23/08/2008 10:24. Homegrown products abound at the Minnesota State Fair, so it's the logical place for an inventor to showcase his homegrown solution to the energy crunch.

And, if it catches on, it could bode well for the future of the Ford plant in Saint Paul.

"This is a total electric Ford Ranger," Bob Albertson told KARE 11, "No gas!"

The prototype plug-in electric Ford Ranger, on display at the Labor Building, has been a labor of love for Albertson, who holds 200 patents.

"The technology is already being used," he explained, "What we've done is put that technology into the Ford Ranger."

He replaced the internal combustion gasoline engine, and the associated fuel lines and exhaust system, with a 100-horsepower electric motor.

"The things we pulled out of here filled the bed of the truck."... // KARE