SANTA MONICA, Calif., Dec 11, 2006 -- UPI

 

Eco-friendly vehicles, including an electric sport model still on the drawing board, were the stars of an alternative transportation show in California.

The Alternative Car and Transportation Expo, which organizers said was the largest show ever of electric, natural gas, bio-diesel, ethanol and high gas-mileage cars, featured more than 100 exhibitors and drew an estimated 10,000 attendees to Santa Monica.

"I don't think most people understand that there are a lot of viable alternative vehicles out there," Christine Dzilvelis, an organizer of the recently ended event, told the Los Angeles Times.

Ready to wow visitors were vehicles running the spectrum from quirky -- a homemade three-wheeler built from spare motorcycle parts -- to corporate, with auto giants Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. displaying their gas-electric hybrids.

Alternative technology providers said they wanted to offer drivers choices as well as build business. In fact, builders of the Electrum Spyder, which doesn't exist yet, said they picked up 17 reservations -- at $20,000 a pop -- for their all-electric sports car during the expo. President Greg Lane said he hoped to start production of the $70,000 two-seater after 100 cars were reserved.

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