Chevrolet Volt, Nissan LEAF and Other Electric Vehicles to Participate in Detroit Ride-and-Drive, October 12-13

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This October, the Business of Plugging In(SM) conference will host an exclusive ride-and-drive event offering attendees the opportunity to get behind the wheel of several production and concept electric vehicles. Alongside the Detroit River and just steps away from the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, where the event is taking place, a test track will be available on Tuesday, Oct. 12 (12 p.m.–6 p.m.) and Wednesday, Oct. 13 (10 a.m.–6 p.m.).

Confirmed production vehicles include:

• 2011 Chevrolet Volt
• 2012 Ford Focus Electric
• 2011 Ford Transit Connect Electric
• 2011 Nissan LEAF

Confirmed pre-production and concept vehicles include:

• 2010 AMP Chevrolet Equinox
• CODA electric car
• Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid
• MINI E
• Protean Electric's Ford F-150 Battery Electric Test Vehicle
• smart fortwo electric drive

Charging stations from Schneider Electric, PEP Stations, and others will also be on display and in operation.

The Business of Plugging In event will unite automotive, utility, technology, finance and policy leaders to continue the intelligent discussion surrounding the global PEV market. Panels and sessions like "Preparing the PEV Workforce," "Launch 2010: Managing Expectations," and "Reshaping the City: Leading the Local Charge" will address the challenges faced by each of these industry sectors in the year that mass production EVs are appearing in U.S. dealerships. For full details, visit www.bpiconference.com/agenda.

About The Business of Plugging In(SM)

The Business of Plugging In first took place in 2009 in Detroit, the center of global automotive technology leadership, to cultivate discussion among key stakeholders about developing a business model and infrastructure that will support the introduction and future growth of plug-in electric vehicles. Presenting Sponsors for 2010 are General Motors (www.gm.com) and DTE Energy (www.dteenergy.com). The Center for Automotive Research (www.cargroup.org) , based in Ann Arbor, Mich. manages the conference.

SOURCE Center for Automotive Research