Mary Nichols to Moderate Session at L.A. Auto Show's Automobiles and the Environment Conference
19 November 1997
Mary Nichols to Moderate Session at L.A. Auto Show's Automobiles and the Environment ConferenceLOS ANGELES, Nov. 19 -- Mary Nichols, former assistant administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has been added to the high-profile roster of participants at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show's Automobiles and the Environment conference. The half-day conference will be held at the L.A. Convention Center on Tuesday, December 30, 1997 as part of the Show's two Media Days. Nichols, who left the EPA this summer to direct a private Southern California foundation, will moderate the conference's panel discussion on Clean Fuels and Infrastructure. "This is yet another example of the quality of participants that Automobiles and the Environment is attracting," said Ron Cogan, conference director and editor/publisher of the Green Car Journal. "Mary Nichols' high-profile role at EPA, as well as her previous experience as chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board and Secretary of the state's Environmental Affairs department, placed her right in the middle of this developing field," said Cogan. "She brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the clean fuels discussion." Under Nichols' direction, this panel will examine the latest clean fuel vehicle technologies and the issues involved in bringing alternative fuel vehicles to market. Importantly, panelists will also discuss how an infrastructure will be developed to accommodate refueling the vehicles that run on ethanol, methanol, natural gas and electricity. The infrastructure issue is particularly important considering the massive number of 1998 model year ethanol/gasoline vehicles that Chrysler is bringing to American highways. Two other panel discussions, Electric Vehicles and Hybrid Electric Vehicles, will be presented. These will be moderated by Bob Hayden, executive director of the Electric Vehicle Association of the Americas. The Electric Vehicle session will discuss the technical, economic, and marketing issues involving the first wave of commercially-available EVs in this country, which are offered by Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Nissan and Toyota. These are the very crucial issues upon which the electric vehicle's initial market success depends. In the Hybrid Electric Vehicle session, panelists will discuss where the electric vehicle goes from here. Automakers, as well as prominent EV component developers such as Unique Mobility and Maxwell Technologies, will share important details of how the industry is incorporating advanced powertrain technologies to create the high-tech, low-emissions vehicles consumers will be driving in just a few short years. "Automobiles and the Environment promises to be a significant event where journalists and industry observers are brought up to speed on the very latest innovations in this field," said Cogan. "Everyone will come away from these sessions with a better understanding of where the electric and alternative fuel vehicle field is now, and importantly, where it's going." For Show and conference registration information, call PR Newswire's fax-on-demand service at 888-LAAUTO-9, or the L.A. Auto Show's web site, located at http://www.laautoshow.com. For further information, contact VL Communications at 916-362-3400. SOURCE Greater Los Angeles Auto Show