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Tour de Sol 
Advanced Vehicles on the Market
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Photo Essay of the 2004 Tour de Sol
The first Tour de Sol event for the public was in New Jersey, at the "Burlington Day" festival held Saturday, May 22 in the historic City of Burlington on the beautiful Delaware River. Toyota’s 2004 Prius, the hottest selling hybrid on the market today, drew hundreds of people, many of whom took a test-drive.
Ford’s hybrid Escape was also a hot item. This vehicle will be on the market by the end of the summer. It is the first full hybrid SUV to come to market, and the Tour de Sol was a great place to get a sneak preview!
People found an extraordinary array of interesting gizmos at Renewable Energy International’s exhibit. From demonstrations of small fuel cells and a hydrogen-powered toy car to a full size experimental hydrogen vehicle - it had something for everyone.
This neighborhood electric vehicle, originally built by DaimlerChrysler, ran on a hydrogen fuel cell, installed by WPI Fuel Cell Center and FASTec E-Plane Team. The GEM could be seen tooling around the site all day.
Lots of people tried out the dozen electric bikes and scooters gathered for our new "around town vehicle competition." Here Josh Kerson of RunAbout Cycles talks to a prospective customer. Judging by the smiles, these vehicles were a great hit!
Student teams also attracted many people. Here, the Central Trenton High School shows off their vehicle that runs on biodiesel the students made from waste fryerlator oil from their school cafeteria.
Sterling College used a jar of biodiesel as a prop when explaining the benefits of biodiesel as a fuel source.
There was something for everyone. Here, kids play with a solar fountain. It did not take them long to figure out that blocking the sunlight on the solar panel would stop the fountain!
While the kids were playing, parents checked out literature at booths by non-profit and government agencies.
Our Tour de Sol photographer and our youngest volunteer take a break to enjoy fresh organic milk from Organic Valley Family of Farms.
NESEA’s Green Car Club members also joined the fun. A New Jersey family takes a break from offering rides in their Honda Insight.
Drew Gaylo, a Green Car Club member and past Tour de Sol entrant, offers rides in the electric vehicle he built several years ago as a high school student.
On Monday, May 24, thousands of people attended our street festival next to the New Jersey State Capitol. The Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid lined up at the curb for test-drives, along with several other vehicles including GM’s soon to be released hybrid pickup truck, GM’s HydroGen3 prototype fuel cell minivan, and two hybrid buses from NJ Transit and GM.
The teams paraded to the site for a photo entry. Here Cinnaminson (NJ) High School drives onto the plaza.
Doug Reid, NESEA's new executive director, Michael Skelly, one of NESEA's board of directors, and Cameron Johnson from the NJ Board of Public Utilities smiles for the camera.
Mike Winka of the NJ Board of Public Utilities joined us at the podium for a welcoming ceremony and recommitment to our cause of sustainable energy and transportation. Other speakers included NJ Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, chair of the Environment Committee, and James Appleton, President of the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers (NJ-CAR)
Local Organizing Committee member, Anthony Miskowski, Assistant Curator of Natural History with the NJ State Museum was given an award for going the extra mile. He recruited committee members, local schools, and marketed the event throughout the greater Trenton area, and much more! Thank you Tony, for your hard work and dedication!
Reporters from Wired Magazine (shown here), and most of the local TV and print media came to cover the event.
Channel 25 took an interest in Ford Motor Company's new hybrid Escape.
Almost a thousand students came to Trenton to see the Tour de Sol and learn about the economic, environmental and national security problems caused by the way we get around today, and to experience the solutions – from bikes to mass transit, to vehicles that sip gas, or using no gasoline at all.
They also got a chance to play tug of war at the Sun Toys exhibit. The Sun Toys exhibit was an excellent hands-on learning opportunity for kids to learn about how PV and solar energy works and in a way that allowed kids to have fun!
Numerous state workers and business people had an opportunity to see the Tour de Sol on their lunch break.
The grand finale was held in New York City at the South Street Seaport, on Tuesday, May 25th. Awards were presented to the teams by Chris Ward, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Environmental Conservation; Peter Smith, President of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA); Lou Calcagno of the NYC Department of Transportation, and Brian Warner of the New York Power Authority.
Many people visited General Motors’ exhibit which showcased three vehicles: its soon to be released hybrid pickup truck, the first hybrid truck to enter the market; its Allison Transmission hybrid bus; and its prototype fuel cell minivan, the HydroGen3 shown here.
The electric bike and scooter exhibits were a great draw for New Yorkers. Here, a businessman tries out Personal Electric Transports, (PET) electric stand-up scooter, the Road Ski.
Many people found the Electrovaya booth very interesting. Electrovaya is a major manufacturer of lithium-polymer batteries for the computer and IT industry. They showcased a prototype electric vehicle and competed in the event.
Dr. Robert Wills, founder and technical director of the Tour de Sol, congratulates the winners of the Tour de Sol. Rob is one of over 50 people who volunteer their time each year to make the Tour de Sol possible.
The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), organizer of the event, offered membership specials and information on our many other programs that include conferences for professionals on green buildings and renewable energy and information, resources, and curricula to the general public, teachers, and school children. These programs further our mission of building a sustainable energy future for our children and generations to come. nesea@nesea.org |
