Senate approval moves the bill to Gov. Tim Pawlenty for his signature.

If signed, it will have a direct impact on companies such as Princeton-based E-ride Industries.

“They’re selling these cars in 40 other states, and they can’t sell them in Minnesota because they’re not street-legal yet,” said Sen. Paul Koering, R-Fort Ripley, who sponsored the bill in the Senate. “It’ll be up to each municipality to decide, but until now, they didn’t have the option.”

An electric vehicle would be operable on streets where the posted speed limit is 35 mph or less, if it is registered and meets federal and local standards, said Craig Lietha, E-ride general manager.

“Between this and the exposure we’ve received ... it could mean a significant amount of electric vehicles on the road in Minnesota,” he said of Monday’s vote.

E-Ride, which started in 2004, made 60 cars in 2005 at a Pierz plant. The company expects to produce about 200 vehicles this year and has moved assembly work to Princeton, Lietha said.

The company sells two versions — a two-passenger utility vehicle and a four-passenger transport vehicle — for between $13,000 and $20,000 a piece, he said.

E-ride employs 10 people.

Rep. Greg Blaine, R-Little Falls, wrote the House bill.

By Lawrence Schumacher lschumacher@stcloudtimes.com