ADVISORY/Experts Available to Discuss Hybrid Vehicles Going Mainstream

    --Jan. 6, 2003--

TOPIC:	Over the next four years, General Motors Corp. will introduce a variety of hybrid vehicles, including cars, pickups and sports utility vehicles into the market, according to and article by The Associated Press. Hybrids are powered by a gas or diesel engine combined with an electric motor. Although hybrids are fuel efficient and environmentally friendly, their high cost has prevented them from being successful in the mainstream market. However, the Union of Concerned Scientists claimed in a report last week that drivers could save up to $5,500 in gasoline costs over a hybrid vehicle's driving life.
EXPERTS:	ExpertSource can offer several highly qualified experts to comment on this story: -0-

William Rankin is the president and CEO of UQM Technologies, Inc., a
developer and manufacturer of power dense, high efficiency electric
motors, generators and power electronic inverters for the automotive,
aerospace, telecommunications, medical, military and industrial
markets. A major emphasis of the company is developing products for
the alternative energy technologies sector including power systems for
electric, hybrid electric and fuel cell electric vehicles, 42 volt
under-the-hood power accessories and other vehicle auxiliaries and
distributed power generation applications.
PR: Lena Adams, 818-789-0100, 
lena.adams@coffincg.com

Jim Thomas is vice president, sales operations and marketing, of
Lafayette County Car Company LLC, the manufacturer of the
next-generation Neighborhood Electric Vehicles. Members of the LC 3
team were there in 1995 when trans2 Corporation (now GEM) began
production of the first NEV. The LC 3 team assisted in the development
of the NHTSA regulations creating the federal motor vehicle
classification of low speed vehicles (LSV 500). Now a group from the
management and investment team that invented the NEV category and
defined the market niche have returned to the market with a better
product than their own original.
562-986-5263, 
jimtlc3@aol.com

Professor Richard M. Lueptow, of Northwestern University, is an expert
regarding mechanical engineering and design. He was the faculty
advisor for the Northwestern University team that participated in the
Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) Challenge, a vehicle design project
sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers, the US Department of
Energy, Canada-Energy, Mines and Resources, and General Motors.
847-491-4265; 
847-491-3741 (University PR Phone)

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