ECONOTES : All Charged Up and Ready to Go

Environmentalists have talked about electric cars for so long that many have dismissed the whole concept as daydreaming. But, “It’s not wishful thinking anymore,” says Marc Merson, director of the 1996 Eco Expo set for April 13-14 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Eco Expo will offer an overview of what’s here and what’s on the horizon for the nonpolluting electric vehicle (EV). The major star of the nonpolluting showcase will be GM’s new electric car--the first from a major American manufacturer. “For the first time in history,” Merson says, “a consumer will be able to go to a Saturn dealer this fall and say they want to buy or lease the EV-1.”

The other hot new area, he says, is electric bicycles. A leading manufacturer, Burbank’s Electric Bicycle Co., has teamed up with Sanyo to sell them through automobile dealers. Also on display will be upcoming EVs from Toyota and Honda, and vehicles powered by natural gas, methanol and hydrogen fuel cells.

Alternative transportation is only one component of the exposition, which includes 400 exhibits and dozens of demonstrations. Information: (818)-906-2700.