The plug in prius is a strange beast. Promised by Toyota many times and not yet on the market, many owners (like me) have taken the time and energy to convert their own 2004-2009 Prius to a plug-in hybrid. There are even companies who, if you have enough money, will convert your Prius to a plug in without you worrying about doing it yourself.
Jerry Asher is amongst one of the increasingly large number of lucky souls who has a prius which you can plug in at night. He loved the idea of the plug in Prius so much that he decided to drive his PHEV prius (called the Spirit of DC) around all forty-eight of the mainland US states to highlight the good a plug in vehicle can do to the economy, the environment and the security of the USA. (Of course, it also helps in the UK, but we’re a bit behind and only have a few dozen PHEV prius in the whole country, of which two – mine is one – are DIY converted.)
Photo by M.Berkley
Press release and exciting news after the jump
Gerry has recently finished his tour of the 48 mainland US state capitols, and has spread the message of PHEVs far and wide. Between April 18 and April 21st, Jerry will be joining more than 250 students from across the USA in Washington DC to take place in the National Sustainable Design Expo. Gerry started his trip last year at the 4th National Sustainable Design Expo and will officially finish it at the 5th. Jerry’s vehicle will be displayed alongside other vehicles owned by EVADC members, including an incredible solar cycle and many other cool EVs and PHEVs.
Below is a press release I’ve been emailed by Jo Lado, who has been involved with the Spirit of DC trip since it’s inception and has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help Jerry on his way.
Plug-in’s Historic Ride All Around America Concludes at National Sustainable Design Expo
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More than 250 college and university students will be in the nation’s capital from April 18th through the 21st to compete for EPA’s 5th Annual P3 (People, Prosperity, and the Planet) Award. P3 Award contestants use the National Sustainable Design Expo to display their novel designs for green buildings, innovative alternative energy technologies, ideas on water purification, and making new products from resources previously thought of as unusable. Along side the students there will be over 30 non-profit and government exhibitors who will be demonstrating their sustainable designs, green programs and advocating for sustainable approaches to today’s ecological problems.
This year the National Sustainable Design Expo will also feature the conclusion of “EVJerry” Asher’s historic ride all around America to show his plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) named the Spirit of DC to each of the 48 state capitals of the contiguous United States. Asher started his trip last year at the 4th Annual National Design Expo, a trip intended to introduce, on a personal basis, plug-in hybrids to schools, interested groups and Middle America. The celebration and press conference for the PHEV3A (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle All Around America) tour’s end will be held on the north side of the Expo’s tents on Saturday, April 18th following the National Sustainable Design Expo’s noon time opening ceremonies.
The Spirit of DC will be one part of the display of sustainable electric vehicles put on by the Electric Vehicle Association of Washington, DC (EVA/DC). Being displayed along with the Spirit of DC will be Larry Wexlar’s SolarCycle, an entrant in this year’s Progressive Automobile Insurance X Prize. There will also be an electric sports car, three wheeled electric motorcycle and more. The three wheeled motorcycle will be traveling across the country later on this year. See www.funruninthesun.org.
The P3 competition will culminate in an awards ceremony the evening of April 20th. To learn more about the competition, visit: www.epa.gov/P3.
The National Mall event is open to the public and will take place on Saturday, April 18, from 12 noon to 5:00 p.m., Sunday, April 19, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Monday April 20, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The event will take place near the eastern end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. between 3rd and 4th streets, NW in front of the Capitol.
Beyond Benign is a co-sponsor of the 2009 Expo and will arrange for display of sustainable designs and activities by for-profit organizations and businesses at the Expo. All media coordination for all aspects of the 5th Annual National Sustainable Design Expo and P3 Awards as well as the activities of the exhibitors during the event is handled through Mary Wiggington. Phone: 202-343-9861 E-mail: [email protected]
For PHEV3A contact Joe Lado, at [email protected], (703) 920-2060 or EVJerry Asher at (202) 486-5450.
If you live in the greater DC area, please consider going along and supporting this great event to show the world how good our transportation future could look with Plug in vehicles as part of it.