Electric Cars and Hollywood Stars: Automotive Industry Education Foundation Joins The Party As The All-Electric Phoenix SUT Is Unveiled - VIDEO ENHANCED

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Phoenix vehicles featured in this story utilize some remarkable breakthrough technologies. I had the opportunity to learn much more about the company and their SUV & SUT during the ALT CAR EXPO last December. To watch the video I shot about the Phoenix vehicles click the PLAY button at the bottom of the page.
In addition, last month, while visiting Scottsdale, I had the opportunity to meet and interview two of the individuals mentioned below: Joseph Kennedy and Alan Algan. Their stories and what they are attempting to accomplish are also quite fascinating and will be the subject of a separate article in the near future.
Marc J. Rauch, Exec. VP & Co-Publisher

SCOTTSDALE, AZ - March 6, 2007: Joseph Kenny, president of the Scottsdale-based Automotive Industry Education Foundation joined celebrities Ed Begley Jr and his wife Rachelle Carson, actress Daryl Hannah, Chris Paine, director of Who Killed the Electric Car?, and more than 400 supporters, investors and environmentalists who gathered at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, this past week, for the unveiling and induction of the only five-passenger, all-electric, freeway-speed sport utility truck (SUT) in America.

Alan Algan, Chairman and CEO of the Automotive Industry Education Foundation said, “We are very excited to support the efforts of Phoenix Motorcars as they bring this important vehicle to the marketplace and revolutionize fleet and consumer transportation. We want to congratulate them on the launch of their SUT and wish them great success in their roll out.”

Phoenix Motorcars' customized red and black SUT will be on display in the Alternative Power exhibition at the Petersen Automotive Museum, along with a dozen other alternative fuel vehicles. The 35,000 square foot museum displays historic automotive exhibits in its five main galleries.

"This electric vehicle is rising from the ashes of the failed electric car industry," said Ed Begley Jr, co-host of the event. "This is a cool vehicle. It is fast, green and attractive."

Those attending the party, who had the opportunity to get behind the wheel to test-drive the electric SUT, raved about the driving experience and the vehicle’s overall performance. Chris Paine was among the first to test-drive the Phoenix. "This electric vehicle is amazing. It drives like a real car, except that it has no noise and does not pollute the environment,” Paine said.

"This vehicle is suitable for my lifestyle,” actress Daryl Hannah said enthusiastically. “Most electric vehicles I have seen are compact and this SUT is spacious and has its own style."

The Phoenix Motorcars SUT is a battery-electric vehicle that eliminates noise and the toxic vehicle emissions that contribute to air pollution. This zero-emission SUT can easily cruise at freeway-speeds while carrying five passengers and a full payload. The Phoenix SUT has a driving range of over 100 miles. It can be recharged in less than 10 minutes and has a battery pack with a life of 12 years or more.

About The Automotive Industry Education Foundation
The Automotive Industry Education Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Arizona corporation established as a public charity and endowment fund dedicated to providing scholarships to students across the nation who are pursuing or advancing careers in the automotive industry. The Foundation will focus its support on students seeking to participate in, or advance: new vehicle design; new vehicle engineering and production; the development of fuel-efficient vehicles; the development of alternative fuel vehicles; and other automotive studies.

The Automotive Industry Education Foundation’s Founding Donors Campaign will seek to raise $5 million dollars through personal appeals made to the public, to major corporations, and by Foundation supporters to their networks of contacts in the automotive industry. The Foundation’s "Drive For $5 Million” will establish the corpus of a perpetual endowment fund that the Foundation will continue to build upon. The Foundation is seeking partners in the community, in entertainment, and in business and industry who are interested in helping to transform the types of vehicles we drive and their effects on the world in which we live. For more information regarding ways you can help, gifts to the Foundation, and the Foundation’s scholarship programs, please visit www.autoedfuture.com or contact the Foundation president, Joseph Kenny.

Phoenix Motors at ALT CAR EXPO