Media Contact
Zan Dubin Scott
(310) 383-0956
MEDIA ALERT
UPDATE—71 VEHICLES CONFIRMED
Largest Plug-In Parade Ever Celebrates Obama Inauguration With Green Cars
Crowd of 200 to Help Send Message: Americans Want Efficient Cars
SANTA MONICA—For the world’s greenest procession of its kind, 71 plug-in vehicles will parade through Santa Monica on Sat., Jan. 17 to jump start the nation’s presidential inaugural festivities with a message for Congress, Detroit and Barack Obama: America wants plug-in vehicles, the most fuel-efficient cars ever made.
Plug In America, the nonprofit organization leading the nation’s plug-in vehicle movement, will hold a press conference followed by “Inaugural Parade West: Plug In, America!” at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. California state Sen. Fran Pavley and others will send their message standing beside the Civic’s solar carport to signal that clean, renewable energy must replace oil to fuel the vehicles that will drive a sustainable and prosperous future.
Plug In America is asking for one million plug-in vehicles by 2012 and 10 million by 2016. A group of Seattle EV drivers will parade in solidarity with “Inaugural Parade West” on Saturday, as well.
WHAT: 71-Vehicle Inaugural Parade of Freeway-Capable Electric & Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles, including:
Toyota RAV4 EVs; Tesla Roadsters; a Zero Motorcycle; the AC Propulsion eBox; Vectrix motor scooters; a Balquon 50-ton truck; Phoenix SUTs; Chevy S-10s; a Brammo Motorcycle; a Solectria; prototypes of Mitsubishi’s iMiEV and Ford’s Escape plug-in hybrid (both from Southern California Edison); EV conversions of a Porsche, Geo Metro, Jeep and Hummer; at least three plug-in hybrid Prius conversions; a plug-in hybrid VW Jetta conversion, which has V2G (vehicle-to-grid) capability to generate energy for homes or buildings.
DATE: Sat., Jan. 17: Press Conference, 9:30 a.m.; Parade roughly 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
WHO: Press conference speakers: CA state Sen. Fran Pavley; Chris Paine, director, “Who Killed the Electric Car?”; Ed Kjaer, director of electric transportation, SoCal Edison; Jordan Howard, member of Green Ambassadors teen youth group; Paul Scott, Plug in America board member; Kevin McKeown, Santa Monica City Councilman.
WHERE: Press Conference: Santa Monica Civic Auditorium parking lot, 1855 Main St., Santa Monica, CA 90401. Parade will travel from Civic lot south on Main Street to the neighborhood of Ocean park, then back to the Civic.
EV PHOTOS: http://s233.photobucket.com/albums/ee226/ZanDubin/
ON SITE PHOTOGRAPHY: Birds-eye view of vehicles in parade formation can be shot from Civic parking structure at 4th Street & Olympic Boulevard. For sample photo, contact zan@zdscommunications.com. Spectators expected as parade leaves the Civic lot and along Main Street.
PARKING: Free media parking at the Civic.
RSVP: Zan Dubin Scott, zan@zdscommunications.com or (310) 383-0956.
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