Green Cars Ride & Drive Offers Rare Test Drives of Alternative Fuel Vehicles at the LA Auto Show

LOS ANGELES -

- Media to Test Drive the Latest Clean Diesel, Electric, Hydrogen Fuel Cell and Hybrid Vehicles

The Los Angeles Auto Show will host a unique opportunity for journalists to drive some of the most advanced green cars on Dec. 3 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Green Cars/LA Auto Show Ride & Drive will enable journalists to experience back-to-back comparison drives of exciting, new and experimental models that offer high fuel efficiency, low environmental impact or run on a variety of alternative fuels. The Ride & Drive is sponsored by Southern California Edison (SCE) and the American Chemistry Council’s Plastics Make it Possible(SM) campaign.

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As the first major North American auto show of the season, the LA Auto Show has developed a strong reputation as a key show for emerging green trends and vehicles. During the show’s second Press Day, multiple vehicles from ten manufacturers representing North American, European and Asian automakers will be on hand to test drive on the streets of L.A.

Some participating vehicles are so new or in such limited quantity that previous test drive opportunities have been very rare or simply unavailable, such as the Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid, Porsche Cayenne Hybrid, Porsche Cayenne Diesel and the electric Volkswagen E-Up!. Other green vehicles available to test drive include the BMW 335d, Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell, Honda FCX Clarity, MINI-E, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Mitsubishi i car, Volkswagen Euro Polo Blue Motion and Touareg TDI, plus others. Three 2010 Green Car of the Year(R) finalists are featured as well, including the Audi A3 TDI, Honda Insight and the Volkswagen Golf TDI.

“Today’s sharper focus on efficiency, CO2 reduction and better overall environmental performance has brought greater momentum to all types of ‘green’ vehicles, whether they’re powered by advanced gasoline and diesel engines or alternatives like electricity, hydrogen or biofuels,” says Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal, editor of GreenCar.com (www.greencar.com/) and organizer of the Ride & Drive. “The ride and drive enables journalists attending the LA Auto Show to get behind the wheel of these innovative vehicles and put them through their paces on city streets.”

The Ride & Drive will be accompanied by displays from Southern California Edison and Plastics Make it Possible(SM). Auto show participants who visit SCE’s exhibit will get an early view of what they need to do to get their homes plug-in and electric vehicle ready. SCE experts will provide answers to frequently asked questions about electricity rates, charging equipment, installation options and when to call the electric utility. Plastics Make it Possible(SM) is a new campaign sponsored by the American Chemistry Council that highlights innovative uses of plastics. Within the automotive industry, plastics are helping improve vehicles through safety, performance and style. When it comes to the latest “green” vehicles, plastics allow manufacturers to make cars lighter and more fuel efficient, reducing green house gas emissions. Over the past decade, recycled plastics have been increasingly used in vehicle interiors and upholstery, allowing plastics to live a second life in automobiles.

About Green Car Journal(R)

Since 1992, Green Car Journal has focused on the intersection of automobiles, energy, and environment, first with an industry newsletter and then with an award-winning auto enthusiast magazine. Today, the magazine is considered the premier source of information on high fuel efficiency, low emission, advanced technology and alternative fuel vehicles. A sample of the print edition may be viewed online at www.GCJUSA.com.

About Southern California Edison

Southern California Edison (SCE) is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts. SCE operates the nation’s largest private electric vehicle fleet, including almost 300 vehicles that have logged more than 17 million miles.

About Plastics Make it Possible(SM)

Plastics Make it Possible highlights the many ways plastics inspire innovations that improve our lives, solve big problems and help us design a safer, more promising future. Plastics Make it Possible is sponsored by the plastics industries (www.americanchemistry.com/plastics/) of the American Chemistry Council (www.americanchemistry.com/s_acc/index.asp).

About the Los Angeles Auto Show

The show opens for media only Dec. 2 and 3 with public days running from Dec. 4-13. The Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles (OICA), the world automobile trade association, has officially named the Los Angeles Auto Show as one of its sanctioned international exhibits for the 2009 auto show season. Additional information about the Los Angeles Auto Show is online at www.LAautoshow.com.

Source: Greater Los Angeles Auto Show

Jessica Schmidt of The Rogers Group, +1-310-552-4177, LAautoshow at rogerspr.com, for Greater Los Angeles Auto Show