[Editors] News Advisory: 23 enviro-friendly vehicles at MIT Friday

[Terry Hill]

Guys, I think that should be "wend" their way.  Don't you? Ter

At 03:01 PM 9/13/2004 -0400, Elizabeth Thomson wrote:
>MIT News Office
>Massachusetts Institute of Technology
>Room 11-400
>77 Massachusetts Avenue
>Cambridge, MA  02139-4307
>Phone: 617-253-2700
>http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/www
>
>======================================
>News Advisory: Caravan of 23 enviro-friendly vehicles to travel to MIT 
>this Friday
>======================================
>
>For Immediate Release
>MONDAY, SEP. 13, 2004
>
>
>==========================================
>Editors/Reporters: You are invited to cover this event and attend a 
>reception for the media that will include speakers from MIT and elsewhere 
>talking about environmentally friendly vehicles.
>
>When: Friday, Sept. 17, 5-5:45 pm; caravan will travel from the Larz 
>Anderson Museum of Transportation in Brookline to MIT's Kresge parking 
>lot. Reception for media and public address at 6pm, Kresge Lot.
>
>For more information go to www.altwheels.org. or contact Alison Sander, 
>617-868-1582, info at altwheels.org or Elizabeth Thomson, MIT News Office, 
>617-258-5402, thomson at mit.edu
>==========================================
>
>
>CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--New England's first alternative transportation caravan 
>with more than 23 vehicles powered by alternative, hybrid and other more 
>efficient, sustainable fuel systems will wind its way from the Larz 
>Anderson Museum of Transportation in Brookline to MIT in Cambridge this 
>Friday.
>
>The caravan, which will be escorted by an alternatively fueled state 
>police car, kicks off this weekend's AltWheels Festival, the region's 
>largest alternative transportation festival. This year the event is 
>co-hosted by MIT, home to several laboratories working on environmentally 
>friendly alternative vehicles.
>
>The five-mile caravan route will end at MIT's Kresge parking lot, where 
>the public is invited to come free of charge to learn about the latest 
>innovations, as well as some historical examples, in alternative 
>transportation.
>
>"The goal of the Friday caravan and weekend AltWheels festival is to 
>demonstrate to the public that alternative transportation is being 
>deployed and is flourishing throughout New England," said AltWheels 
>Festival organizer Alison Sander. "Not only is this region a hotbed of 
>research and technology in developing sustainable clean fuel sources, but 
>vehicles deploying these technologies are being put to practice by some of 
>the larger fleets in the region."
>
>The AltWheels caravan is currently scheduled to include the following 
>vehicles:
>
>-- State Police escort from a Ford Econoline E250 CNG (Compressed Natural 
>Gas) van
>-- A hydrogen fuel cell vehicle built in New England- actually designed 
>and built on a $25,000 bet with the EPA!
>-- A Mass Highway Ford F-150 pickup truck fueled by CNG. Mass Highway has 
>one of the largest alternative fleets in New England
>-- A 2004 Toyota hybrid Prius operated by PlanetTran-New England's first 
>alternative taxi service. The Prius is a gasoline/electric hybrid capable 
>of getting up to 52MPG in city driving
>-- A Harvard University biodiesel vehicle.  Harvard has committed to 
>switching its transit fleet to biodiesel
>-- A 1997 Ford Crown Victoria cruiser powered by CNG operated by the Sgt. 
>James Rooney of the Somerville Police Department
>-- Boston Public Health Commission's 2002 Toyota Prius--the Commission 
>operates a fleet of 5 Toyota Prius passenger cars
>-- Project Biobus, a yellow diesel 1991 GMC 71 passenger school bus fueled 
>by biodiesel/used vegetable oil.  This bus was converted by 12 Middlebury 
>College students and will begin a 17 city tour with this Boston visit.  A 
>previous bus converted by the group to get back to school last year was 
>featured by CNN, NPR and USA Today
>-- The Solectria Citivan, an electricity-powered delivery vehicle
>-- American Honda GX, the top selling CNG vehicle
>-- A Massport CNG passenger bus
>-- Councillor at Large Felix Arroyo driving his biodiesel vehicle
>-- An MBTA Clean Diesel passenger bus.  The MBTA has now become the 
>largest alternative fuel user in New England
>-- The Tufts Nerd Girls solar car
>-- The MIT solar car club vehicle
>-- The New England Aquarium CNG fueled outreach van
>-- The Zipcar Mini Cooper
>-- A Massport electric truck
>-- The City of Keene New Hampshire biodiesel F-350 truck representing 
>Granite State Clean Cities
>-- Ford's 2005 Hybrid SUV, Escape-one of the first hybrid SUVs
>-- The DaimlerChrysler Smart car, one of Europe's best selling alternative 
>vehicles
>-- The William Ellis Corbin Sparrow electric car
>-- And -- a real blast from the past -- the Stanley Steamer steam-powered 
>vehicle, model circa 1890
>
>Recent traffic studies show that Boston ranks in the top 10 most congested 
>cities in the U.S. and Massachusetts is rated by the E.P.A. as one of the 
>non-attainment states for air quality. The idea of clean sustainable fuels 
>is beginning to catch on in New England -- from private individuals buying 
>more hybrid-fuel passenger cars, to large public transit providers using 
>eco-friendly vehicles, to major conversions to altfuel fleets by 
>municipalities, universities and businesses.
>
>Major universities such as Harvard, MIT and Tufts have taken steps to 
>reduce auto emissions in and about their campuses. Public agencies such as 
>Massport, Mass Highway, the MBTA, the City of Keene, the Boston Public 
>Health Commission and others have taken leadership positions in addressing 
>the need to reduce harmful transportation-related pollutants in their fleets.
>
>The Altwheels festival is a one-stop showcase for the best alternative 
>transportation options available in New England - including fleets that 
>use alternative vehicles, concept vehicles and commercially available 
>options. The inspiration for the Festival grew from a New England regional 
>environment study by Connect-us, an AltWheels co-host. The survey found 
>that one of the highest impact environmental improvements in the near term 
>would derive from greater public understanding of our transportation 
>choices and a shift to lower hydrocarbon emission options. The AltWheels 
>Transportation Festival was created as a first step towards achieving this 
>goal and is today sponsored by more than 70 organizations, sponsors and 
>participating companies.
>
>--END--
>
>
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