SANTA ROSA, CA - Electric vehicle pioneer ZAP announced that its newest dealer, Alvarez ZAP, has opened in Riverside, Calif., and will be serving commercial and government markets throughout the entire Inland Empire.

Alvarez ZAP has delivered its first shipment of six electric trucks to the City of Riverside during a Grand Opening press conference last week. While accepting keys to one of the vehicles, Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge said, "Today we take another step forward in the greening of Riverside by transitioning from gas to electrically operated vehicles. We are proud to add ZAP trucks to our fleet."

Dealer president, Ramon Alvarez is widely recognized as one of the leading Hispanic entrepreneurs in the Inland Empire through his long time affiliation with Lincoln, Mercury and Jaguar. Also attending the Grand Opening were six City Councils members and the City Manager as well as Joel Ayala representing the Governors' office of Economic Development.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Alvarez to the New Motor Vehicle Board in March 2007 and Alvarez is now a Vice President of that organization. He stated, "As a member of the New Motor Vehicle Board, I have seen the evolution of alternative energy vehicles to the point where they are moving into the automotive mainstream and I believe ZAP represents the best opportunity to capitalize on that trend." 

Commenting on Alvarez's decision to become the newest ZAP electric vehicle dealer, ZAP CEO Steven Schneider said, "Ramon has passion and understanding...he genuinely gets it. He knows the importance that new energy vehicles play today and the marketplace of tomorrow."