Hybrid Cars Rewarded with Gold in Lake Placid

Lake Placid-Adirondacks, NY – It is not necessary to be a world-class athlete to win a medal – anyone who drives a hybrid to the twice Olympic host village of Lake Placid will be rewarded with the Gold.   

Lake Placid is launching an effort to promote hybrid vehicles because they are good for business, good for the consumer, good for the country and good for the environment, and will award those who drive a hybrid with a souvenir “Gold for Green†Lake Placid medal.

“Hybrids make economic sense.  They are positive for the environment, and lower our dependence on Middle East oil,†said James McKenna, President of the Lake Placid Visitors Bureau.  “With the increasing cost of gasoline, solutions such as hybrids are gaining attention.â€Â  And the attention is merited — hybrids not only save consumers money at the gas station, they emit fewer greenhouse gases and air pollutants, and can reduce the amount of oil our country imports.   

Hybrids work with a self-generating battery system that powers an electric motor combined with a gasoline engine. The battery system charges itself while coasting or braking.  It never has to be plugged in and some of the hybrids offer 10-year, 100,000 mile warranties.   A hybrid draws on both the battery and gasoline when accelerating, can run on its battery power at low speeds and shuts off in stopped traffic.  This results in lower gasoline use and up to 89% fewer greenhouse gases. 

The natural beauty, spectacular vistas, and pure water and air quality make the Adirondack Mountains a desirable destination for outdoor recreation or for simply getting away from it all.  The Adirondack Park, at over six million acres, is the largest protected park area in the contiguous United States – greater in size than Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier, and Grand Canyon National Parks combined. A patchwork of public and private land, it’s roughly the same size as the state of Vermont and covers a fifth of New York state.

The Adirondacks enjoy a very long history of environmental leadership and vision. The Blue Line that defines the boundaries of the Adirondack Park was established in 1892 in order to protect timber and water resources. Groups from the Adirondacks have had a role in the establishment of national and statewide legislation aimed at eliminating acid rain, land use and other related issues.

To drive home the potential benefits of hybrids, the new www.40mpg.org web site features a calculator that allows visitors to plug in estimates for their current vehicle's fuel efficiency level, a typical price paid for gasoline in recent weeks, and total number of miles driven per year.  For example, a driver who gets 17 miles to the gallon, pays $2.30 a gallon for gasoline and drives 25,000 miles per year, could achieve the following each year by switching to a 45 mpg hybrid vehicle: save $2,104.61 at the gas pump; require 915 fewer gallons of gasoline from Middle East oil; and cut personal air pollution by over 18,300 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

“In the Adirondacks, we have a responsibility to be ahead of the curve and become advocates of regenerative environmental practices,†said McKenna.  “As a drive-to destination, we are promoting the use of hybrid technology to reinforce that philosophy.â€

To claim a souvenir “Gold for Green†medal, you must drive your hybrid car to the Visitors Bureau office (business hours are Monday-Saturday, 9am-5pm), located at the Olympic Center in the village.  For more information, contact the Bureau at 1-800-447-5224 or visit online at www.lakeplacid.com.

PHOTO CAPTION: Drivers of hybrid cars are rewarded with a souvenir “Gold for Green†Lake Placid medal.

(A high resolution version of this photo is available at http://lakeplacidmedia.com)