"There's a move in the Bay Area and elsewhere toward cleaner vehicles and this event is an opportunity for the public, local governments and anyone who runs a fleet of vehicles to look at all the different options available and consider that when making their next purchase," said Kristine Roselius, spokeswoman for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, which is involved in the expo.
The free two-day event at Richmond's Craneway Pavilion kicked off this morning with remarks from Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia and Randall Winston from Gov. Jerry Brown's office. The expo will continue through Saturday evening.
Attendees will get a chance to take alternative-energy cars for a spin both days and can also hear from a large roster of speakers in government and the clean energy field.
Industry leaders and representatives from Bay Area city and county governments have also been invited to the expo to hear about how they can incorporate alternative vehicles in their daily operations.
Roselius said the Bay Area has been a leader in electric, hybrid and other alternative vehicles, a trend the Bay Area Air Quality Management District hopes to see continue.
"Transportation is a large source of air pollution in the Bay Area, so any time we can reduce the amount of pollution from vehicles, we're taking a big bite out of air pollution," she said.
Schedules and other information for the AltCar Expo can be found at http://altcarexponorcal.com/ or by calling (310) 390-2930
