Discussion panel of experts, food trucks, live music and more

The annual North Country Electric Vehicle Show & Tell Event is charged up and ready to drive into its new location Thursday, September 8, at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth from 4:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Several types of electric vehicles will be available to the public for viewing.

If you’re considering an electric vehicle (EV), already own one, or are just interested in learning more about EVs, save the date and bring your family and lawn chairs to the Bayfront location, where parking and admission are free.

The first 100 attendees who sign-in at the registration table starting at 4:00 p.m. will receive a complimentary $10 voucher to use at the food trucks (one voucher per household). Vouchers will be given on a first-come, first-served basis and are expected to go fast.

Food trucks include Bob-a-Q Smokehouse and Grill, Kernel’s Best Kettle Korn, Love Creamery, Na-cho Bizness and Grandma’s Restaurant Company. Informational tables will be staffed where attendees can find out about charging programs and rebates, at-home chargers on the market, and other related questions.

Several types of EVs will be available to the public for viewing and staffed by their owners to answer questions. There will be dozens of electric models ranging from light-duty to heavy-duty such as the Ford F-150 Lightning, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Tesla models, the Odyne ePTO hybrid truck, Ford e-Transit work van, Volvo mini excavator, XOS SV05 step van, Mean Green mower, and more. 

At 5:00 p.m., a discussion panel of six industry experts will share their well-rounded knowledge and experience with electric vehicles, including time to take questions from the audience. Panelists include Shift2Electric, a Tesla owner, Volkswagen of Duluth, Great River Energy, Minnesota Power, and Talon Metals.

“The discussion panel is ranked as the most popular and valuable part of our event,” said Greg Schulzetenberg, manager of community relations and marketing for Lake Country Power. “This year’s panel will be very educational as we add Talon Metals into the conversation to talk about the purpose for nickel mining, battery recycling options, and environmentally-responsible mining practices.” 

Then at 6:15 p.m., Mason Dixon Line will take center stage for a free, lively concert. EVs and food trucks will remain on display until 7:30 p.m. when the event concludes.

The goal of this event is to connect those interested in EVs to those who have already made the leap to purchase an electric vehicle.

The north country event is sponsored by Great River Energy, Arrowhead Cooperative, Cooperative Light & Power, East Central Energy and Lake Country Power, with additional support from Minnesota Clean Cities Coalition and Minnesota Power. Shift2Electric, several EV owners and local dealerships will also be on hand.

For more information, visit www.lakecountrypower.coop/north-country-ev-show-and-tell. For more information about electric vehicles visit www.energywisemn.com/plugintomn and www.energywisemn.com/evs. 

Thursday’s Schedule

• 1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Private event for commercial fleet buyers to see and test drive medium/heavy duty electric fleet vehicles or machines. RSVP for time slots using QR Code at www.lakecountrypower.coop/north-country-ev-show-and-tell

• 4:00 p.m. Event opens to public. Food and beverage trucks, see EVs on display, visit with EV experts.

• 5:00 p.m. Discussion Panel with Q&A

• 6:15 p.m. Live concert by Mason Dixon Line

• 7:30 p.m. Event concludes