Worcester, MA — On Sunday, January 7 from 9:30-10:30 p.m. (EST), WICN/90.5 FM, the NPR affiliate serving Central New England, will broadcast and webcast Episode 13 of "This New Car: Exploring Transportation Alternatives," a brand new 13-week, one hour special edition of The Business Beat. In "This New Car," Steve D'Agostino, host of The Business Beat since 1995 and principal of Best Rate Of Climb, moderates a panel of experts. They are: Jim Dunn of the Center for Technology Commercialization; Gilles Labelle of Westboro Toyota’s Hybrid Center of Massachusetts; and Craig Van Batenburg of the Automotive Career Development Center.

In Episode 13, "This New Car" explores: The Personal Impact of Owning Individual Cars & Trucks. The special guests are Mike Dabrowski and Brian Hardegen, winners in the Tour de Sol green-car competition plus Al "Hobbit" Walker, a winner in the AltWheels Alternative Transportation Festival.

Mike Dabrowksi, founder and owner of Genesis One in North Grosvenordale, CT, has created Manual Integrated Motor Assist. MIMA lets Honda Insight drivers maintain high miles per gallon while manually controlling the electric assist in order to climb a hill with full electric assist. To hear a 52-second audio clip of the interview with Mike Hardegen, in MP3 format, visit Q&A1.

Al "Hobbit" Walker of North Reading, MA, has disassembled parts of a 2004 Toyota Prius -- with its insides exposed, or naked, to public view -- and has added instrumentation to his Naked Prius to show better feedback from the drivetrain as well as to help him get up to 70 miles per gallon in normal, mixed driving. To hear a 54-second audio clip of the interview with Al "Hobbit" Walker, in MP3 format, visit Q&A2.

Brian Hardegen in Westford, MA, drove a Honda Insight in the 2005 Tour de Sol using a home-built prototype of MIMA, designed by Mike Dabrowski, his first cousin. Brian placed first in the competition to meet, exceed or come closest to the 100-mile-per-gallon barrier over a minimum 150-mile range. He averaged nearly 94 miles per gallon over 155 miles, from Greenfield, MA, to Saratoga Springs, NY, to beat 40 other competitors. To hear 61-second audio clip of the interview with Brian Hardegen, in MP3 format, visit Q&A3. To learn more about the show, visit This New Car.

On January 4, 2007, "This New Car's" Jim Dunn, Gilles Labelle and Steve D'Agostino discussed global warming and clean, sustainable energy on "The Peter Blute Show" on Worcester, MA, radio station WCRN 830 AM. To listen to the interview, visit Peter Blute Show audio.