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You, Too, Can Be A Contender In The 2006 Tour De Sol

You, Too, Can Be A Contender In The 2006 Tour De Sol

Published 04-17-06

Submitted by Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA)

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:

  • ONE-DAY OPTION: Saturday, May 13 - Drive-In Rally & Green Car Show: 100-mile minimum. For hybrid vehicles.

  • TWO-DAY OPTION: Friday, May 12 - High-Efficiency Competition: 200-mile drive from Saratoga Springs to Cooperstown and back. Saturday, May 13 - Green Car Show: For hybrid, biofuel and alternative fueled vehicles.

  • THREE-DAY OPTION: Thursday--Saturday, May 11-13: In addition to the above events, join us for a special Thursday event at the Saratoga Technology and Energy Park (STEP) for area businesspeople, and a special Friday event at the Saratoga Automobile Museum for area students.

    Participants in the Monte Carlo-style Rally and Fuel Efficiency Challenge can begin at one of the following Official Start Sites (or, if there is not an official site within 50 miles of your home, you may begin at your home):

    Balcones European Motors, Austin, TX
    Cherry Run Automotive, Greenfield, MA
    D.A.D.'s Auto, Beresford, SD
    Gebbe's Auto Care, Lansdale, PA
    Haney Tire and Auto, West Plains, MO
    Harriman Auto, Harriman, NY
    Mastertech Automotive, Salt Lake City, UT
    Pete's Import Garage, Atlanta, GA
    Quebec Advanced Transportation Institute, Saint-Jerome, Quebec
    Progressive Asset Management, Wellesley Hills, MA
    Rad Air Complete Car Care, Cleveland, OH
    Ricks' 36 Auto Service, Stillwater, MN
    Scott's Automotive, Des Moines, IA
    Slipstream Autocare, Boulder, CO
    Stock's Underhood Spec., Belleville, IL
    Tom's Master Mechanics, San Diego, CA
    Toyota Clifton Park, Clifton Park, NY
    United Auto Sales & Service, Waterbury, CT
    Westboro Toyota, Westborough, MA

    Premier sponsors of the 2006 Tour de Sol are the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the Center for Technology Commercialization. Additional key sponsors include the New York Power Authority, the Saratoga Automobile Museum, Stewart's Shops, New York State Parks, Eastern Biofuels, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Toyota, the UK Trade & Investment, American Honda, Kurkoski Solar Electric, Westboro Toyota, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, E- The Environmental Magazine, EIN Publishing, and GreenBiz.com.

    The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, organizer of the Tour de Sol, is the Northeast's leading organization of professionals and concerned citizens working in sustainable energy, and whole systems thinking. NESEA facilitates the widespread adoption and use of sustainable energy by providing support to industry professionals and by educating and motivating consumers to learn about, ask for and adopt sustainable-energy and green-building practices. NESEA accomplishes this through conferences, K-12 educational resources, its members and chapters, its Sustainable Yellow Pages, and public events.

    Results will be announced to the news media on Sunday, May 14.

    To find out more about the:

  • Tour de Sol: www.TourdeSol.org.

  • Monte Carlo-style Rally: www.nesea.org/transportation/tour/2006Monte_Carlo_Rally.php.

  • Competition rules http://www.nesea.org/transportation/tour/2006rulesemail.php.

    To register:

  • Online:https://nesea.org/transportation/tour/tourdesol-registration.php.

  • 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.

  • Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) logo

    Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA)

    Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA)

    About NESEA

    NESEA is the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (www.NESEA.org), Founded in 1974, the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) is today the region’s leading membership organization promoting sustainable energy practices in the built environment. We as professionals in the fields of renewable energy and building embrace whole systems thinking as the path to sustainability, and we accomplish this by focusing on three core elements:

    • Creating and supporting a diverse, multidisciplinary network
    • Promoting sustainable energy solutions for the built environment
    • Rigorously vetting solutions through our network of professionals - no greenwashing here.

    Headquartered in Greenfield, MA, NESEA operates primarily in the six New England states plus New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania, but we increasingly reach out to share ideas nationally and internationally.

    About BuildingEnergy

    BuildingEnergy is NESEA's annual building science and renewable energy conference and trade show. Held in Boston annually in March, BuildingEnergy is the is the most established, most cross-disciplinary renewable energy and high-performance building conference and trade show in the northeast. It attracts professionals from every part of the building and energy industry.

    Learn more about this year's exciting BuildingEnergy line-up at www.nesea.org/buildingenergy

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