ISE Research, Assemblywoman Fran Pavley Receive WestStart-CALSTART Blue Sky Awards
PASADENA, Calif.--Oct. 15, 2002-- WestStart-CALSTART:| -- | Merit Awards for Industry Leadership To: American Honda, Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles Department of Transportation, ZEV-NET |
| -- | Presentations to be Made At WestStart-CALSTART Advanced Transportation Industry Conference |
At its upcoming advanced transportation industry conference in Los Angeles, WestStart-CALSTART will be presenting six awards to organizations and an elected official for their marketplace contributions towards cleaning the air and increasing energy efficiency.
ISE Research, the San Diego-based truck and bus drivetrain systems integrator, has won WestStart-CALSTART's 6th annual Blue Sky Award(TM) for its progress toward commercializing hybrid electric and fuel cell buses.
Additionally, WestStart-CALSTART has recognized Assemblywoman Fran Pavley with the Charles R. Imbrecht Blue Sky Innovation Award for her personal and political courage to address greenhouse gas emissions produced by the transportation sector in her landmark legislation, AB 1493.
The Awards will be presented by actor/environmentalist, Ed Begley, Jr. at the WestStart-CALSTART Advanced Transportation Industry Conference (ATIC), an all-day industry event where key policy makers and industry representatives will discuss the latest technology development and future challenges.
Among the feature speakers at the conference will be the Chairman of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), Alan Lloyd, and California Energy Commissioner, Jim Boyd. In the wake of recent actions by the Bush Administration to overturn the state's zero emission vehicle mandate, Lloyd will talk about the state's plans to improve air quality. Boyd will talk about how reorganizing the state's energy system could impact the transportation sector.
The conference will be Thursday, November 7th, 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at the Skirball Cultural Center in West Los Angeles.
The Blue Sky Award(TM) is presented each year by WestStart-CALSTART -- the advanced transportation consortium -- to recognize outstanding marketplace contributions to advanced, sustainable transportation that cleans the air, improves energy efficiency and helps reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
ISE Research is recognized for its leadership in designing the first of a wide array of medium- and heavy-duty proof-of concept vehicles that have shown the viability and feasibility of hybrid electric technology in these sectors. It has now gone on to do production quantities of its products and has received the largest order of any US manufacturer for fuel cell buses, as well as receiving orders for its hybrid electric buses. Because of their success, other larger companies have entered the market and are commercializing these technologies.
Assemblywoman Fran Pavley introduced landmark legislation to curtail global warming by addressing the issue of greenhouse gases from transportation sources. California generates most of its greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. She accomplished this through personal and political courage and by overcoming tremendous opposition. The bill, signed by Governor Davis this year, puts California as a leader where no other state was willing to lead.
Four Blue Sky Merit Award(TM) winners were also announced for 2001-2002. They were presented to individuals, organizations, or companies for contributions to bringing clean-fuel vehicles to market, and helping increase awareness of their need. Merit Award winners are:
-- American Honda has focused their marketing efforts on
transforming the consumer market for efficient gasoline and
alternative fuel vehicles. It was the first to offer a hybrid
electric vehicle in California, the Honda Insight, and first
in producing a popular model natural gas vehicle, the Honda
Civic GX, which is the lowest emitting internal combustion
engine powered vehicle offered for sale in California. Four of
its vehicles are listed among the top ten greenest vehicles
available in 2002.
-- Los Angeles County MTA and City of Los Angeles Dept. of
Transportation partnered to implement a Metro Rapid
demonstration program using clean CNG buses that has become a
success story other major cities are beginning to emulate.
Ridership has increased and travel times have decreased. The
program has been so successful that the MTA Board is expanding
the service. In addition, the LAMTA is purchasing over 800 new
hi-capacity CNG and CNG-hybrid electric buses for use on its
Metro Rapid routes.
-- Norcal Waste Systems has voluntarily taken action to use
clean LNG trucks in its fleet by investing in placing 14 LNG
heavy-duty trucks into service this year and taking delivery
of 9 more for the largest field trial of the Westport Cummins
ISXG natural gas engine. In the absence of a strong regulatory
push, the fleets in the San Francisco Bay area have been
reluctant to switch to alternative fuels. Norcal has provided
some necessary leadership by stepping forward in a big way.
-- ZEV-NET, at the National Fuel Cell Research Center at UC
Irvine, is an innovative systems approach that combines mass
transit with environmentally sensitive zero and
near-zero-emission shared-use vehicles to provide a cleaner
alternative to single-car commuting. The Zero Emission
vehicle, Network Enable Transport program uses electric
vehicles that are equipped with global positioning system
technology in conjunction with scheduling software so that the
vehicles can be efficiently shared among commuters.
Tickets for the WestStart-CALSTART industry conference and Blue Sky Award presentation are $90 per person and are available by contacting WestStart-CALSTART at 626/744-5600, or visit its web site at www.calstart.org/.
Members of the Blue Sky Award(TM) selection committee are made up of representatives from industry as well as environmental organizations, including WestStart, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Union of Concerned Scientists, the Coalition for Clean Air, and the American Lung Association.
WestStart and its California operating division, CALSTART is an advanced transportation technologies organization that focuses on developing new, clean technologies and solutions in transportation. Working with private partners worldwide, WestStart provides technology development and demonstration, industry analysis, marketing, business development and fleet implementation services. Its expertise includes electric vehicles, natural gas vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and fuel-cell technologies.