AltCar Expo Santa Monica

The sunny beachside city of Santa Monica played host to the sixth annual AltCar Expo, a consumer and trade show focused on alternative energy vehicles and the businesses and services associated with this industry.  I've been personally attending this event for the last three years and it's incredible to see the progress that's been made since I first started visiting as a mere "interested consumer".

Years ago, other than the hybrid Prius, there really wasn't a viable full electric vehicle that was available for serious electric car consumers to consider.  We saw 'concepts' and 'experimental' vehicles which promised the zero emissions we wanted, but most of it was merely there for show and not for go.  Not so this year; between the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, various versions of the Priuseseses, along with plug in electric cars from Coda, Wheego, Mitsubishi, Smart as well as hydrogen fuel cell cars from GM, Honda, Nissan and Mercedes Benz, there were a variable fleet of cars available to test drive.  And I'm not just talking around the parking lot.  Attendees were permitted to drive on actual streets, in real life driving conditions, dodging buses, bicycle riders and tourists in rental cars.  

In addition, there was plenty to see as far as upcoming future cars on display, including the Fisker hybrid, the electric BMW 1-series and many more.  

It was amazing to see the number of people who turned out to sample all the different types of alternative fuel  vehicles available on the road today. And as a current driver of a Mercedes F-Cell, I was able to share in my experiences driving a fuel cell vehicle and help promote the technology.  I was also able to share my unbiased opinions and frankly state my opinions, mostly positive, about the F-Cell with other interested motorists.  I even shared a debate on counting the entire production, usage and disposal lifespan of a car when considering its total "environmental" impact.  

From "interested consumer" to "technology ambassador" in a short three years.  Not bad!  Not bad at all ;)