SANTA MONICA, CA – Southern California Clean Vehicle Technology Expo’s official host, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), has invited public and private fleet managers, vehicle and infrastructure purchasing directors, maintenance managers, directors of transportation, county fleet supervisors, mayors, council members, and others to learn about the latest in clean-vehicle technology. The two-day conference and exposition will provide a comprehensive look at current fleet rules and regulations to reduce emissions. There will also be discussions about the variety of funding sources available to help fleets comply with the rules and a display of clean and alternative-fuel vehicle technology available on the market today. The Expo is available for public and private fleets to interact with all three pieces of the puzzle: regulatory agencies, funding sources, and technology providers. The AQMD hosts a variety of conferences throughout the year as a way to reach the hundreds of fleets in the region and educate fleet operators about the agency's fleet rules. "The importance of clean vehicle technology cannot be emphasized enough as we develop plans of achieving healthful air quality for the citizens of the South Coast," stated Barry R. Wallerstein, executive director of the AQMD. "With more than 11 million vehicles operating in the South Coast, the implementation of the cleanest vehicle technology is imperative if this region is to attain healthful ambient air quality standards as mandated by the Federal Clean Air Act. This conference will provide fleet operators with necessary information on the availability of clean vehicle technology, funding programs available to help offset any added cost, and finally information on new tax incentives created by the new Energy Bill passed by Congress." The keynote address will be given during lunch by Dr. Alan Lloyd, former secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and former chairman of the California Air Resources Board. Dr. Lloyd, who currently serves as the president of the International Council on Clean Transportation, has focused his career on the viable future of advanced technology and renewable fuels. A proponent of clean and alternative-fuel vehicles and technology, Dr. Lloyd brings experience and knowledge about the variety of alternative-fuel options to more than 500 attendees at the Expo. The exhibit hall will overflow with interactive booths, technology displays, and vehicle displays ranging from large tractor-trailer trucks to street sweepers to refuse trucks and school buses. Attendees can also test drive clean vehicles in the Ride & Drive scheduled Oct. 11. The Ride & Drive will feature BMW's new hydrogen 7-series, Honda's Fuel Cell vehicle, Boshart Engineering's electric pickup truck, and more. Falling one day before the nationwide alternative fuel vehicle "Odyssey" day campaign, the Expo was deemed as an official Odyssey Day event. National AFV Day Odyssey is developed and coordinated by the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium in partnership with participating sponsors. Odyssey is a nationwide effort to build awareness about alternative-fuel vehicles and advanced-technology vehicles. As part of this nationwide campaign, the Expo will be promoted via Odyssey's media strategy, which reaches more than 24 million individuals across the nation.