California Center for Sustainable Energy

Last Saturday, over 70 brave souls faced the wind and rain to make it to the CVRP Workshop Tour stop in Fresno.  The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) hosted the event, and we were happy to be joined by an outstanding group of presenters.  Tom Bohigan, State Director for US Senator Barbara Boxer, opened the workshop with the Senator’s commitment to clean energy and advanced technology vehicles.   He was followed by David Almeida of the California Center for Sustainable Energy, who detailed the benefits of owning a plug-in electric vehicle ( PEV) as well as available incentives.

Residents of the San Joaquin Valley region are especially fortunate to have the Drive Clean Rebate Program, which offers clean vehicle owners a rebate of up to $3,000.  On top of the Federal tax credit of up to $7,500, the up to $2,500 through Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, and single occupant use of the HOV lane, clean vehicle owners in the SJVAPCD area have the opportunity for big savings.  Todd DeYoung of SJV APCD was able to outline these local vehicle and charging incentives, followed by Ulric Kwan of Pacific Gas & Electric with a discussion of PEV impacts to the grid and utility bills.  The workshop closed with Fresno residents taking part in a drivers panel, in which they described why they chose to switch to electric vehicles and what experiences they’ve had so far.  Drivers panel vehicles exemplified the variety available to consumers looking to switch to an electric vehicle: a Vectrix Electric Motorcycle, a Nissan LEAF, a Tesla Roadster, and a Chevrolet Volt Low Emissions Package.

During a brief moment of sunshine, workshop attendees ventured outside to see the electric vehicles for static display outside..  Altogether, there were two Chevy Volts, one Nissan LEAF, a Tesla Roadster, and the special addition of the E-trans all-electric school bus, courtesy of John Clements of the Kings County Unified School District.   Seeing all of these vehicles made it possible to imagine a future fueled by clean technology, and showed the foundation that’s already being built by conscious consumers.

All workshop presentations can be found below, and be sure to tell your friends and neighbors to register today for our upcoming CVRP Workshop Tour stops in Riverside and Pasadena at www.energycenter.org/cvrp-events.

When the crowd stepped outside, they were greeted by two Chevy Volts, a Tesla Roadster, four Zero Motorcycles, two Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrids, two Nissan LEAFs, and a converted electric vehicle. Many of the vehicles were available for test drives while others were on static display. Attendees enjoyed the newest electric vehicle models and met other EV enthusiasts, all while enjoying the beautiful Southern California weather and picturesque view of City Hall.