AltWheels Transportation Festival to Showcase Innovative Transportation Alternatives

New England’s Largest Alternative Transportation Festival
September 18-19, 2004


            Brookline, MA – June 23, 2004 –AltWheels, New England’s largest
Alternative Transportation Festival, returns to Brookline, MA, with an
expanded schedule, September 18-190, 2004.
AltWheels 2004 will showcase the latest alternatives to high gasoline prices
while bringing together national and regional leaders to discuss a
sustainable transportation vision for the future, all on the grounds of the
Larz Anderson Museum—the country’s oldest transportation museum.  The
AltWheels Festival features an exciting mix of test drives, demonstrations,
educational interactive workshops, fun and games, and entertainment for the
whole family.
AltWheels founder Alison Sander describes the event as a way to educate the
public and develop workable plans for building a sustainable transportation
future.  “Our energy needs are so large today that few experts believe they
are sustainable,” Sander says, “but the good news is that many inventors,
communities and companies are creating real-world solutions that are
available now.” Sander adds, “We can reduce our dependence on high-cost
foreign oil while meeting our transportation needs with cleaner, healthier
technologies.”
.  AltWheels is designed to inform participants about the latest
transportation technologies and the vast array of options that exist today.
Alternatives to the gasoline-powered automobile have been around since the
1800s and today there are technological advances that create the real
possibility of commercially available zero emission vehicles.
Lawn Show
AltWheels displays these present and future solutions in a large lawn show
which features a variety of alternative vehicles including both personal
transportation options – the Segway HTTM scooter, bikes, electric scooters –
and alternative passenger vehicles, including popular hybrid models,
solar-powered and electric cars, and vehicles that run on used vegetable oil
(both BBQ and Chinese!).  AltWheels offers participants a chance to see the
latest future design vehicles from Ford, GM, Honda, Toyota, and Solectria
and to receive discounts on sales of some of today’s current models.  CNG
vehicles, leading hybrid vehicles such as the Prius, vintage cars, and
mini-cars are also displayed.  The lawn show
<http://www.altwheels.org/#lawn>  provides a chance to talk with owners of
display vehicles, in some cases to test drive a vehicle, and to vote for
favorites in a number of categories.
Workshops
The AltWheels festival will feature interactive workshops and discussions on
fuel cell technologies, Biodiesel, Fleet conversion, Bicycle safety, as well
as government policies.   Panel discussions and interactive workshops will
cover such topics as 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 new
innovations such as Zipcar that all play an important role in creating a
more sustainable transportation future. AltWheels will feature experts
discussing these and other important topics, taking questions, and
responding to comments.
The Future
            AltWheels is a collaborative effort of cities and towns,
educational, transportation, environmental organizations, and concerned
citizens and business leaders from across New England.             Sponsors
of the 2004 Altwheels Festival include General Motors, American Honda,
KeySpan Energy, and the Society of Automotive Engineers.  More than 50
organizations have signed on as co-hosts, including MIT, Harvard, Tufts, the
Museum of Science, the Sierra Club, The MIT solar car club, and  others.
            Admission to the Altwheels Festival is $10 per person per day
and includes both the lawn show of vehicles and the workshops. Children
under 6 are admitted free.