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WASHINGTON, DC

Wednesday, May 14, 2003


Directions: 3rd Street NW between Constitution and Independence Avenues on the National Mall

Washington, DC is hosting the Tour de Sol championship finish line ceremonies!

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS:

U.S. EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman shown in the background bicycling to the finish line in 2002.


  • Over 45 Exhibits, solar powered music and much more!
  • Dennis Weaver of Gunsmoke and MacLoud fame will join us with the caravan of alternative fueled vehicles that are participating in his Drive To Survive.  DC marks the finish line of their two-week drive from Los Angeles.
  • Watch the vehicles cross the finish line at 10:00 am, followed by a media event in which Dennis Weaver will speak.
  • Take a spin with the newest and coolest "green" cars, buses and bikes. Test-drive hybrid vehicles built by Toyota and Honda, and a natural gas car by Honda.  Check out Allison Transmission’s clean hybrid bus, several natural gas buses, and a fuel cell bus.
  • See and learn about the Hy-wire, the world’s first drivable concept vehicle that combines a hydrogen fuel cell with by-wire technology. General Motors’ reps will be on hand to answer questions about this vehicle.
  • Explore new transportation options such as DaimlerChrylser’s GEM, a electric neighborhood vehicle. Take a spin on Wavecrest's electric bicycles or those built by eGo Vehicles.
  • Talk with some of the 200 students, dozens of visionaries, hybrid vehicle owners, and two battery manufacturers about their experience of building a one-of-a-kind vehicle to compete in the Tour de Sol championship. These vehicles include hybrid and alternative fueled cars using biodiesel, ethanol, natural gas, or propane; electric cars; solar assisted electric cars; and one-person motorcycles and personal commuter vehicles.
  • Watch hydrogen be made from the sun, and learn about the U.S. Department of Energy’s plans on how to move the nation toward a hydrogen economy.
  • Fun stuff for kids – guided tours of the vehicles, two special competitions offered by the Electric Vehicle Association of Greater DC and the DC Energy Office, sun toys for play, scavenger hunt, bicycle stuff and more.

    Federal Highway Adminstration Administrator, Mary Peters meets with kids at the 2002 Tour.

  • Music provided by the EPA Dixie Lee Band!
  • Learn about programs and services in your area that are working toward a greener transportation system and a better quality of life such as Arlington County’s Commuter Assistance program, and MD Department of the Environment programs.
  • Learn from Chesapeake Wind and Solar LLC about how you can provide electricity for your home or business using a solar or wind system. They'll also be bringing solar toys for kids!
  • Talk with bicycle advocates such as Chain Reaction with EcoShaw Village who are working in the DC community on empowering students by teaching them how to build bicycles.

    On May 13:

    Don’t Miss this Capitol Hill Briefing the day before the Tour de Sol:

    Making Transportation Cleaner: Innovations and Policy Opportunities

    May 13 in the afternoon, location to be announced
    Organized by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute and NESEA
    For more information the EESI website or email them.

    DC Sponsors

    • U.S. Department of Transportation/Federal Highway Administration - Bronze
    • Arlington County Commuter Assistance Program - Pewter
    • U.S. Department of Energy - Pewter
    • Arlington County Commuter Assistance Program - Pewter
    • Electric Drive Transportation Association - Pewter
    • Energy and Environmental Study Institute - Supporting
    • Better World Club - Supporting
    • Electric Vehicle Association of Greater DC - Donor
    • Chain Reaction - Donor


    Our Parnters
    Electric Auto Association, Federal Highway Administration Office of Policy, Friends of the Earth, Methanol Institute, National Clean Cities, Inc., Shaw Eco Village/Chain Reaction, Tom Davis Associates, LLC, U.S. Climate Action Network, U.S. Fuel Cell Council, Union of Concerned Scientists, Walk DC





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    Northeast Sustainable Energy Association
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    Copyright © 2001 by NESEA. All rights reserved.