Monday, October 4, 2010

Alternative Fuel Vehicles Event Coming to Atlanta


Clean Cities Atlanta will hold a National Alternative Fuel Vehicles Day Odyssey on Friday, Oct. 15 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at Georgia Tech's Kessler Campanile, 355 Ferst Drive, Atlanta.
The expo, free and open to the public, will feature displays of alternative fuel vehicles, the latest in fleet technology, student projects and more. 
 Clean Cities Atlanta is a government-industry partnership sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.
The group says the expo is part of a nationwide effort to reduce America’s consumption of foreign oil. 
Don Francis, executive director of Clean Cities Atlanta, said in a news release that this event will showcase how much fuel can be saved through advancing technology, and will offer information on programs such as tax credits and other incentives that can make switching to the newer technology less expensive.
“Far too many people are unaware of recent advances, and business owners will be surprised by how much a switch to alternative fuel can save over time in their operations budget,” Francis said. “The Odyssey will include a wealth of good ideas, innovation and food for thought.”
Clean Cities Atlanta said an electric car and two of Atlanta Gas Light’s fleet CNG vehicles will be among the displays.  The event will also feature Georgia Tech’s student teams competing for national honors in design for building alternative-fuel cars.
Georgia Tech’s EcoCAR team will be present with its entry in the national auto engineering competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors, and managed by Argonne National Laboratory. 
“We are pleased to be part of this event to showcase our vehicle that has doubled mileage, decreased net impact on the environment and increased our national energy security,” said Ryan Melsert, Georgia Tech’s EcoCAR team leader, in a news release. “We’re happy to show how the Georgia Tech community can help solve the environmental and national security issues facing the country.”
The Solar Jackets team, which is competing in the American Solar Challenge, also will have its Solar-Assisted Electric Vehicle on display. The car is a converted 2001 Audi that runs as a plug-in electric vehicle  assisted by an array of solar cells on its roof and hood. The team is now at work on a fully solar-powered vehicle that will compete in global endurance events.

For more information, visit www.cleancitiesatlanta.net.

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