More than 50,000 people in two countries recently participated in a massive campaignspearheaded by a West Virginia University-based initiativeto learn about alternative-fuel and advanced-technology vehicles.

The National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium, headquartered at the WVU National Research Center for Coal and Energy, has been on the cutting edge of increasing awareness about alternative-fuel vehicles since the inception of National AFV Day Odyssey in 2002.

In 90 special events across the U.S. and Canada this year, NAFTC officials took the message about the importance of these vehicles to communities feeling the crunch of higher pump prices and worrying about the impacts of traditional fuel sources on the environment.

The 2008 Odyssey was the largest one-day nationwide campaign of localized and targeted events, highlighting industry experts, educational seminars, test drives, vehicle displays, testimonials and networking opportunities.

This years Odyssey was the fourth installment, said NAFTC Executive Director Al Ebron, and was organized in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energys Clean Cities Program. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., provided special recognition of the initiative by introducing a Senate resolution designating Oct. 3, 2008, as National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day. The resolution was co-sponsored by 26 other U.S. senators.

The national media kick-off event for Odyssey 2008 was hosted by Nashville Auto-Diesel College and Clean Cities of Middle Tennessee on the campus of NADC on Oct. 3, 2008,Ebron said.It drew a crowd of more than 2,000 people who took in all the vehicle displays, speakers with expertise in alternative fuels and vehicles, and also many exhibits and displays. Our 2008 spokesperson was country music superstar Michael Peterson.

Two of the 90 Odyssey sites were in West Virginia. The NASA IV &V Facility in Fairmont hosted an event that featured vehicle displays and test drives. WVU also had an event at the WVU National Research Center for Coal and Energy on the Evansdale Campus that showcased dozens of vehicles and tabletop displays, along with numerous experts who provided answers to questions regarding alternative-fuel and advanced-technology vehicles.

Ebron said National AFV Day Odyssey has drawn record-breaking crowds and allowed millions to learn about the importance of alternative-fuel and advanced-technology vehicles since it was started.

In 2006, with 60 participating sites in three countries, the event surpassed expectations by attracting nearly 40,000 attendees and reaching more than 30 million individuals through media coverage,he said.

Ebron was joined by John Mizroch, acting assistant secretary for the Department of Energys Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; David Rodgers, deputy assistant secretary for energy efficiency, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; and Christopher Zimmerman, Arlington County (Va.) board member and Metro board chair, in a preliminary Odyssey event that was co-sponsored by the Clean Cities Program.

The Clean Cities Program is a government-industry partnership designated to reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector by the use of alternative fuels and vehicles, idle reduction technologies, hybrid electric vehicles, fuel blends and fuel economy measures.

The NAFTC is a nationwide alternative-fuel and advanced-technology vehicle training organization that develops and disseminates training programs and conducts education and outreach activities. The group includes 36 higher-education institutions dedicated to educating technicians, fleet managers, government officials, students and the public about clean, cost-effective vehicles.

More on the Net: http://www.nationalafvdayodyssey.org/