Coming up in a few weeks is the Plug-in 2008 conference and expo, a three-day event (July 22-24) highlighting the benefits of cars with plugs. The official sessions will deal with related legislation, technology, the business benefits of PHEVs and BEVs. Luckily, if you can't commit to the full conference, there is a one-night stand option.

Public Night at the conference takes place on July 22 between 6 and 9 pm at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. For a $10 ticket, you can walk through the expo hall and then listen to a panel on "Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Transforming Our Transportation and Energy Futures." This panel features three speakers who know a little something, something about plug-in cars: Chelsea Sexton of Plug In America, Dan Reicher of Google.org, and Mark Duvall of EPRI. Find our more here, or click through after the break.

[Source: Plug-In 2008]

A screening of Who Killed the Electric Car? doesn't usually merit a post. I mean, this is a 2006 movie that is available pretty much everywhere these days. But at the Torrance Public Library in Torrance, California next weekend, you'll be able to watch the movie and then talk about the film with people who appear in the film. I'm not sure who will all be there, but Plug In America let us know that big-time electric vehicle advocate Chelsea Sexton will be on hand. A few EVs will be parked at the library, so this seems to be the perfect chance to get to know more about battery-powered vehicles. Full details of where and when the free show will happen are available after the jump.

OMG, Chelsea Sexton is so slumming with the biofuel folks! The staunch plug-in car supporter was in Santa Monica last week and participated in a eco-makeover courtesy of Elle Magazine and the publication's biodiesel-powered salon/bus. Ecorazzi's Anna Griffin was at the scene (that's her with the mic) and got the scoop on why one of the most prominent faces of today's EV movement - Sexton was a big part of Who Killed the Electric Car? and today works with Plug In America on electric vehicle issues (protesting Toyota, for example) - would deign enter the Elle Eco Spa Bus. The bus has got some eco-cred, that's why, and even though the bus doesn't feature a plug, it is raising money to plant trees around the U.S.

Elle is just one fashion icon that's interested in green transportation. Last year, for example, supermodel Laura Bailey helped launch ibuyeco, a green-themed insurance program. And Tyra Banks took her supermodel reality show on the biodiesel route last year, as well.

[Source: Ecorazzi]

Plug in America is calling on Governor Schwarzenegger to "live up to his vow to turn back the clock on pollution" by reviving the historic ZEV (Zero Emissions Vehicle) program. How did they do it? The got people from 45 states and 13 countries, as well as few celebrities, to fax a letter to him asking to remove a million cars from roads, or replacing them by EVs.

On March 27, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is voting to revise its ZEV program. The program once proudly called for 10 percent of all vehicles sold in California to be zero emission and resulted in thousands of electric vehicles on the road. The revision, however, "will profoundly weaken the program again instead of propelling our country toward a pollution-free future," Plug In America's letter states. Instead of the 10 percent mandate, the proposal would merely require each of America's major automakers to produce about 150 ZEVs per year through 2015. This is fewer than the number required under the mandate when the electric car was killed the first time in 2003, according to Plug In America Executive Director Chelsea Sexton.

Plug In America's letter also is signed by "Who Killed the Electric Car?" director Chris Paine. He will be filming the air board's March 27 vote for his sequel, "Who Saved the Electric Car."

[Source: Plug-in America]

Kim Adelman's plug-in Prius was at the Santa Monica Alt Car Expo back in October, but somehow stayed hidden from my camera and eyes. The good news is that EVWorld's Bill Moore spotted the car and talked to Adelman about the car and Adelman's new company, Plug-In Conversions, which will send people to your house to convert your Prius to a PHEV in a day while you're off enjoying a latte or a game of poker (or, OK, working).

Moore notes that Adelman has discovered a bit of a sweet spot with electric-only range: eight miles. While the big automakers are all shooting for the 25-40 mile range, Moore writes that Adelman says that with an 8-mile range (and the ability to plug the car in before returning home), "you can achieve the same fuel efficiency as a car with a larger, more costly battery pack." Customers can choose a more powerful battery pack, but for those important eight miles, Plug-In Conversions will hook you up for eight grand.

[Source: EVWorld, h/t once again to Domenick]

When we spoke with Chelsea Sexton at the Santa Monica Alt Car Expo over the weekend (the above video), she said her organization, Plug In America, and others (Rainforest Action Network and the Global Exchange) were going to be protesting Toyota on Monday. I've been watching the news reports since then, but only now have been able to find a report on what went down at the event.

The Santa Monica Daily Press' Kevin Herrera reports that the rally, held in front of the Santa Monica Toyota dealership, was full of picket signs and calls through a megaphone. The issue is AB 1439, a now-contentious state bill that required (it was passed in 2002) the California Air Resources Board to "devise standards to reduce motor vehicle greenhouse gas emissions." I'll suggest you read Herrera's article for more details, but the upshot is that the automakers said the feds, not the states, should set fuel economy standards. An EPA waiver was applied for, and things have been held up ever since, with Toyota one of the forces working to stop implementation of AB 1439.

Plug In America's Paul Scott tole Herrera, "We're out in front of the dealership because we know that this is where the money comes in. If you attack the money supply, they listen."

Toyota defended itself by saying that, among other things, the company spends about $25 million a day to research and develop greener vehicles. Holy moly, that's a lot of scratch. I sure would like to see the breakdown of how much goes where.

[Source: Santa Monica Daily Press]

Like many people, I first "met" Chelsea Sexton through the documentary film "Who Killed The Electric Car?" Last year, as part of the promotion for the movie, Chelsea spoke with AutoblogGreen about all sorts of things, including the fact that she won't buy a hybrid until there's a plug on one. She's sticking to her guns and has been working hard with Plug In America to put pressure on the automakers to make PHEVs. Chelsea says the she's heard from GM employees that without pressure from the public, the Volt would never been announced, much less gotten the promotion that we're seeing from GM. But why am I still typing? The whole reason for bringing a video camera to events is to allow us to present green car advocates in their own words.

We like Chelsea because you can stick a video camera in her face and she'll effortlessly float from topic to topic without losing focus or important details. The protest against Toyota that she mentions in the video was supposed to happen today, so we'll be on the lookout for new of that event.

Enjoy.

Related:

• Exclusive Q&A with Chelsea Sexton about the EV1, why the Prius gets a 'C', and who really killed the electric car
• Sundance's The Green does the "Drive" issue, the ABG review