Newswise — The National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium at West Virginia University will conduct the kickoff of the nation’s largest alternative fuel vehicle event, National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day Odyssey, April 20 at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas.
Locations across the U.S. will join the festivities by holding local Odyssey events, celebrating the use of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles to improve the environment and lessen dependence on imported oil. Following the Odyssey kickoff, the Dallas activities will also include an Alternative Fuel Vehicle Summit and vehicle display. The AFV Summit will open with Keynote Speaker Chad Makovsky, executive vice president of operations, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
Created in 2002 by the NAFTC, Odyssey is a nationwide celebration conducted to educate the public about the importance of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles, and to promote their widespread adoption. Since its inception, Odyssey has reached more than 600 million individuals through event attendance and media reach.
The NAFTC is a nationwide program founded in 1992 to promote clean energy options for transportation through AFV education. The NAFTC and its more than 50 consortium member schools from Maine to California remains the only nationwide alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicle training organization in the United States.
“Odyssey is one of the NAFTC’s most recognized programs and has an incredible reputation in the alternative fuel vehicle industry. Odyssey does more than attract large numbers of people—it also makes the public aware of the viability of alternative fuel vehicles,” said Bill Davis, NAFTC director.
The National Odyssey Kickoff Event is set to take place during Earth Day Texas on April 20. The Kickoff Event is hosted by Earth Day Texas, in conjunction with the Dallas-Fort Worth Clean Cities Coalition. The kickoff serves as the heart of the events taking place across the U.S. and internationally. Thousands will join governmental agencies, environmental organizations, businesses, universities, community colleges, and secondary schools across the nation for local Odyssey events.
Judy Moore, NAFTC assistant director–communications and outreach and National AFV Day Odyssey coordinator explains, “Earth Day Texas is the ideal stage to host the National Kickoff Event. More than 150,000 people are expected to attend the four-day event. These visitors will have the opportunity to see, touch and learn about more than 25 AFVs on display and find out why these vehicles play such an important role in our nation's energy security and cleaner environment.”
Odyssey has again attracted the support of industry giants, such as Alliance AutoGas and the Propane Education and Research Council, which are sponsoring the 2017 event. National partners for the event include the U.S. Department of Energy Clean Cities Program and West Virginia University.
Additional information National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day Odyssey can be found on the event registration page.
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jm/vm/04/19/17
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