SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — One feature of the 2018 EarthFest on Saturday at Slippery Rock University's Macoskey Center for Sustainability Systems, Education and Research was like entering an episode of The Jetsons.

Seven sleek, futuristic electric or hybrid vehicles were viewed by those attending the festival outside the equestrian center on the Macoskey campus.

Reid Joyce of Middlesex Township brought his 2017 Chevy Volt hybrid, which is not to be confused with the Chevy Bolt, the strictly electric version.

Joyce said in the first 5,000 miles he traveled in the Volt, he used less than seven gallons of gas.

“I want to do my part to minimize the consumption of fossil fuels,” Joyce said.

He chose a vehicle that runs on electricity and gasoline because he thought having two options is best in the infancy of the electric car's history.

“I feel the national charging infrastructure isn't quite there yet, so having a car with gasoline backup seemed like a good choice,” Joyce said. “With the Bolt, you have 230 miles before the battery is dead and it's a four-wheel doorstop.”

He said most of his driving is less than 50 miles, which is the Volt's battery capacity. Joyce simply plugs the car into an outlet in the evening and it's ready to go in the morning.

He said although his monthly electric bill is higher, he still makes out financially.

“The electric bill went up a little, but my gasoline bill dropped to zero,” Joyce said.

The Volt is environmentally friendly even when gasoline powers the electric engine, as Joyce got 45 miles per gallon on a recent trip to Ohio.

Because the electric engine drives the car at all times — gasoline simply powers the electric generator — the Volt has ample power because there is no variation in torque without a transmission.

“It's the best performing car I've owned, and I've owned some sporty ones,” Joyce said.

He expects the popularity of hybrid or all-electric cars to increase in the region as dealers invest in the new equipment and employee training needed to become full-service electric car dealers.

Joyce said owners of electric cars worry much less about breaking down than those driving gasoline-powered engines.

“If some part of the propulsion system broke down on a trip, you'd have to stop and get it fixed, but there are a lot of Chevy dealers across the country,” he said.

While Joyce's sedan, the Bolt SUV and Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivan demonstrated the diversity in electric cars, it was the three sporty Teslas that drew the most interest at the show.

Peter Lyons of Gibsonia caused quite a stir when he silently backed his 2018 Tesla 3 into a spot at the show.

The slick, low-slung vehicle is a modern marvel in that it has no dashboard. A single computer screen beside the steering wheel is the only control for the car.

Lyons explained that two buttons on the steering wheel provide whatever function the driver has on the computer screen.

If the driver clicks on “mirrors,” the buttons move the mirrors in or out. If the driver clicks on “locks,” the buttons control the locks.

“I like the sleek look of the dash,” Lyons said.

The Tesla 3 also has autopilot, but the driver must keep one hand lightly on the steering wheel while the car stops, goes, passes and remains a safe distance from the car in front of it.

If the car does not detect some light resistance on the steering wheel, it will beep after 60 seconds, Lyons said.

His Tesla 3 is one of the first 15,000 produced at the factory in Freemont, Calif. More than 400,000 people have put down $1,000 to get on the Tesla 3 waiting list, Lyons said.

“I waited two years and one month,” he said.

Lyons said while his battery life is more than sufficient to get him to his job in Pittsburgh and back home again, he knows of a handful of charging stations in the city he could use if needed.

Unlike the Volt, the Tesla 3 charges in about an hour.

Lyons is thrilled with his decision to buy the sporty Tesla and do his part for the environment.

“It's fast, responsive and the latest technologically,” Lyons said, “but it's also the right thing to do.”