4.17.2006 ET

(CSRwire) GREENFIELD, MA--You, too, can be a contender in the 2006 Tour de Sol, America's No. 1 Green Car Show and Competition Drive. Just like Drew Gillett, Ricardo Bazzarella, Michael Dabrowski, Jack Lee, Justin Carven and Carl Vogel.

The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) invites all hybrid and biofuel-vehicle drivers to participate in the 2006 Tour de Sol, to be held Thursday, May 10 to Sunday, May 14 at Saratoga Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs, NY. By taking part in the 18th annual Tour de Sol, you can compete in the Monte Carlo-style Rally and the new Fuel Efficiency Challenge as well as showcase your vehicle at the Saratoga Automobile Museum's Auto Show, May 13. Or, you can come without a car, and simply enjoy it all.

The Monte Carlo-style rally rewards miles per gallon -- not miles per hour. Trophies are given to those who participate in the Around-Town Vehicle Championship. Cash prizes and trophies are presented to drivers of hybrid and modified-hybrid vehicles who participate in the 200-mile run from the Saratoga Spa State Park to Cooperstown, NY, and back on Friday, May 12 and demonstrate the highest fuel efficiencies that are at least 40% greater than EPA estimates for their vehicles.

At the Spring Auto Show, you will join dozens of other advanced-vehicle owners, students with one-of-a-kind vehicles, and auto companies exhibiting their latest hybrid, compressed-natural-gas, biofuel, hydrogen, neighborhood-electric and non-road vehicles as well as electric bikes and scooters. Be part of this exciting gathering of people committed to breaking our addiction to oil and cutting climate-change emissions to zero - while saving money at the gas pump.

Entrants compete in various technology categories such as: hybrids on the market; modified hybrids; diesel vehicles running on biodiesel; modified diesel vehicles running on vegetable oil; and vehicles running on compressed natural gas, or hydrogen. All of these technologies reduce oil use and climate-change emissions by increasing fuel efficiency and/or switching to non-gasoline fuels such as biofuels, which are made from plant material, or some other fuel.

Drew Gillett, who is entered in Subdivision 1: Unmodified Hybrids Now on the Market, is founder and owner of Solar Engineers in Bedford, NH. He says he is entering an unmodified hybrid to demonstrate that such vehicles are capable of achieving their EPA estimated gas mileages, which tend to be significantly higher than actual gas mileages. "My wife and I regularly achieve [the EPA estimate] in our '02 Prius, and [the Tour de Sol] is an opportunity to show once again that [our Prius] is still doing the job." He says he's surprised that the Hollywood crowd, like an increasingly growing number of average Americans, has taken to hybrids. "I didn't know they were sexy and cool when I bought one, and I guess they've become that now that gas is three bucks a gallon and up in places -- and going higher this spring." (To hear an approximately 1-minute interview with him, by NESEA's Steve D'Agostino, in MP3 format, visit Drew Gillett.)

Ricardo Bazzarella, who is in entered in Subdivision 2: Plug-In Hybrids, is co-founder, co-owner and president of Hymotion Inc. in Concord, Ontario, which is producing a kit that can be used to convert a hybrid Toyota Prius or Ford Escape to a "plug-in hybrid," and reduce the use of gasoline. He says it's no real trouble to plug in a hybrid each day in order to recharge it. "Gas prices are going higher and higher every day, and by taking the trouble of plugging in your [hybrid] car, it gives you that [extra] option," he says. "You take that standard hybrid vehicle, like the Prius or the Ford Escape, you add more batteries and, voila, you've got yourself a plug-in hybrid. It gives you an option to go 50 kilometers in pure electric mode, which is a beautiful thing." (To hear an approximately 1-minute-30-second interview with him, by NESEA's Steve D'Agostino, in MP3 format, visit Ricardo Bazzarella.)

Michael Dabrowski, who is entered in Subdivision 2: Insight Modifications, is founder, owner and operator of Genesis One in North Grosvenordale, CT. He has been working to convert Honda Insights because they are the most fuel-efficient hybrid on the market, with an EPA estimated rating of 57 miles per gallon. He says hybrids can get a lot more miles per gallon than they now achieve. "Theoretically, if you could put enough batteries onboard any hybrid -- especially with the new generation of batteries that are lightweight and with a lot of density -- and you could push the electric portion of the hybrid to its limit, the mileage would go up accordingly." He says he has conducted initial experiments with his Insight, using new-generation batteries. "I've made several runs at over 100 miles per gallon -- maybe 110," he says. (To hear an approximately 2-minute interview with him, by NESEA's Steve D'Agostino, in MP3 format, visit Michael Dabrowski.)

Jack Lee, who is entered in Subdivision 2: Insight Modifications., is founder, owner and operator of Cannonball Enterprises. in Venice, FL. He says you could get 120 miles per gallon in a Honda Insight if you drive a steady 43 miles per hour and don't hit any traffic lights -- but that this scenario is not a realistic one. "I've developed a hybrid turbo -- I guess you could call it a 'hybrid-turbo hybrid' -- that will enhance that [performance]. I can get that same 120 miles per gallon, but at a faster speed: 48 miles per hour." (To hear an approximately 2-minute interview with him, by NESEA's Steve D'Agostino, in MP3 format, visit Jack Lee.)

Justin Carven, who is entered in Subdivision 3: Vegetable Oil, is founder, owner and operator of Greasecar Vegetable Fuel Systems LLC in Easthampton, MA, which offers a kit to convert a conventional diesel vehicle to run on vegetable oil. He says it's no more trouble to use vegetable oil than to use biodiesel. "Vegetable oil as a fuel is, in most cases right now, more readily available and cheaper to get a hold of than biodiesel tends to be," he says. "Therefore, a lot of people choose [vegetable oil] as an option so that they can run an alternative fuel as well as save money." (To hear an approximately 2-minute interview with him, by NESEA's Steve D'Agostino, in MP3 format, visit Justin Carven.)

Carl Vogel, who is entered in Subdivision 3: Biodiesel, is founder, owner and CEO of Vogelbilt Corp. in West Babylon, NY. He says biodiesel is very cost-effective. "With the tax incentives now, the price of biodiesel has come down to what we're paying at the pump [for gasoline]," he says. He says this trend is causing increasingly more consumers to switch from gasoline to biodiesel. "Now that the [biodiesel] prices are the same [as] or less [than gasoline], it's really an easy decision." (To hear an approximately 1-minute-30-second interview with him, by NESEA's Steve D'Agostino, in MP3 format, visit Carl Vogel.)

Additional recent entries include a Honda Civic GX, which runs on natural gas and has been recognized as the "Cleanest Production Vehicle on Earth" for the 4th consecutive year.

To be a contender for a grand total of $10,000 in prize money, you can join Drew Gillett, Ricardo Bazzarella, Michael Dabrowski, Jack Lee, Justin Carven and Carl Vogel in choosing one-, two- or three-day options in one of the following four competitions:

By fax: Print the registration form at https://nesea.org/transportation/tour/documents/MonteCarlo_Reg_form.pdf and fax it to 413-774-605.

For a photo essay of last year's event, visit http://www.nesea.org/transportation/tour/2005Highlights.php.

To view news-media coverage of last year's event, visit http://www.bestrateofclimb.com/TourDeSol2005.htm.

To find out more about the Northeast Sustainable Energy Energy Association, organizer of the Tour de Sol, visit www.nesea.org.

If you have questions, e-mail TourdeSol@nesea.org, or call 413.774.6051.

For more information please contact:

Stef Komorowski , NESEA
(508) 698-6810

Nancy Hazard , NESEA
(413) 774-6051

For more CSR news and information from this organization:

Corporate Social Responsibility Profile for NESEA-Northeast Sustainable Energy Association

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