007, the nation’s largest hybrid car festival, will be held on Saturday, July 21, from 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. and Sunday, July 22, from noon to 5 P.M. at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, WI, as part of the Dane County Fair. With more than 100 hybrid cars on display, and at least six different plug-in hybrid cars in the show (the largest public gathering of plug-in hybrid cars to date), Hybridfest 2007 will be introducing thousands of people to the plug-in hybrid car idea.
Hybridfest attendees will have the opportunity to watch as Wisconsin Public Power’s stock Toyota Prius is converted to a plug-in hybrid on-site on Sunday (7/22).
Eric Powers, president of Hybridfest, sees plug-in hybrids as the next step in the evolution of the clean automobile. “Using technology and infrastructure that’s available today, plug–in hybrids let you fill up on electricity at home, from a regular outlet, at an equivalent cost of under $1/gallon.” Powers continued, “By charging up the batteries at night, your car essentially becomes an electric vehicle with a gas tank backup. So you’ll have a cleaner, cheaper, quieter car for your local travel, and the gas tank is always
there should you need to drive longer distances”.
Hybridfest 2007 will welcome “home” hybrid owners from all over America and Canada. The annual Hybridfest event in Madison, WI, has become home to a wide range of hybrid owners, bloggers and
fuel-efficient drivers, known as hypermilers. One hybrid owner Kennewick, WA, achieved a 98 MPG
average over the 1,822-mile trip to Hybridfest last summer. Hybridfest also offers the MPG Challenge, which allows drivers, ranging from novices to accomplished hypermilers, to compete against each other to achieve maximum fuel economy over the open course. Last year’s overall winner achieved
more than 180 MPG on the 20-mile course.
This year, Hybridfest will host a special division of the MPG Challenge, open to the press and members of the media, that will allow them to drive the course to gain a first-hand perspective of how hypermiling works.
Hybridfest 2007 attendees will be able to:
• Meet auto dealers/reps and test-drive hybrid vehicles
• See unique vehicles such as a diesel hybrid SUV and plug-in hybrids
• View interactive displays including the Toyota Mobile Hybrid Experience
• See industry and vendor exhibits
• Talk with hybrid owners about their vehicles and hybrid experiences
• Listen to presentations from hybrid, driving and environmental experts
Hybridfest 2007 is proud to thank these sponsors for their support:
Diamond: Toyota. Ruby: General Motors. Platinum: Ford Motor Company. Gold: Bridgestone, Continental Automotive Systems. Silver: Austin Energy/Plug In Partners, Clean MPG.com, Coastal
Electronics, Lexus of Madison, Quaker Steak & Lube, Wisconsin Public Power Inc.
Hybridfest 2007 is a free event with the purchase of a Dane County Fair ticket: $3 for ages 6–11 or $6 for ages 12 and above.
Hybridfest, Inc. is a non-profit organization run entirely by volunteers. Hybridfest promotes awareness and understanding of hybrid electric vehicles and other fuel-efficient vehicles and their positive
environmental impact.
So, if you want to sell car Canada or America that is a hybrid, you should go!
industries for the last 50 years. Most of this is due to the fact that the barriers to entry in the auto industry are so high. There are tons of costs in design and manufacturing that limit any new start-ups coming along. Luckily one company has broken through and is making quite the splash at the Detroit Auto Show. Fisker Automotive is riding the wave of environmental consciousness that is sweeping the globe, Fisker Automotive has developed a hybrid prototype car, the Karma. The Karma is a plug in hybrid that is a 4-door sedan with amazingly sleek lines.