SACRAMENTO – Advanced automobile designs and other technologies that will help California fight smog in the new millennium will be demonstrated and discussed at a Tuesday through Thursday symposium in Irvine.

The symposium, "Exploring New Technologies For Clean Air; Zero and Near- Zero Emission Technologies," will be held at the Beckman Center (adjacent to the University of California, Irvine, near John Wayne Airport), 100 Academy Way, Irvine. It is sponsored by the California Air Resources Board (ARB), the U.S. Environmental Agency (U.S. EPA) and the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA).

Symposium sessions will cover a wide range of subjects including fuel cells; zero and near-zero emission passenger cars; ultra-low emission trucks and busses; health effects of air pollution; emission controls for lawn and garden equipment, airport ground support equipment and other "off-road" equipment; reducing smog-forming emissions from coatings and solvents; and other clean air topics. On Tuesday at 11:00 a.m., representatives of the Fuel Cell Partnership will provide an overview of this public / private venture to commercialize fuel cell vehicles.

Participants in the Symposium include Dr. Alan C. Lloyd, ARB Chairman; David Howekamp, U.S. EPA Air Division Director for Region 9; Doug Allard, CAPCOA President, and many other leaders in the field. The Tuesday and Wednesday sessions run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with Thursday's session running from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Photo Opportunities: High tech vehicles available for viewing at the symposium include Honda's new "Insight," a two-seat coupe developed exclusively as a gasoline-electric hybrid, the GM EV-1 and Honda's Civic GX, powered by compressed natural gas.

Nissan's new electric vehicle, the Altra EV, will also be on display. The Altra EV uses lithium-ion based batteries and claims a range of 120 miles.