BURBANK : Consortium Displays Showcase Electric Car

Making its East Coast debut, a showcase electric car developed in Burbank by Southern California companies was hailed Tuesday at a national convention in Washington as exemplifying the potential to convert aerospace technology to civilian programs.

The sporty blue vehicle, built through a partnership between industry and government called CALSTART, is being featured at the annual Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Assn. show in the nation’s capital. The three-day gathering is expected to draw about 30,000 buyers, makers and consumers of such high technology as satellites, advanced computers and avionics.

Proponents of CALSTART--which also includes initiatives to develop a state-of-the-art electric car chassis, electric buses and electric infrastructure such as recharging and service stations--tout the program’s potential to put tens of thousands of laid-off aerospace employees to work.