Under cold, damp skies, a Rutgers environmental group fought global
warming Thursday afternoon with a display of energy-efficient cars on
the New Brunswick campus.
"We're trying to show students they have an option when it comes to
cars and clean energy," said Jill Gomez, a Rutgers junior and event
organizer.
The four fuel-efficient cars on display outside the student center
ranged from a red $22,325 Toyota Prius sedan that gets 48 miles to the
gallon to a black $52,000 Mercedes E320 Bluetec sedan with clean-diesel
technology, which gets 32 miles per gallon.
Just in case a quartet of "green cars" was not enough of a draw,
Rutgers NJPIRG members offered live rock bands, raffles, "Stop Global
Warming" armbands and free shortbread cookies.
Candace Hoes, an NJPIRG intern, talked her mom into displaying the family's Toyota Camry hybrid in the show.
"I got my mom to come so that students not only get to hear from
dealers but also from people who actually own and drive
energy-efficient cars," said Hoes, a junior at Douglass College.
Derrick Fox, a salesman for Ray Catena Mercedes-Benz, told four
males students about how the E320's Bluetec diesel technology recently
enabled it to become the first diesel to be sold in California since
the state passed the nation's toughest emissions law.
But the students seemed more interested in the E320's horsepower
(210), torque (400 foot-pounds) and how fast the car got from 0 to 60
mph (6.6 seconds).
"The younger the male, the more concerned they are with horsepower,"
Fox said. "Once they get into their late 20s, they start looking at
safety and fuel economy."
