California Center for Sustainable Energy

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (May 26, 2009) - Check out the latest innovations in alternative fuel vehicles from showroom models to electric sports cars at the 3rd annual Street Smart San Diego from 10 .m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 7, at the California Center for Sustainable Energy, 8690 Balboa Avenue in Kearny Mesa.

Street Smart will feature hands-on exhibits, workshops and displays of a wide variety of alternative fuel vehicles. Hear from industry experts about new and emerging clean transportation technologies, and talk with green vehicle experts on how you can get more mileage for you money and save on insurance rates. You can test drive an electric bicycle or scooter, and kids can ride solar-powered big wheels.

Among the exhibit highlights will be the newly redesigned Honda Insight hybrid and the Sanyo Eneloop electric hybrid bicycle that triples a rider’s pedal power. Other innovations on display will be the Tesla Roadster, the Civic compressed natural gas vehicle, the Smart Car, the Vectrix electric motorcycle and many more vehicles.

Keynote speakers at Street Smart will be Josh Tickell, director of the award-winning documentary “Fuel,” and John Addison, author of the book Save Gas, Save the Planet.

Joshua Tickell is the author of From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank: The Complete Guide to Using Vegetable Oil as an Alternative Fuel. As a young man, he converted a diesel-powered van to operate on biodiesel and set off on a 25,000-mile, two-year tour of the USA running on fuel made from grease collected at fast-food restaurants. He went on to become one of the nation’s leading experts in biofuels. His latest project is “Fuel,” a documentary film about America’s dependence on fossil fuels that extols the virtues of alternative and sustainable energies.

Author John Addison will be sharing the findings of his new book, Save Gas, Save the Planet: Ride Clean, Ride Together, Ride Less, that explores how people today are taking new approaches to transportation. His talk examines stories of people who are driving less and driving energy-efficient vehicles. He offers insights into the future of transportation, the auto industry and fuel technologies.

The Big Green Bus, a bus converted into a mobile energy educational lab, will be at Street Smart. The biodiesel bus runs on used vegetable oil, taking a group of Dartmouth College students around the country promoting sustainable energy, conservation, recycling and environmental responsibility. Onboard are interactive displays that showcase energy saving and environmentally friendly home improvements.

Street Smart is a great opportunity to see what’s new in transportation and to consider which alternatives fit your lifestyle when buying a new vehicle. For more information, call the California Center for Sustainable Energy at (858) 244-1174 or go to www.streetsmartsandiego.org.