All-Electric Ride-and-Drive To Hit Dearborn In October

ANN ARBOR -- Smart, efficient and fully charged. These are the common features of the plug-in electric vehicles to be on display -- and driven -- at The Business of Plugging In 2011, a Center for Automotive Research conference.

The event, taking place Oct. 11-13 at the Hyatt Regency in Dearborn, will include an exclusive ride-and-drive offering attendees the opportunity to drive several production electric vehicles. The test track, featuring hairpin turns, accelerations and a slalom course, will deliver a full driving experience, just steps away from conference presenters and exhibitors.

Ride-and-drive vehicles will include:

Chevrolet Volt
Nissan Leaf
Ford Transit Connect Electric
Mercedes ML350 EV provided by AMP Electric Vehicles
Saturn Sky provided by AMP Electric Vehicles
Vauxhall Vivaro provided by Protean Drive
Plus, additional vehicles to be revealed in September

When not behind the wheel of an EV, conference registrants can view several types of charging stations, on display and in operation, in addition to hearing from dozens of industry experts during The Business of Plugging In 2011 panel discussions and technical sessions. Sessions will include "Changing Perspectives: PEV Partnerships in a Changing World," focusing on the evolving landscape for automakers and suppliers, and "Consumer Insights," discussing early consumer response and stakeholder reaction.

Encouraging collaboration within the industry to address global challenges, the conference will offer access to information from nearly 50 exhibitors, including, automakers, charging station providers and other stakeholders.

For the full event agenda, visit http://www.bpiconference.com/agenda. The conference will be offering an early registration discount through Aug. 31.