Altwheels Festival To Kick Off With A Two-Day Symposium Sept. 16 & 17

• In-depth information on the varieties of technologies that will be on display during the AltWheels Festival, including hybrids, fuel cells, plug-ins, ethanol, and compressed natural gas cars and trucks.

• Panel discussions with transportation leaders on fuel-efficient and renewable-fuel vehicles, ride sharing, mass transit and sustainable-transportation innovations.

BOSTON, MA - August 16, 2006: Movies such as "An Inconvenient Truth" and "Who Killed the Electric Car?" are accelerating a healthy debate about our reliance on foreign oil -- or any oil, for that matter. To keep this discussion moving forward, the 4th annual AltWheels Alternative Transportation Festival will hold a two-day Symposium at the Museum of Science in Boston, on September 16 and 17, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on both days.

The AltWheels Symposium will provide more in-depth information on the varieties of technologies that will be on display at Boston City Hall Plaza and the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline on September 22-24. 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.

Saturday's panels will focus on"Technology, Fuel and Infrastructure," with sessions on:

* The Future of Driving: What Vehicles Will Be on the Road in 2015?

* Alternative Fueling Options: Where Will You Fuel Up in 2015?

* Fuel Cell Technologies: Is it Feasible to Create a Hydrogen

* Infrastructure in New England?

* Models of Sustainable Transportation Across the Globe.

Sunday's panels will focus on "Transportation Choices and Smart Design," with sessions on:

* Creating a Sustainable Transportation Vision for New England: What are our Choices?

* Urban Development: Creating Green Cities & More Sustainable Landscapes for the 21st Century.

* Designing a Car for the Future: A Sneaker Car that is Fun to Bump?

* Hope for the Future.

* The Future Begins Now - AltWheels Symposium Recap and Audience Discussion.

To download a Word-format document containing a breakdown of the panelists by panel as well as the day and time of each panel, visit www.altwheels.org.

Admission to the AltWheels Symposium is free with your paid Museum of Science admission. AltWheels members and volunteers will receive free admission to the Museum during the Symposium.

The AltWheels Festival, the largest alternative-transportation showcase on the East Coast, will also circle Boston with more than a week's worth of events. A highlight of this year's Festival will be a chance to explore the green Energy/Freedom Trail, which will connect to Boston's historic Freedom Trail and offer resources and practical ideas for drivers, homeowners, teachers, families, politicians, and citizens.

AltWheels Festival and Lawn Show

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 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 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 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.

AltWheels Sponsors

The more than 30 sponsors of AltWheels are as follows: Ford Motor Co., WBZ NewsRadio 1030, General Motors, Staples, Toyota, Volkswagen, American Honda, Clean Energy, KeySpan Energy Delivery, Massport, Westboro Toyota, AVSG, CityView Trolleys, Clair Toyota, Clean Cabs for Boston, Dennis K. Burke Oil, Greasecar Vegetable Fuel Systems, Honda Village, Massachusetts Clean Cities Coalition, Mathworks, WorldEnergy, Zipcar, Azure Dynamics, Bank of America, Bell Power Systems, Cummins, Emerging Vehicles, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Hythane, IBEW Local 103, National Association of Fleet Administrators, Nuvera Fuel Cells, Roush Industries, Society of Automotive Engineers, and Women's Transportation Seminar. More than 70 co-hosts and 150 volunteers help make AltWheels happen.