Milwaukee Hybrid Group Meet: 6-23-07

Hello to MiHG members and friends,

MiHG Meet #10,
Oak Creek Public Library, Saturday June 23 from 10 a.m. to about 12:30 p.m. with a pot luck lunch.

Through the efforts of member Rees Roberts, we’ll have two representatives from Toyota Motors attending:
Jim McHale, Toyota Technical Services Training Manager; and Mike Fleischer, Toyota Field Technical Specialist.
So this meet will have a focus on Toyota vehicles and HSD technology. We’ll have a great chance to ask questions about Toyota and hybrids in general as well as specific questions on mechanical performance issues. Details and an agenda will be coming your way later this week.


Just a short, late minute note regarding the upcoming MREA this weekend in Custer, WI: There will be a Clean Energy Car Show during this year’s event with workshops, exhibitors and presentations. In addition, there will be a Hybrid Social on Saturday, June 16 from 7-9pm on the grounds of the show. We’ve included the link to the MREA.
http://www.the-mrea.org/energy_fair.php


As we have been enjoying better mileage as the weather has warmed, our Hybrid Tax Credit Bill has been slowly moving its way up the agenda ladder. Eric Powers, from the MHG, again urged each of us to email or contact our legislators in support of AB 174. This is the little Bill that could so please lend your voice of support so our Wisconsin residents can get a $1,000 tax credit for certain hybrid and other fuel efficient vehicles. Please see the following link from cleanmpg:
http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/legislation...-help-4462.html
This is how the legislative process works, so please play your part.


Here is a short note on the success of the 4th Annual Hybrid Gathering at Miller Park. We had 54 members and friends in attendance and 19 hybrid vehicles in our Hybrid Caravan. We had members attend from Illinois, Madison and all other parts of SE Wisconsin. We had a great time sharing stories and general schmoozing as well as stupendous door prizes. And the greatest news…the Brewers won!

The last thing is about Hybridfest 2007. As the event approaches, we still have limited spaces available for the MPG Challenge. So if you have not yet registered, please do so ASAP and check out the website at:
http://www.hybridfest.com/
This is THE EVENT of the entire year and the only place that you’ll get to meet other hybrid owners from across the nation, compare stories, increase your knowledge on a wide selection of topics, learn to drive even more fuel efficiently, experience great interactive exhibits and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow hybrid owners.

Justin and I are very excited about our friends from Toyota spending the morning with our MiHG. Please try to attend and learn everything about the past, current and future of Toyota Motors and have all your technical questions answered from the source.

Bradlee Fons
milwaukeehybridgroup.com

 

Hello MiHG members and friends,

You’ll find the Agenda for this Meet #10 below. Although we have prided ourselves in being an inclusive hybrid owners group but for this meet we’ll spend the majority of time on Toyota vehicles and the Hybrid Synergy Drive system. As I mentioned previously, Rees Roberts has managed to get 2 reps from Toyota to attend our meet and we have high expectations that this meet will be interesting and quite informative. Both are out of the Toyota Regional Office out of Chicago, they are:

- Jim McHale – Toyota Technical Services Training Manager
- Michael Fleischer- Toyota Field Technical Specialist

Though not certain at this time, some of the topics that Jim and Mike may share are the current and future plans on HSD and other technologies, clean production processes as well as some specific, and perhaps simpler explanations, and information on current vehicles including specific technologies such as the planetary gearset system etc. Since they are technical specialists, they may not be in a position to answer questions such as the direction of Toyota corporate business and political decision making, however we can politely ask. Toyota vehicle owners, this will be your meet, although every MiHG member is urged to attend for a better knowledge of hybrids in general as well as the latest news on Hybridfest 2007.

Our meet will be very typical, with our gathering in the parking lot from 9-10 am for camaraderie and updates and with Justin doing his VTP checks and then it’ll be inside the Library when it opens at 10am. We will have our pot luck lunch too, so if you can, please bring a dish to pass and share. Drinks, utensils etc will be provided, as is usual. We’ll also be doing individual driver training afterwards for new hybrid owners as well as for those owners seeking advanced training.

Since this will be the last MiHG, MHG or CPG meet before Hybridfest 2007, please plan on attending for your hybrid tune up for the BIG SHOW in Madison on July 20-21-and 22 at the Alliant Energy Center.

Milwaukee Hybrid Group Meet, No. 10
Saturday, June 23, 2007
10am to 1:30pm

Oak Creek Public Library
8620 South Howell Avenue
Oak Creek, WI. 53154
414-764-4400 Directions: http://tinyurl.com/29v59z

9:00 – 10:00 Outdoor Gathering, discussion and VTP checks
10:00 – 10:30 Check in, room setup and informal discussion
10:30 – 10:40 Introductions
10:40 – 11:15 Toyota presentations
11:15 – 11:20 Break
11:20 – 12:00 Toyota Q and A
12:00 – 12:10 Hybridfest and MiHG updates
12:10 – 12:45 Lunch, VTP results and informal discussion
12:45 – open Personal driver training

Justin and I want to thank all our members and friends for how you have contributed to the growth of the MiHG. We hope for your continued support and encouragement and if you have any comments or suggestions please let us know.

Bradlee and Justin Fons
milwaukeehybridgroup.com

 

Hello MiHG Meet attendees,

I just want to thank you for taking the time and coming to the meet yesterday in Oak Creek.

We had 45 members and friends in attendance including 33 hybrid vehicles. By any means I would consider this a great meet. With our new friends, Jim McHale and Mike Fleischer, from Toyota luring us to learn more about Toyota Motors, I think we enhanced our knowledge on our Toyota vehicles through their presentations and Q & A session. I hope, through our enthusiasm, knowledge and hospitality, we have begun to cultivate a long term relationship with both of Jim and Mike and Toyota. We owe Rees Roberts a thank you for his diligence in setting this opportunity up for the MiHG.

I also want to thank you each of you on how you have taken charge in setting up the room, preparing and bringing food for our lunch, welcoming our newest members and offering your services when we do our driver training sessions. All your help and cooperation has made these meets easier to carry out on the day of the meet. I also want you to know that the donations are greatly appreciated in supporting the MiHG efforts.

Thanks to Mike Mangan for bringing his hydrogen powered lawn mower and for donating some articles for door prizes. And on that, congratulations to our door prize winners. Special thanks to our Indiana member Larry Trowbridge for coming up as well as our Illinois members, Wayne Gerdes, George Kalkas, Bob and Linda Bergman, Wayne Mitchell and Cheryl Appel from Madison and Ron and Becky Hoening from Burlington. Also thanks to Bob Bergman for doing some videoing of the meet.

We hope that you take the time to register to attend Hybridfest 2007 at

http://www.hybridfest.com/Members.htm

and we hope that you consider to be a volunteer during the event.

I’ll try to post some additional minutes soon.

Bradlee Fons
milwaukeehybridgroup.com