Mote to Electrify the Island

As part of the kickoff for the fifth annual National Drive Electric Week, Mote Marine Laboratory will sponsor an electric vehicle expo on Sept. 12.

Cars at the event will include ones from the BMW of Sarasota and Sunset Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, along with electric vehicles owned by local residents.

In addition to the electric vehicles, the event will feature test drive sessions and vendors focused on sustainability and energy efficiency.

There will be two forums open to the public. At 11 a.m., “EV 101” will allow electric vehicle owners, representatives from the Florida Power and Light Company and the public to discuss electric vehicles. At 1 p.m., the forum will be aimed toward condo residents and the challenges they face owning an electric vehicle.

Mote’s Sustainable Energy Initiative was launched in 2012, which aims to make the lab more sustainable, with solar power, electric car chargers and other environmentally friendly technologies.