2002 Tour de Sol Participants

PHILADELPHIA, May 16 -- On behalf of Pennsylvania Gov. Mark Schweiker, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary David E. Hess today welcomed visitors and participants to the 2002 Tour de Sol: The Great American Transportation Festival.

"The Tour de Sol is a great learning opportunity for all involved," Secretary Hess said. "What better way to see what everyone is doing to protect our environment than by participating in an event such as this."

Secretary Hess also spoke about DEP's Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant Program, where school districts, counties, cities, boroughs and other organizations can receive DEP grant assistance to convert their fleet of vehicles to alternative fuels like compressed natural gas, liquid propane and methanol.

The Tour de Sol is an annual event that combines a five-day competitive road rally with a series of festivals showcasing Earth-friendly vehicles and other "green" transportation options.

In some areas of the state, vehicles contribute more than a third of all air pollution.

Among the Pennsylvania entries were two teams of students and their vehicles from West Philadelphia High School and a student team from Millersville University with a two-wheeled entry.

West Philadelphia High School teacher Simon Hauger was recognized for his contributions in helping students develop their own alternative fuel vehicles.

Leading the "Tour" this year was the brand new Honda Civic Hybrid 5-passenger sedan. The gasoline-electric model is Honda's second-generation hybrid car. The Honda Insight, which is now entering its third model year, was the first hybrid on sale in the United States.

Other major automakers participating in this year's event included Toyota, with the Prius hybrid sedan, and DaimlerChrysler, which displayed two prototypes -- the Natrium, a fuel cell-powered car, and the Dodge RAM HEV (high efficiency vehicle), which the company plans to offer in 2004. DaimlerChrysler also displayed the GEM, a neighborhood electric vehicle already on the market in the U.S.

Battery-electric vehicles and gas-electric hybrids account for nearly two dozen of this year's entrants.

The lead sponsors for this year's Tour De Sol events were the United States Department of Energy and American Honda Motor Company, Inc.

Other major sponsors included the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Ensco, Inc., AirLink Communications, Inc., and DEP.

Tour de Sol festivals are taking place through Sunday. All the festivals are free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.nesea.org or call 413-774-6051.

For more information on Alternative Fuels, visit www.dep.state.pa.us (directLINK "alternative fuels").