The auto industry says the technology doesn't exist, they say it is economically unsustainable—we say, if the auto industry won't make cleaner cars we will!!

Day 2-- "The Conversion"

• The day started out in jaw dropping amazement. We could not believe our ears when we heard that the "2007 Green Car of the Year was an SUV that got 21 MPG! Lucky for all those who enjoy clean air, Freedom from Oil, CalCars and Plug In America were gearing up for the GreenEST Car of the Year Award.

• A typical Prius converted to a PHEV that gets over 100 MPG! Thats 5X's the efficiency of the Auto Show's green award winner. With a little prep work done by our friends at CalCars, we began the conversion just after Gov. Schwarzenegger's press conference on clean cars and California's future. We were 200 yards away showing that the future is now!

• The conversion was celebrated by a crowd that gathered at noon. Speakers like singer/songwriter Ryan Cabreara spoke about how he and his generation want to buy PHEV's but can't because Toyota, GM, and Ford refuse to produce them. Actor and Plug-in America member, Alexandrea Paul, sparked the crowd with her remarks about the industry destroying clean cars to keep us addicted to oil. Rosemary Shahan stressed consumer safty and the right to zero emission vehicles. Global Exchange's own Nina Rizzo talked about the work being done on campuses across the country to clean up transportation. The rally wrapped up with the presentation ceremony, where Global Exchange's Nick Magel and RAN's Sarah Connolly presented CalCARS with the GreenEST Car of the Year Award, blowing away all other competition.

• The Engineers at Calcars worked on the conversion for a few more hours and then gave test drives in the conversion vehicles to the folks that waited to feel what it was like to drive the GreenEST Car of the Year.

  The LA Auto Show was a rousing success for Freedom from Oil. The industry was caught tongue tied in their hypocrisy and people saw through the industry's empty promises to the real solutions that exist to break our oil addiction, clean up our air, and curb climate change.

  If we can do a conversion in one day, why is it taking the auto industry decades to produce these ultra-efficient vehicles that can meet standards for reducing global warming and help break our addiction to oil? We need your help, we need your voice, we need your passion—-if we can't get cleaner cars we're cooked!

  Join the Freedom From Oil Campaign today for more information contact:Nick@globalexchange.org