The Vancouver Epic Expo had some interesting eco-vehicles but the one that stuck out the most for us was the Future Vehicle Technologies’ (FVT) eVaro (pictured above).

The eVaro is a 3-wheeled, electric sports car packing an impressive drive system which was designed to power any car or small truck.

While the eVaro is just a prototype at this point, it has some pretty impressive stats like: 275 mpg in the city, 165 mpg on the highway, 150km electric-only range, 0-60 in six seconds and a range extending generator that puts the total range up to 250km.

FVT claims the eVaro is so efficient that it would only cost $13 to travel 1,000 miles. This should come in handy as the eVaro is one of the 11 vehicles that has qualified for the next stage of the Automotive X-Prize competition for $10 million. Apparently Popular Mechanics Magazine thinks the eVaro has a shot as they listed it as one of the top 10 contenders to win the X-Prize.

Find out more about the FVT eVaro electric car at their website.

Being in the neighborhood we decided to check out the Vancouver Epic Expo, a sustainable living trade show with some 300+ exhibits. Sponsored by the Vancouver Sun, Epic is Western Canada’s only green consumer trade show. The trade show lasted three days and we caught it today on Day Three.

While there were several stages for experts to share ideas on how to live a more sustainable lifestyle, the main focus of the trade show was obviously, the merchandise. And of that, there was plenty

While I was hoping to see more in the way of eco-gadgets, solar paneled purses was about the extent of it. There were, however, some cool eco-auto displays. Test drives were being offered a 2009 Toyota Prius.

Lexus also had several prototypes on display of upcoming Lexus hybrid models including the Lexus HS 250h (pictured above), which will hit dealer lots this fall. The HS 250h is a luxury hybrid sedan that boasts carbon neutral materials and plant-based plastics. Eighty-five percent of the Lexus HS 250h is fully recyclable. It will have 30-percent better fuel-efficiency than Lexus’ current most efficient model.

Our trip to the Vancouver Epic Sustainable Living Expo turned over something interesting we didn’t already know (but probably should have). There are at least two different car sharing networks operating in Vancouver.

Zipcar was the first one we checked out. Zipcar has car sharing networks setup all over the U.S. as well as in Vancouver and Toronto. Zipcars are available in over 50 cities throughout North America and the UK.

The second car sharing network we learned about was the Co-operative Auto Network (CAN) which is a local non-profit car sharing program exclusive to Vancouver.

The idea behind a car sharing network is that instead of buying a car, you rent one at low cost on a semi long-term basis. It’s perfect for city dwellers who don’t want to buy a car because they use them so rarely but still need them from time to time. If you only drive a few times in a month, then a car sharing network is probably a great alternative to buying a car.

While the concept is basically the same for the two car sharing networks, the difference was in the cost and the way that you pay.

Zipcar is fairly straightford. There’s an annual fee of $55 and a registration fee of $25. Then there’s the usage fee with hourly rates starting at just under $10 CDN and daily rates starting at $69. Gas is included and weekends cost a little more.

The CAN costs were a little more complicated but after we broke it down, they seem cheaper, depending on how much you plan to use the service. CAN requires a $500 deposit before you can use their vehicles. While this sounds steep, you do get all of it back when you cancel your membership, assuming you didn’t crash the car.

The usage fees seem quite reasonable, if a little complicated. They charge $2.50 per hour as well as a monthly fee based on how many kilometers you drive. The monthly fees aren’t too steep though so it balances out quite nicely.

If you think car sharing might be for you, get more information at the Co-operative Auto Network and Zipcar websites.