Several environmentally-minded organizations are holding a workshop about the benefits of electric vehicles tomorrow from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District business office.
The workshop will include previews of the Nissan LEAF, Chevy Volt and plug-in Toyota Prius in addition to information about the $5,000 tax rebate available as part of California’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project and a presentation on home charging stations. The California Center for Sustainable Energy, Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, Community Environmental Council and Central Coast Clean Cities Coalition are hosting the event.
According to David Almeida, CVRP Manager for the California Center for Sustainable Energy, the main goal of the event is to familiarize people with eco-friendly cars and with what to expect when purchasing them.
“Because these vehicles are so new, a lot people do not know about them,” Almeida said. “We are bringing all the main players together so we can present the advantages.”
Almeida said the workshop is part of a national promotion for the mass adoption of zero-emission vehicles.
“A goal of the Obama administration is to have one million electric- vehicles on the road by 2015,” Almeida said.
Many car companies — from Nissan and Toyota to BMW and Tesla — plan to release electric or plug-in electric vehicles in 2012.
According to UCSB Department of Transportation and Parking Services Lead Automotive Technician Arjun Sarkar, electricity used to fuel cars costs one-third less than gasoline.
Mary Byrd, public relations officer for the Santa Barbara Air Pollution Control District, said the county is receptive to alternative energy machinery.
“This is an area of people who want to take on green technologies,” Byrd said.