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Chrysler's Zimmer and Toyota's Ugajin to Chair Conference

25 August 1998

Chrysler's Zimmer and Toyota's Ugajin to Chair ESD's 1999 Environmental Vehicles and Alternative Fuels Conference

    SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Aug. 25 --- ESD Announced today Stephen E.
Zimmer, Director of the New Generation Vehicle Program at Chrysler Corporation
and Mitsuyuki Ugajin, Vice President, Powertrain and Regulations at Toyota
Motor Corporation will co-chair the Society's Annual Environmental Vehicles
and Alternative Fuels Conference and Exposition (EnV '99).
    This announcement follows ESD's most successful Environmental Vehicles
Conference to date drawing just under 700 attendees to the conference and
exposition in June.  The conference addressed the technical, governmental and
infrastructure issues facing environmental vehicles today and defined the
state-of-the-art direction of low emission vehicles for suppliers, OEMs, fleet
owners, government regulators and researchers facilitating the expansion of
this market.
    The 1998 program also featured the first "Ride and Drive" program held in
Michigan, giving attendees as well as members of the public and press the
opportunity to see the already available market and the future for
environmental vehicles.
    Zimmer is responsible for leading Chrysler's activities in the
"Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles" (PNGV), a research and
development cooperative between Chrysler, Ford, General Motors and the Federal
Government.  Zimmer also serves as a Chrysler Board Member and was named
Chairman of the Board of the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG), on
July 1, 1998.
    Ugajin oversees design and evaluation of engine component parts,
certification from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California
Air Resources Board (CARB), and vehicle evaluation for engine performance and
driveability.
    For more information regarding the EnV '99, Contact ESD's Conference
Coordinator, Betsy Mellen at 248-355-2910, ext. 152.
    Founded in 1895 as the Association of Graduate Engineers of the University
of Michigan, ESD has evolved into the largest multi-disciplinary engineering
and scientific society of its kind with members throughout the Great Lakes
Region.  Major conferences in addition to EnV include: IBEC (International
Body Engineering Conference), Advanced Coatings Technology Conference,
Advanced Composites Technology Conference and Exposition, and Landfill Design.
The Society publishes proceedings of all its conferences.  For membership
information call 800-659-2559 or register on-line with the ESD web site at
http://www.esd.org.