Alternative Car Expo lands in SM
SM AIRPORT — Alternative fuel car lovers, now it’s your turn.
Just 15 minutes from where the LA Auto Show is featuring an array of swanky new cars, the City of Santa Monica is hosting an event this weekend that could leave Los Angeles officials green with envy.
More than 100 different alternative fuel vehicles will be showcased this weekend at the Alternative Car and Transportation Expo, an event that city officials call the largest and most comprehensive alternative car convention in the nation. It’s an event befitting a city known as a leader in sustainability efforts.
“There is no more of an appropriate place than Santa Monica,” said Christine Dzilvelis, organizer of the event being staged at Barker Hangar.
The Alternative Car and Transportation Expo will allow visitors to test drive and even purchase select cars from dealers on site. The event, which is free to the public, will also showcase other modes of transportation, such as skateboards, bicycles, scooters and Segways.
“This is an opportunity to get the word out that people do have real choices that are better for the environment and better for their pocketbooks,” said Craig Perkins, director of the city’s Environmental and Public Works Management.
The cars come in all shapes and sizes. Some are box-shaped, some are round, and some are shaped like an egg. Some cars even come with their own plug.
Besides showcasing quirky designed vehicles, the event will feature seminars covering the topics of alternative energy,transportation and the government’s reliance on foreign oil. Featured speakers include former Assemblywoman Fran Pavley of the 41st District, former Secretary of the California EPA Terry Tamminen and Former CIA Director James Woolsey.
The event will exhibit hybrid, electric, natural gas and biodiesel vehicles to name a few. The gas alternative vehicles are not only cost-effective, they’re safe and reliable, said Mayor Richard Bloom, during a kick-off event at the Santa Monica Pier on Friday morning, where media representatives were invited to view a sample of the vehicles and ride along during a car rally from the pier to the Santa Monica Airport.
The kick-off drew celebrities like actor and known environmentalist Ed Begley Jr., who currently stars in the feature length film “For Your Consideration”and will star in his own reality show on HGTV titled “Living with Ed,” a look at what it is like to live with an environmental “zealot,”as Begley calls himself. Actress and proud hybrid vehicle owner Sharon Lawrence, who has appeared in numerous television shows such as “Desperate Housewives” and “Monk,” was also in attendance.
THE ELECTRIC SLIDE Vehicles from several well-known Japanese automakers such as Toyota, Honda and Lexus made an appearance at the pier on Friday, though the majority of interest seemed to be directed toward the oddly shaped vehicles.
Many alternative fuel vehicles are manufactured by American companies. Therefore, by purchasing an electric car, consumers are helping the American economy, said Lawrence.
“You’re not only making positive [environmental] choices, but sound business choices,” Lawrence said. “It’s more than just being a tree hugger. It’s a smart look at how we can change our auto industry.”
At the kick-off, environmental car lover Paul Pearson brought his all-electric California roadster along with his wife and dog, Bonzo, an American bulldog that was sitting in the backseat while sporting a sweater.
The roadster, which set Pearson back only $10,000, goes only 25 miles an hour and has enough juice to make about three trips into the San Fernando Valley. It’s the perfect vehicle to make the short trip to the grocery store, Pearson said.
“Santa Monica is such a small town,” Pearson said. “We constantly make runs of two or three miles.”
Many of the cars featured at the pier were in the $10,000 to $15,000 range and meant to travel short distances. Ontario, Canada-based ZENN, or Zero Emission No Noise, can run on less than 2 cents to the gallon and can travel 35 miles on a full charge.
“Sixty-five percent of people travel within five to six miles of their house,” said Bill Williams, vice president of ZENN.
In fact, the short yet frequent trips to the grocery store is why Begley purchased a small Taylor Dunn electric car during the 1970s.
“They were great for me around the [San Fernando] Valley, where I live,” Begley said on Friday. “I needed something to get me to the grocery store.”
Today, Begley has moved on to an electric Toyota Rav4 and occasionally borrows his wife’s Toyota Prius for long trips.
Purchasing an alternative fuel car is not only good for the environment, it’s a sound financial decision on part of the car’s owner, Begley said. There are two ways to be fiscally sound — possess a lot of money or eliminate the need for money.
“I did the latter,” Begley said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 9, 2006. Read the original PDF.