AltWheels Fleet Day Bigger, Better and More Energy Efficient

ALTWHEELS

Creating a Sustainable Transportation & Energy Vision for the 21st Century

www.AltWheels.org <http://www.altwheels.org/> 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 11, 2009

Contacts:        Event Founder:   Alison Sander            617-868-1582
info@altwheels.org  

                             Event Media:   Jeremy Marin
617-947-2409          
jeremy@marinstrategies.com 

 

AltWheels Fleet Day Bigger, Better and More Energy Efficient

Technologies Entering the Mainstream and on Display

 

 

AltWheels Fleet Day, the largest display of alternative fleet vehicles on
the East coast, will be held at Staples World Headquarters in Framingham,
MA, on October 5.  This year's event will be bigger, better and feature more
energy efficient vehicle technology than ever before.

 

This year's lineup already includes more than 35 vehicles ranging from
hybrid cars, hybrid trucks and buses, plug-ins, hydrogen/fuel-cell,
bio-fuels (ethanol, biodiesel), propane, CNG and pure electrics as well as
idle reduction and other energy saving technologies. Most of these vehicles
will be available for test drives. (See the growing list of vehicles of all
sizes and types at: http://www.altwheels.org/fleetday09.html 

 

"We're seeing greater interest from participants than ever before," said
Alison Sander, founder of AltWheels. "Corporate and municipal fleet managers
from across the country are attending this year to see the broadest lineup
of alternative vehicle technologies and experts we've ever had.  The
opportunities for saving fuel and money are increasing almost daily, and
we've got the best options and the industry leaders showing how to make it
happen." 

 

Registration is already half-full with only 350 spots available. Due to
security walk-ins are not allowed, so participants need to register before
we sell out at: http://www.altwheels.org/fleetday09.html  "We're less than a
month away and already close to sold out!" said Sander.

 

Among the vehicles on display will be:

*	MIT EV's, Porsche 914 converted into a battery electric vehicle
(BEV) using lithium-ion batters. Vehicle has a range of approximately 100
miles and recently competed in GreenFest's 100 mpg challenge.
*	ElDorado's CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) E-Z Rider II 35' long
low-floor transit bus
*	Penske-Hybrid diesel/electric 4x2 24' Straight Box Truck
*	Mercedes-Benz - 2010 S400 Luxury Hybrid, the first production
vehicle to utilize Lithium-Ion battery technology.  

*	General Motors' Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell all-electric vehicle running
on GM's fourth generation hydrogen fuel cell system.
*	Ford Plug-In Escape PHEV Hybrid which can go approximately 30 miles
on a single charge without using any gas.
*	Tri State Truck Center's Freightliner Class 7 diesel/electric truck
*	Eaton-Class 6 Hybrid Utility Bucket Truck that offers a 60%
efficiency improvement.

And more than 30 others including major concept and commercially available
vehicles.

 

Speakers will include more than 40 nationally renowned leaders on fleet
technologies, industry experts and representatives from some of the biggest
names in the field. 

 

Fleet managers, municipal and corporate, from 17 states (as far away as
California), representing 27 cities and towns, 57 companies as well as more
than 10 state and federal agencies are registered to attend.  

 

Five years ago, when AltWheels Fleet Day was first held, many attendees were
skeptical that viable alternatives might exist. With a dramatic rise in the
cost of fuel, tightened budgets and a greater focus on environmental
responsibility, almost one-third of attendees say they have already
incorporated some alternative energy efficiency measures into their fleet.
Fleet Day will be highlighting many of the best practices already in use and
display many new alternatives available.

 

Sponsoring the event are some of the biggest names in the business, locally
and nationally, including: 

*	Gold Sponsor:  Staples 
*	Silver Sponsors:  Dennis K. Burke, Ford Motor Co., General Motors,
Massport; Toyota
*	Bronze Sponsors:  AVSG, Eaton, Mass Clean Cities, Mercedes Benz,
NAFA-New England, National Grid, Paul Revere Transportation, Penske Truck
Leasing, PlanetTran, Propane Education & Research Council, Smith Electric
Vehicles 
*	Trail Blazer Sponsors:  American Honda, City of Boston Clean Diesel
Program, Converdant Vehicles, Minuteman Trucks, Peterbilt, SAE - New
England, The Foresight Project, Tri State Truck Center

 

There are 28 co-hosts of AltWheels this year including leading agencies
working for sustainable transportation coming together from more than 9
States and 28 organizations including:

 

NAFA - New England; American Public Works Assoc. NE; Capital Clean Cities of
Connecticut; Clean Communities of Central NY; Clean Communities of Western
NY; EPA SmartWay; Energy Alternatives of Southwest CT; Environmental Defense
Fund; Granite State Clean Cities; Greater Long Island Clean Cities; Greater
New Haven Clean Cities (CT); Greater Philadelphia Clean Cities; Maine Clean
Communities; Maine Dept. of Transportation; Mass. Clean Cities Coalition;
Mass. Climate Action Network; Mass. Exec. Office of Transportation;
MassHighway; Mass. Municipal Association; Massport; New Jersey Clean Cities;
NYC Lower Hudson Valley Clean Communities; Norwich Clean Cities (CT); Ocean
State Clean Cities; SAE - New England; Vermont Clean Cities; WTS.

 

"We are proud of the broad collection of Fortune 500 companies, automakers
and fleet managers that come together each year to make AltWheels Fleet Day
possible," said Sander. "We bring together leading edge thinkers from across
the nation, fleet managers who share their successes to help each other
develop more sustainable transportation solutions. Each year we are amazed
at the networks created and the openness to help each other get to a more
sustainable and viable solution."

 

 

MEDIA: Photos to run with this story are available at:
http://www.altwheels.org/altwheels_photos.html

 


 


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