alternative car expo

this past weekend was the first annual alt car expo presented by the city of santa monica. two jam-packed days of seminars, panels, and discussions on alternative fuel technologies, urban planning, mass transit, cycling, and more! tomas and i got there sunday afternoon and unfortunately missed the seminars, but we got to catch up with some of the exhibitors and familiar faces of the alternative transportation world.

flexcar, who i am familiar with from up north, was representing their car-sharing service that they have been expanding here in el lay. flexcar offers a very affordable and convenient solution for those who only need a car a few hours a week or so. you pay a yearly membership fee and are then charged by the hour for using a vehicle (around $9-12) and they cover gas, insurance, road-side assistance, and maintenance! car shares are a more sustainable alternative to having your own vehicle, and about 30% of their vehicles are hybrids (which usually cost a fortune to rent!). i know that one flexcar is parked on 5th ave. at rose in venice and others can be located around el lay.

new to me was the euro taxi of santa monica...a taxi service currently running 4 cars all sourced with biodiesel. the father and son running the booth were so sweet and excited about their business. i'll definitely give them a call next time i am going out on the town. you can reach euro taxi at 310.828.4200.

i also got to meet some of the guys behind carless in l.a. who are documenting katie rogers and her adventures in giving up her car for 80 days. i was carless in el lay for months when i got back from indonesia, and i really loved the freedom that it gave me. i made good use of the big blue bus system and my bicycle but i did not leave the west side often. i survived my experience...and it looks like katie will as well. hoorah.

with a wide selection of electric, hydrogen, natural gas, biodiesel, ethanol and other high mpg cars, the expo did a great job of showcasing many alternatives to the standard gas guzzler. in line with the permaculture principle of diversity, it is essential for many technologies to be explored because the only way to create a resilient system that will get us through difficulties is to utilize many elements. otherwise, like the current mono-fuel system, we are setting ourselves up for failure.