Alternative fuel center planned for San Diego.

Transportation Facility Will Educate Drivers in New Options for Autos

Hoping to rev up interest in alternative fuel vehicles, car dealers and state and federal agencies have joined forces to help educate the public about the federally mandated cars of the future.

A new education/sales complex, called the Regional Transportation Center, is expected to open in San Diego in February 2000, and is designed to educate drivers about alternative fuel vehicles (AFV's).

The center, the first of its kind in the nation, will cost about $5 million. Most of the money will come from private funds, with some support from local business such as Pearson Ford.

The U.S. Department of Energy and the California Air Resources Board are also providing money.

The 63,000-square-foot facility will be located at El Cajon Boulevard and Interstate 15, in City Heights.

Although electric cars are the most commonly known types of alternative vehicles, the center will also educate about cars that run on compressed natural gas, ethanol and liquified propane gas.

The center will be comprised of five areas: an education center, a showroom, a rental/demo section, a repair center and a 24-hour refueling area.

The center is being built in response to an Air Resources Board mandate stating that at least 10 percent of California's cars must have zero emissions by 2003.

Pearson Ford is donating $2.8 million to the project, while Ford Motor Co., which has designed 11 AFV's, has donated $1.34 million.

The Department of Energy is giving $250,000, and the Air Resources Board will contribute $800,000.

Another $1 million is being sought from other state and federal agencies.

"Simply put, the center provides a space in which the motoring public can comfortably, conveniently and economically learn about AFV technology," said Steve Bimson, the center's managing director and Pearson Ford marketing director.

The center is aimed at the state's future drivers in particular, those who might be more interested in buying these types of vehicles.

Pearson Ford estimates nearly 35,000 middle and high school students will visit the center each year.

The center's location is no accident. Not only is it in the middle of the City Heights Redevelopment Area, it sits at an intersection where, within a year, an estimated 160,000 vehicles will pass through in one 24-hour period.

The San Diego County Office of Education, with help from Miramar College and other colleges, will design and write a curriculum relative to the new technologies.

The education section will hold about 50 students with each student having the use of a computer work station.

San Diego Gas & Electric Co. is expected to provide research and engineering support for the center, which will be managed by the nonprofit San Diego Environmental Foundation.

The key to the center, say participants, is the showroom.

"It's widely recognized that (car) buyers need to physically see, touch, smell and drive their vehicles of choice," said Bimson.

"This showroom gives them that opportunity."

The rental/demo section of the center will consist of 25 alternative vehicles, ranging from cars to minivans, all charged, gassed up and ready to go.

"It takes creative approaches to sell AFV's," admitted Jim O'Connor, vice president and general manager of Ford Motor Co.

"The AFV showroom and demo program are the first of their kind, and should make a significant difference in the actual number of AFV's sold in San Diego."