Speakers Announced for 8th Annual AltCar Expo in Santa Monica

Santa Monica, CA – August 29, 2013 – Presented by the City of Santa Monica, the 2013 AltCar Fleet Conference and Expo, September 20-21, features distinguished speakers from leading automakers, policymakers, alternative-fuel infrastructure planners, and fleet managers who will share the latest information on alternative vehicle technologies and infrastructures.

The most stringent mandates on fuel economy standards in U.S. history, along with the Obama Administration’s commitment and Governor Brown’s support of critical investments in advanced vehicles, fuel technologies, and public transport combine to make the AltCar Expo activities especially relevant to Southern Californians.  

A veritable who’s-who in the alternative energy transportation arena, Friday’s Fleet Conference will feature:

·         Terry Tamminen, Former Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency

·         Ted Lieu, California Senator from the 28th District

·         David Friedman, Deputy Administrator of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration

·         Jacob Ward, Department of Energy

·         Terry O’Day, Director of California Business Development for NRG EV Services and Councilmember in the City of Santa Monica

·         J.R. DeShazo, Director of the Luskin Center

·         Randall Winston, Special Assistant to the Executive Secretary, Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr.

·         Jon Coleman, Fleet Sustainability & Technology Manager Ford Motor Company

·         Richard Battersby, Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year, East Bay Clean Cities

Saturday’s activities will feature panel discussion on such topics as:

·         Barriers to the widespread adoption of alternative technology vehicles, moderated by John O’Dell, Senior Editor Fuel Efficiency and Green Cars for Edmunds.com

·         Alternative Technology Debate, moderated by Susan Carpenter, Auto and Motorcycle Critic for the Orange County Register

·         Alternative Technology Vehicle Owners Panel, moderated by Dave Kunz, Car Specialist for ABC7 Eyewitness News

Highlights of this year’s AltCar Expo will also include:

·         A “Ride & Drive” event, featuring the country’s largest variety of alternative technology vehicles -- open and free-to-the-public from 10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Friday and Saturday. Electric, natural gas, propane, biofuel, ethanol, hydrogen fuel cell and hybrid powered technologies will be feature.  Participating manufacturers will include Chevrolet, Honda, BMW, Nissan, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz and Smart, as well as Via Motors and Zero Truck.

·         Vehicle debuts, including Southern California Gas Company’s west coast introduction of four new prototype consumer vehicles built to run on compressed natural gas and capable of using gasoline as backup.

·         Santa Monica-area high school students, members of environmental science and advocacy group Team Marine, will debut a gas-to-electric conversion project four years in the making.   

·         A chance to win free weekend rentals of a Tesla Model S and a Nissan Leaf with on-site registration.