ANAHEIM, CA – The Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute (AFVi) recognized outstanding leadership in the alternative fuels and vehicles industry at the 13th Alternative Fuels & Vehicles National Conference & Expo 2007. The leadership awards are given annually to honor the achievements of people and/or companies in advancing the use of alternative fuels, vehicles, and advanced transportation technologies.
The Green award was presented to General Motors for its marketing and advertising campaign “Live Green Go Yellow.” Recognizing that many consumers don’t know they own E-85 compatible vehicles, GM launched their national campaign to raise consumer awareness. Promoting the use of E-85 ethanol is just one part of GM’s overall goals of creating greater diversity in technologies and energy sources and emission reductions.
The Green Fleet award was given to American Honda to honor the company for their leadership and consistency in manufacturing vehicles that provide fleets and customers with the greenest choices around. The manufacturer’s green vehicles range from the Civic GX to the Civic Hybrid. Honda was recognized for its natural gas-fueled Civic GX; its Civic Hybrid; having the highest corporate average fuel economy of any major OEM; and their work in introducing their FCX fuel cell Sedan in fleet and highway demonstrations.
Clean Energy, Westport Innovations, and Kenworth were awarded the Industry Innovation award for collaboratively identifying solutions to clean transportation obstacles. Together, they are making affordable natural gas trucks available to fleets and independent owner-operators now driving older, heavily polluting diesel vehicles.
The Industry Pioneer award 2007 was presented to Customer Services for the Southern California Gas Company for its early adoption of a fuel or technology that over time advances their vision through successful public/private partnerships. Since the 1970s, the Gas Company has utilized natural gas as a transportation fuel.
The Industry Visionary award was given to T. Boone Pickens for his vision and entrepreneurship in the areas of oil and gas, the environment, and entrepreneurship. He is rapidly gaining distinction as one of America’s most generous philanthropists, ranking in the top 10 of U.S. givers for his 2005 and 2006 philanthropy, which approached $400 million.
The City of Kansas City, Missouri, received the Oxygen award for the role they have played in using alternative fuels. The city currently has 218 compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles in various departments, including Kansas City International Airport’s 35 buses. In 2002, the water department began using biodiesel in their more than 900 diesel-powered vehicles. The city is involved in a number of collaborations ranging from alternative-fuel research and development with the University of Missouri-Columbia and the Midwest Research Institute to supporting the work of the Kansas City Clean Cities coalition.
