RSSElectric car show coming to the Valley this weekend
ON Magazine
E-mail
Print
Comments
This Labor Day Weekend, it's all about going green while having a good time.
Yeah, yeah, what isn't these days -- but is that really such a bad thing?
It means all the cool kids worried about global warming -- but who still want to get out of town -- will be carpooling with their buddies, preferably in a Prius, to see the Dave Matthews Band at the Gorge Amphitheatre. (And also harshly scolding people for not using the recycle bins there.)
Or they'll add a couple of $2 carbon credits to their Bumbershoot pass in hopes of off-setting that nasty CO2 created by driving over to Seattle.
But if you want to lift your carbon consciousness while staying close to home -- and not just sit at home, with the power off, making clothes out of hemp -- you can check out this weekend's electric car show.
It runs today through Sunday at The Tasting Room Yakima, so, of course, you can also sip some wine while you're there.
MC Electric Vehicles of Seattle is bringing over six different types of electric vehicles that range from utility to sedan to all-terrain. Most are considered neighborhood electric vehicles, or NEV, and are street legal. They can go up to 35 miles per hour for 40 miles on a full charge.
"A lot of people say, 'Oh, it's like a suped-up golf cart.' Well, it's not," explains Heather Christensen, who works in sales for MC Electric Vehicles and uses her electric car for 90 percent of her in-town travel.
Unlike hybrids, these cars run completely on electricity -- no trips to the pump. Christensen plugs hers into a standard outlet in the garage when it's parked.
"Some people buy them to save money on gas. To live a greener lifestyle and to reduce their carbon footprint," she says. "I hear them say they want to be part of the bigger picture."
But still, an electric car? Lightening up your fossil fuel consumption aside, they raise a lot of questions: How long do the batteries last? How do you insure one? Are they safe?
This weekend, Christensen and her husband, MC fleet representative Jarrod Christensen, will be here to explain all the nuts and bolts -- and volts -- of these cars.
And, you'll be able to test drive one.
"Preferably before you have a wine tasting," jokes Damian Lagle.
Lagle and his wife, Angie, former California grape growers, manage The Tasting Room Yakima, a winery cooperative that offers up wines from Harlequin Wine Cellars, Naches Heights Vineyard and Wilridge Winery.
They're also the caretakers of the 85 acres that The Tasting Room sits on near Gleed. Opened nearly a year ago, this rural farmhouse tasting room -- it even has a cute, white screen door -- is perched off Naches Heights Road with a panoramic view of fruit-heavy apple trees and Wilridge's nine acres of biodynamic wine grapes. (They should be ready for harvest in two to three years.)
Biodynamic agriculture is a method of farming that takes a holistic approach. Everything from the soil to the phases of the moon comes into play.
"It takes organic further," says Angie. "Self-sustainability is the key term."
And laid-back fun is the theme of this weekend's eco-friendly event. In addition to the electric cars, folks are invited to bring a picnic, sip wine, stroll through the vineyard, listen to live music or take a hay ride in the back of an electric truck.
Says Christensen: "Driving around in a truck and not polluting the vineyard is really exciting."
If you go
WHAT: Eco-friendly fun. Electric vehicles from MC Electric Vehicles of Seattle will be on display and available for test driving, plus there's wine tasting and live music from Jim Henson and Gentlemen Wild.
WHEN: 4 to 7 p.m. today and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
WHERE: The Tasting Room Yakima, 250 Ehler Road.
HOW MUCH: Free.
INFO: Call 966-0686.
Posting Guidelines - Updated Aug. 21 2009
Readers are encouraged to use these forums to discuss issues affecting the
Yakima Valley. Debate the ideas presented in stories and other comments, but
refrain from personal attacks and offensive remarks aimed at others; e.g.,
you may call an idea idiotic, but don't say the person is an idiot. The
Herald-Republic reserves the right to remove any comment for any reason.
Examples include material that is obscene, encourages illegal activity or
stereotypes based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs and
other factors. Continued violation of these guidelines can lead to
suspension or revocation of your ability to post comments. If you believe a
comment is inappropriate, you can bring it to our attention by clicking the
"report violation" link by each comment. Guidelines revised Aug. 21, 2009.
Registered User?
