Sponsors/Partners: KLAS Channel 8, Gaudin Ford, Fairway Chevrolet, Findlay Honda, Findlay Toyota, Findlay Volkswagen, Yellow Checker Star Cab Company, Clark County School District
Attendance: 112 students, local car dealership employees
Event Highlights: The College of Southern Nevada’s Odyssey began with the college dean’s welcome speech and the reasons he purchased a hybrid vehicle. The dean was followed by the President of the Las Vegas Region Clean Cities Coalition, Dan Hyde, an internationally recognized expert in alternative fuels, who discussed the importance of alternative fuels, our dependence on foreign sources of petroleum and how that negatively affects our country, and future job opportunities related to alternative fuels.
A biodiesel demonstration and an alternative fuel vehicle show featuring a hybrid school bus followed the presentations. Rounding out the event was a ride-and-drive challenge, during which participants drove alternative fuel vehicles through an “Auto-X” style course. KLAS Channel 8 participated and featured the event on air. Attendees also participated in a “don’t text and drive” demonstration and in a fuel economy competition where prizes were awarded to the top three competitors.
Contact: Paul Pate, Alternative Fuels/ Automotive Instructor
paul.pate@csn.edu
702-651-4187
Co-host Contact: Dan Hyde, LVRCCC Coordinator
dhyde@lasvegasnevada.gov
Las Vegas Regional Clean Cities Coalition (LVRCCC)
2008
Host Site Coordinator: College of Southern Nevada, Transportation Technologies Program
Event Type: Educational Seminars, Vehicle Display, Ride-and- Drive
Sponsors/Partners: Fairway Chevrolet, Findlay Chevrolet, Desert Honda and Desert Toyota
Attendees: 100 Students, General Public
Event Highlights: This year’s event kicked off with attendees perusing the “meet and greet” tables where they signed in and picked up literature and promotional items. Dr. Michael Spangler, Dean of the School of Advanced and Applied Technologies, welcomed the participants and introduced Mr. Dan Hyde, Fleet Manager for the City of Las Vegas, to present the keynote address. Dan entered the facility driving the city’s Honda FCX hydrogen-fueled vehicle. Students, the general public, staff and four local dealership experts participated in this year’s events, which included a hybrid vehicle ride-and-drive autocross event and fuel efficiency competition, with prizes from MATCO Tools and Snap-On Tools awarded to the top five contestants. Additionally, participants were given rides in the hydrogen-powered Honda FCX. Several local dealerships were on-hand to answer participant questions and provided some of the latest alternative fuel vehicles for display.
2006
Host Site Coordinator: Community College of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, NV
Event Type: Conference, Exhibit, Workshops, Ride and Drives
Attendees: 164 Students, General Public, Educators
Participating Partners: Megatech Corporation, Clark County Automotive, Desert Honda of Las Vegas and, the City of Las Vegas
Event Highlights: Vehicle displays were presented by Al Cashon, of Desert Honda of Las Vegas and Mike “Doc” Horsley of Desert Toyota, Scion of Las Vegas. Attendees were able to ride and/or drive the vehicles on an “autocross” style course set up by the automotive team of CCSN. The highlight of the ride and drive was the Honda FCX, a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle worth approximately $1.5 million dollars. KLASTV was on site and interviewed Paul Pate, Associate Dean for Applied Technologies, for the early evening news on Channel 8.