ALTWHEELS FESTIVAL Unites Broad Coalition
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Boston, MA - August 30, 2006* - The AltWheels Festival is convening a broad, public/private coalition of automakers, municipal organizations, transportation professionals, environmental and educational leaders, and bike and walk groups, to find real alternatives to our costly addiction to oil.
Witness this unique coming together of more than 80 transportation- and energy-related entities, during the fourth annual AltWheels Alternative Transportation Festival on Friday and Saturday, September 22 and 23 at Boston's City Hall Plaza and on Sunday, September 24 at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline. The three-day celebration will offer a one-stop opportunity to see more than 15 different, clean, effective transportation options that you can buy now -- plus new technologies coming in the near future from Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen and other leading automakers. Boston's Museum of Science, New England Aquarium and Children's Museum will all host informative, fun exhibits on transportation and energy plus lots of interactive-learning activities on how to create a more sustainable world.
The coalition that comes together to put on the fourth year of the AltWheels Festival consists of nearly 40 sponsors and more than 76 co-hosts. They include collaboration across the following organizations:
* *Leading automakers* such as Ford, General Motors, Honda, Toyota
and Volkswagen as well as Azure Dynamics, all bringing their
latest models, with auto dealers including Clair Toyota, Honda
Village, and Westboro Toyota.
* *Public-transportation providers* such as Amtrak, CityView
Trolleys, Massport and the MBTA.
* *Transportation organizations* such as the National Association of
Fleet Administrators, the Society of Automotive Engineers, and the
Womens Transportation Seminar.
* *Alternative-transportation and -fuel suppliers* such as Emerging
Vehicles, Greasecar Vegetable Fuel Systems, the National Ethanol
Vehicle Coalition, the Propane Education Research Council, and Zipcar.
* *Transportation advocates* such as the Association of Commuter
Transportation, Clean Cabs for Boston, CommuteWorks, Mass Commute,
and MassPIRG.
* *Bike and walk groups* such as the Appalachian Mountain Club, the
Boston Bicycle Planning Initiative, Cambridge Walks, the In-Line
Club of Boston, Livable Streets, the Major Taylor Association,
Mass Bike, Rails to Trails, Walk Boston, and Walkable Communities.
* *Alternative-energy suppliers* such as AVSG, Bell Power Systems,
Clean Energy, Cummins, Dennis K. Burke, and KeySpan.
* *Environmental organizations *such as Environmental Defense, and
the Sierra Club.
* *Environmentally sensitive retailers* such as REI, and Whole Foods.
* *Health-care providers* such as Harvard Pilgrim.
* *Financial-services institutions* such as Bank of Boston, Liberty
Mutual, and Progressive Asset Management.
* *Municipal groups* such as the Cities of Boston, Medford, Newton,
and Keene, NH, the Massachusetts Clean Cities Coalition, and the
New Hampshire Clean Cities Coalition.
* *Educational institutions* such as Boston College, Harvard
University, MIT, Tufts University and the University of New Hampshire.
* *Media organizations *such as The Boston Globe, Metro Boston, New
England Cable News, WBZ NewsRadio 1030, and WheelsTV.net.
*AltWheels Festival and Lawn Show at City Hall Plaza and Larz Anderson
Auto Museum
*
Alternatives to the gasoline-fueled car have been around since the
1800s. Today, cars can get 60-plus miles per gallon and zero-emission
vehicles exist. AltWheels features more than 100 exhibits beating the
high cost and pollution associated with traditional gas- and
diesel-powered vehicles. Passenger vehicles on display will include the
latest hybrid models, solar-powered and electric cars, plug-in hybrids
that can be fueled at home through a plug, fuel-cell/hydrogen million
dollar prototype vehicles, vehicles that run on compressed natural gas
-- including CNG home-refueling options -- cars that run on used
vegetable oil, and biodiesel and ethanol options. Non-auto
transportation options include rides on the Segway HT^(TM) scooter,
commuter bikes, electric scooters, bike-valet parking, and bike rides
from the site. AltWheels will also display historical vehicles,
including a 1920s Stanley Steamer and a 1914 electric vehicle.
"This year, we are proud to bring the first ethanol vehicles and
distribution to Massachusetts," Sander added. In addition to passenger
vehicles, AltWheels will showcase alternative-fuel buses, trucks and
public transit as well as a full display of bike and walking trails and
other fitness options. Several of the alternative-fuel vehicles will be
offered at discount prices to Festival participants. The Festival and
Lawn Show are not just for adults. Vehicle demonstrations will be
coupled with fun, games, food, entertainment and activities for the
whole family.
*AltWheels Alternative Transportation Symposium at Boston's Museum of
Science
*
The AltWheels Symposium, on Saturday and Sunday, September 16 and 17,
will preview the Festival, providing more in-depth information on the
varieties of technologies that will be on display the following weekend.
Panel discussions with industry experts will cover such topics as
sustainable urban design, promoting the use of fuel-efficient and
renewable-fuel vehicles for personal, government, and business use;
initiatives to encourage ride sharing and increased use of mass transit;
and innovations that all play an important role in creating a more
sustainable transportation future.
Another exciting, informative event will take place at the Museum of
Science on Thursday, September 14 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Museum educator
David Sittenfeld will kick off the AltWheels Festival with the launch of
hydrogen-fueled rockets on the front plaza, weather-permitting (inside,
if it rains). He will also discuss the alternative vehicles on display
nearby.
In addition to the September 16-17 Alternative Transportation Symposium,
the Museum of Science will present alternative-fueled vehicles on its
front plaza, with the stories and science behind them, through September
28. Visitors will be able to explore a CNG Honda Civic GX, an Austin
Mini, which Greasecar Vegetable Fuel Systems LLC, based in Florence,
MA, converted from diesel to run on vegetable oil; an all-electric
Toyota RAV4; and a gasoline/electric Toyota Prius hybrid. An electric/
hydrogen, fuel-cell hybrid, maxi-scooter from Vectrix will be on display
in the Museum lobby. Live presentations by Museum educators on emerging
alternative-energy technologies will be featured in the Current Science
& Technology Center on an ongoing basis.
The AltWheels Vehicle Display on the front plaza of the Museum of
Science is free and open to the public. The September 16-17 Symposium is
free with Museum of Science admission. AltWheels members receive free
Museum Exhibit Hall admission. For more information: www.mos.org
<http://www.mos.org>.
*AltWheels Admission*
Admission to the Festival is free on Friday and Saturday, September 22
and 23 on Boston City Hall Plaza, and $7 per person on Sunday, September
24 at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline. Admission at the
Festival's Auto Museum location includes admission to the Museum itself,
and is reduced for those arriving by cleaner-transportation options.
*AltWheels Fleet Day*
AltWheels will host an invitation-only Fleet Day on Monday, September 25
at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum, bringing industry and municipal fleet
directors together to focus on the challenges and benefits of
incorporating alternative fuels and vehicles into commercial and
government fleets. Fleet Day will offer case studies on successful fleet
conversions while providing information resources to assist fleet
managers in reducing their fuel costs and pollutant emissions.*
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*AltWheels Schedule of Events*
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Ø *AltWheels Speakers Symposium, *Boston's Museum of Science,
Cahners Theatre:
o *Saturday, Sept. 16,* 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. /Technology, Fuel and
Infrastructure /
o *Sunday, Sept. 17, *10 a.m. to 5 p.m. /Transportation Choices
and Smart Design/
o No extra charge with paid Museum admission. Free Museum of
Science admission to AltWheels members and Symposium staff.
Ø *Alternative-Transportation Caravan:* *Thursday, Sept. 21*, departing
from the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline at 5:30 p.m. and
arriving at MIT in Cambridge at 6:00 p.m.
Ø *AltWheels Festival: *Boston City Hall Plaza, *Friday, Sept. 22*, 7
a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 23, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Also, Larz
Anderson Auto Museum, *Sunday, Sept. 24,* 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
/Note:/ Awards Ceremony to be held at Boston City Hall Plaza on Friday,
Sept. 22, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Ø *Fleet Day: *Larz Anderson Auto Museum,* Monday, Sept. 25*, 8:00 a.m.
to 1:30 p.m. /Note:/ By invitation only.
Sponsorship and exhibit opportunities are available through September
For more information please email classic.pr@verizon.net
, info@altwheels.org
, visit www.altwheels.org
<http://www.altwheels.org/>, or call 508-698-6810.