Experts Available to Discuss Increased Sales of Hybrid Vehicles

--ExpertSource:

TOPIC: Data collected by R.L. Polk & Co. shows registrations for new hybrid vehicles increased by 81 percent in 2004 compared to 2003, according to an article by The Associated Press. Experts say the increase in sales is due, in part, to the belief that consumers are being socially responsible by purchasing hybrid vehicles. In 2004, more than 25,000 new hybrid vehicles were registered in California, the most of any state in the United States.

EXPERTS: ExpertSource can offer several highly qualified experts to comment on this story:

John Boesel is president and CEO of WestStart-CALSTART, a non-profit organization that works with the public and private sectors to develop advanced transportation technologies and foster companies that will help clean the air, lessen our dependence on foreign oil, reduce global warming, and create jobs. Prior to assuming his current position, John served as executive vice president of the organization with the responsibility of developing and managing the organization's advanced transportation technology research and development programs. In this role, he worked with automotive and truck OEMs in research, development and deployment of alternative fuel vehicles and technologies. He is knowledgeable about a variety of advanced transportation technologies and fuels including fuel cells, hybrid electric, electric, natural gas and hydrogen. 626-744-5600, jboesel@calstart.org

Lance Ealey leads the Automotive Practice at The Freedonia Group. His duties include shaping Freedonia Group's automotive research portfolio and managing both off-the-shelf and custom research projects in the automotive arena. He has written several studies, including Automotive Aftermarket, Hybrids & Competing Automotive Powerplants, Advanced Automotive Materials, Automotive Diagnostic Products, World OEM Automotive Electronics, World Motorcycles, and Automotive Aftermarket in China. Prior to joining Freedonia Group, Ealey was a senior automotive consultant with the Cleveland office of McKinsey & Company for 12 years. PR Contact: Corinne Gangloff, 440-684-1261 ext. 112, pr@freedoniagroup.com

Mahesh Lunani is a partner in the North American Automotive Practice and has more than 12 years of professional experience, including six years at Ford Motor Company. Lunani has successfully led a number of key top management assignments with leading vehicle manufacturers and Fortune 500 companies in the United States, Europe and Japan. He also has managed development of the product-creation process for a leading Japanese automaker. Lunani has been intensively involved in globalization and expansion into emerging markets. He has spoken at a number of conferences and has contributed to numerous publications. He can share his expertise on automotive engineering, automotive fuel cells and hybrids. PR Contact: Dan Criscenti, 248-647-8621, dcriscenti@usautocom.com

ExpertSource cannot guarantee the immediate availability of these experts or their familiarity with this specific issue.

ExpertSource provides academic and industry experts to the media at no charge. Journalists are encouraged to submit queries to ExpertSource when seeking experts on specific subjects. An online registration form is available at http://www.businesswire.com/.