Municipal 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.