Pomona a stop in trek to promote electric-power vehicles

POMONA - The white electric-powered Tesla Roadster on Wednesday pulled into a parking space in front of Energy Efficiency Solar.

Not surprisingly, the car drew the attention of employees and other people at the business on West Monterey Avenue.

Michael Craner stepped out of the Tesla, greeted company representatives and hooked up the car to the business' solar-powered vehicle charging system.

"This is America's first green, voluntary, cross-country, multiple charity drive-a-thon," Craner said.

Craner and Maddy Gunawardana are founders of Renew America Road Trip, a 17-day, coast-to-coast trek that started in New York and will conclude in San Francisco. There will be more than 25 stops along the way.

The trip is meant to raise public awareness about the importance of electric vehicles and their existence while raising money for a variety of charitable groups, such as environmental causes and organizations working with the homeless, Craner said.

Craner and Gunawardana hope to show that "electrical vehicles offer practical technology that can be used today to be energy independent," Craner said.

During the trip, the couple - Craner, of Chester Springs, Pa., and Gunawardana, who splits her time between Chester Springs and Maplewood, N.J. - have stopped at homes and businesses that use environmentally-friendly practices.

Craner and Gunawardana have also stopped at green hotels that accommodate electric vehicles.

Electric vehicle technology must become more economically feasible for consumers, Gunawardana said.

"We need more electric cars so there's no excuse for the public not to buy them and no excuse for companies not to produce them," Gunawardana said.

Craner and Gunawardana, who took out a loan to purchase the car they are traveling in, started Wednesday's leg of the trip in Barstow. After Pomona, the couple went to Universal City.

Energy Efficiency Solar - which offers commercial and residential solar energy systems - uses its charging system for company and employee vehicles.

"We have a lot of electric cars charging here," said Michelle Markman, director of client resources and marketing.