Green Car Parade from City Hall to Convention Center Launches Green Car Summit at the Washington Auto Show

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2008 -- In a literal link between government and the automotive industry, an 18-car parade featuring the latest innovations in energy efficiency will head from City Hall to the Washington Convention Center to kick off the debut Green Car Summit at The Washington Auto Show.

Departing at 1:15 p.m. and scheduled to arrive at the convention center at 1:45 p.m., the parade is a festival launch for the summit, hosted by the California-based Green Car Journal and GreenCar.com, scheduled from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Jan. 22, International Media Day.

The Green Car Summit will feature two panel discussions comprised of automotive, energy, and government leaders who will tackle such topics as reducing CO2 greenhouse gas emissions and exploring strategies for oil displacement and long-term sustainability.

Nearly all of the vehicles in the Green Car Parade will be displayed in the Green Car Pavilion throughout the remainder of the Washington Auto Show.

  The following cars will be featured in the parade:
  -- Biodiesel Jeep Grand Cherokee
  -- CNG Mercury Marquis
  -- Natural gas Honda Civic GX
  -- Honda Civic Hybrid
  -- Chevy E85 Flexible-Fuel Avalanche
  -- E85 Escape Hybrid
  -- 2009 VW Jetta TDI (parade only)
  -- Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell
  -- Chevy Tahoe Hybrid
  -- Chevy Malibu Hybrid
  -- Saturn Vue Green Line
  -- Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  -- Toyota Prius
  -- Prius Plug-In Hybrid Conversion
  -- Aztec Solar Car -- built by MIT, restored by the Electric Vehicle
     Association of D.C.
  -- EV Sol Electric Fiero-solar-assisted Pontiac Fiero electric vehicle
  -- Electric Ford Ranger Pickup truck
  -- "Bug-E" -- a small single-seat electric vehicle with an aerodynamic
     cockpit

Panelists participating in the day's summit include leaders of the auto industry and the nation's major fuel and technology organizations. Moderators are Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com, and Warren Brown, automotive columnist for The Washington Post.

The Washington Auto Show, scheduled from Jan. 23 to Jan. 27, connects Washington's political elite with those on the cutting edge of the auto industry. With its theme of "Engineered for the Future," the show provides an important platform for "green" technologies.