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The Southeast AFV Demonstration Initiative (SADI) will carry out a multi-fuel, multi-state vehicle demonstration program complete with vehicles, driver education and marketing strategies to help incorporate alternative fuels into new fleets and industry sectors in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. This project will focus on non-existent or under-utilized markets for compressed natural gas, propane, electric, E85 and biodiesel in the transportation sector, targeting applications such as school buses, delivery vehicles, state/local government, and commuter vehicles. The project seeks to both reach a considerable number of drivers/fleet operators and ensure that adequate fueling infrastructure is in place to allow for continued use after the project ends.

The Alternative Fuel Vehicle Curriculum Development and Outreach Initiative will develop curricula and conduct training related to alternative fuel and plug-in electric vehicles for a wide range of individuals and organizations. This project will focus on developing curricula that does not yet exist in critical areas, such as for recycling operators and repair facilities. The National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium will conduct marketing and outreach activities to promote this training and support U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) Clean Cities coalitions' work to promote AFV deployment. Through online courses and train-the-trainer workshops, this project will have a national impact and establish resources that will last beyond the project's completion.

The Safe Alternative Fuel Deployments in Mid-America: a Training Initiative for Combined AFV and State Fire and Rescue Training (SAF-D) project will collaborate with the State Fire & Rescue Training Institutes in Missouri and Kansas to adapt existing alternative fuel safety curriculum to their existing training structures. The project will help incorporate low-cost training on alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure into state training systems, allowing far more first responders to be trained on these technologies than would be otherwise. In addition, the project will develop an online training resource for first responders that also leverages and promotes existing resources.

The Drive Electric Orlando project is a large-scale effort to address one of the core barriers to widespread plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) adoption: increasing consumer familiarity with the technology. Over the two-year project period, this project will allow thousands of visitors from across the United States to rent a PEV in Orlando. The project taps into the largest rental car market in the country by providing PEVs for a multi-day test drive. In addition to making the vehicles available, the project will use incentives such as equitable rental rates and theme park incentives to promote these rentals.

The Nationwide AFV Emergency Responder, Recovery, Reconstruction & Investigation Training project will create new curricula as well as update existing materials created by the National Fire Protection Association on alternative fuel and plug-in electric vehicles. Building on an already successful resource, the project will expand existing training to encompass all alternative fuel vehicles, which it does not currently. The training will provide resources to the spectrum of responder and investigation operations that would be involved in a vehicle accident, including fire department, law, emergency medical service, fire investigator, recovery & reconstruction, and tow and salvage personnel. The NFPA will create materials that will be nationally-available and customized for each audience, including online resources, Train-the-Trainer classroom programs, videos and on-scene reference materials.

This project leveraged existing alternative fuel vehicle curricula that was previously developed by the National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Consortium (NAFTC) or FS Circle to provide training to fire marshals, code officials, mechanics, and technicians. The training focused on issues related to compressed natural gas, propane, and electricity and filled training needs across a 4-state area in the South Central U.S. The project team held a total of 30 training classes with over 350 attendees using grant funds. A Future Action Plan to guide future alternative fuel training was also developed to assist others with successfully deploying future trainings.

The Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) Demonstration Program and Social Media Campaign is an innovative social media campaign and extended drive program designed to stimulate customer awareness and demand for PHEVs by placing vehicles in the hands of social media influencers. The project will conduct extended test drives with selected PHEV ambassadors in the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) states. During these test drives, the PHEV ambassadors will share and document their experiences with friends and followers through their blogs, Facebook and Twitter accounts, photos and YouTube videos to create online buzz around these vehicles.

The Initiative for Resiliency in Energy through Vehicles (iREV) project aims to bolster emergency management and response through utilizing existing AFV fleet vehicles for emergency situations. The project addresses this need by equipping emergency planners with the tools, information, and intra- and inter-state coordination strategies necessary to incorporate alternative fuels into emergency management and preparedness operations, including state and local energy security and assurance efforts. The National Association of State Energy Officials will work with its network of State Energy Offices, the National Governors Association and the International Emergency Managers Association to help incorporate alternative fuel and advanced vehicles into multiple emergency preparedness plans that address varied geographies and potential incidents.

The Creating an Alternative Fuel Vehicle Training Network for Florida project will establish an alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) training network for the state of Florida that adapts safety and technical training based on existing curricula for local needs. This project will establish training on electric drive, CNG and propane vehicles for first responders, college instructors, tow-truck operators, and salvage/recycling operators. Hands-on training will be supported with vehicles provided by the National Association of Fleet Managers. The project intends to integrate first responder training into standard curriculum in partnership with the Florida Department of Education and the State Fire Marshall.

The Penske Truck Leasing Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Demonstration and Enhanced Driver Experience Project will provide heavy duty compressed natural gas vehicles to new drivers and fleets via Penske's large existing service market for a 1-3 month period. The project also will assess the need for medium-duty propane and hybrid-electric vehicles. Penske will work closely with the fleets involved to optimize their experience, troubleshoot their questions, and collect data to highlight results. The project lead will use these experiences to develop an AFV marketing plan that can target optimal fleets and regions, reduce AFV rental costs, provide comprehensive technical support for the rental term, and measure progress in fleet acceptance and integration of AFVs into fleets' everyday operations.