SAN FRANCISCO - December 19 - The City of Alameda today became the third Bay Area municipality to join the rapidly growing plug-in hybrid movement by soft ordering 98 of the ultra fuel efficient vehicles. Alameda joins Berkeley and Marin County as members of Plug-In Bay Area, an initiative aimed at putting more plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on Bay Area roads.
 
Plug-In Bay Area is the local chapter of Plug-In Partners, a part of a national grassroots effort intended to show that is demonstrating to automakers the burgeoning demand for plug-in vehicles via “soft orders,” which are declarations of intent to purchase plug-ins once they are commercially available.  Plug-in hybrids, which are capable of 100+ miles per gallon, add battery power and a plug to a conventional hybrid, allowing all-electric, zero-emissions driving locally, and the ability to shift to gas or sustainable biofuels for longer distances.  
 
“Plug-in hybrids are the key todemonstrate that a cleaner, more fuel efficient future for the Bay Areais achievable,” said Rainforest Action Network’s Jodie Van Horn, coordinator of Plug-In Bay Area. “Alameda’s adoption of these vehicles will mean lower gas costs, better air quality, and less dependence on foreign oil. We applaud Alameda’s city leaders for committing to cleaner fuel technology for their municipal fleet. Now we need the automakers to commit to delivering these 100+ miles per gallon vehicles to eager customers. ”
 
“Alameda has a long, established history of making environmentally informed decisions,” said Beverly Johnson, Mayor of Alameda. “Recently, the City Council adopted a resolution to participate in the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) Cities for Climate Protection Campaign and created a City ICLEI Task Force. With a City Fleet of over 400 vehicles and equipment, the City is committed to reducing our current reliance on gasoline and diesel fuels by purchasing alternative cleaner vehicles fuels, including plug-in electrical and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The terrain, weather, and established history of environmentally conscious decision-making combine to make Alameda an ideal location to operate plug-in electric vehicles.
 
“With this purchase commitment, Alameda is sending a message to automakers that gas-guzzling, business-as-usual cars are not acceptable,” said Danielle Fugere of Friends of the Earth, a founding member of Plug-In Bay Area. “New technologies are necessary to solve the looming problems faced by local government and Alameda’s vision and leadership on this issue is tremendous.”
 
Regional Plug-In Bay Area organizers include Rainforest Action Network, Bluewater Network, PG&E, CalCars, San Francisco Electric Vehicle Association, and Plug-In America.

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