News Release
For Immediate Release
 

National AFV Day Odyssey: Showcasing Cleaner More Energy-Efficient
Choices in Transportation
 

ROCK HILL—York Technical College will join other participating sites across the country on Thursday, October 12, when it hosts the National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day Odyssey from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Galleria Mall.  The public and media are invited to join Mayor Pro-Tem Kathy Pender and other invited guests at 10 a.m. for the kickoff of the nationwide celebration.

National AFV Day Odyssey will highlight how powerful the choice can be to use alternative fuel vehicles.  Anyone interested in having wider automotive choices, cleaner transportation, and preserving America’s energy independence, should take part. There is no charge for the public to attend.  The event enables Americans to learn about the benefits of alternative fuel and hybrid electric cars, vans, trucks, and buses. Given the recent focus on abnormally high gas prices, cutting-edge technological developments, and concern about foreign oil dependence, there is a growing interest in energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly vehicles.

The event at the Galleria Mall is an opportunity for the public to get a close-up look at a number of alternative fuel and hybrid electric vehicles—including vehicles from Honda, Ford and Toyota—and to meet experts, like Chuck Green,  who can answer questions about the future of transportation.  Green, an instructor at York Technical College, will conduct workshops on AFV and hybrid electric vehicles throughout the day.   If you are considering purchasing a hybrid vehicle, Green's workshop beginning at 2:15 p.m. will look into what makes hybrids different, how they came about, and how they operate.

Participants will also be able to view natural gas, bio-diesel and electric fueled vehicles from the City of Rock Hill and a hybrid lineman’s truck from Duke-Energy.  Mecklenburg County Air Quality will conduct gas cap checks. Leaking vehicle gas caps contribute to air pollution and waste fuel and money. If your vehicle has a leaky gas cap, the cap will be replaced at no charge. Also, Cowee Harmony Gardens will display equipment and conduct informational sessions on bio-diesel production and bio-diesel fuel.

National AFV Day Odyssey is coordinated by the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium, headquartered at West Virginia University, and includes a group of 27 higher-education institutions dedicated to educating technicians and the public about clean, cost-effective vehicles.  York Technical College’s partners include the South Carolina Energy Office, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Palmetto Clean Fuels Coalition, Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition, the City of Rock Hill and Duke Energy.

For more information about the local event, contact Rod Trump at (803) 981-7074. For information about the national program, contact Julie Whiteman, National AFV Day Odyssey Manager, at NAFTC headquarters by calling (304) 293-7882 or visit the National AFV Day Web site, www.NationalAFVDayOdyssey.org.

York Technical College . 452 S. Anderson Road . Rock Hill, SC 29730