Squaw Valley | Alpine Meadows First in Lake Tahoe to Receive Toyota Mirai, the 2016 World Green Car of the Year
Dedicated to environmental stewardship, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows plans to utilize Toyota Mirai as company vehicle during the course of the 2016-2017 season.
Dedicated to environmental stewardship, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows plans to utilize Toyota Mirai as company vehicle during the course of the 2016-2017 season.
[Olympic Valley, Calif.] Aug. 5, 2016 – Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is proud to announce that Toyota’s 2016 Mirai, the 2016 World Green Car of the Year , will serve as a company vehicle and be the first of its kind based in the Lake Tahoe region. In keeping with its pledge to reduce its carbon footprint and remain early adaptors of sustainable technologies, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows will utilize the Mirai as a company vehicle. Toyota’s hydrogen powered Mirai is poised to make history as it drives the charge towards a more sustainable future with a range of over 300 miles per tank, a refueling time of under five minutes, and emissions that consist of only water vapor. With the assistance of The California Fuel Cell Partnership—a collaboration of organizations including auto manufacturers, energy providers, government agencies and fuel cell technology companies that work together to promote the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles—a new hydrogen refuel station has been built in nearby Truckee, CA.
“Our entire team here at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is committed to being responsible stewards of the environment, as our pristine natural surroundings are what make this place so incredibly special,” said Andy Wirth, president and CEO of Squaw Valley Ski Holdings, LLC. “Our purchase of the 2016 Toyota Mirai represents the next step in our commitment to being early adopters of sustainable technologies and encouraging our community to do the same.”
The 2016 Toyota Mirai will join a number of sustainable transit initiatives that Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is honored to support including:
- Protect Our Winters (POW) Parking: In April 2016, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows partnered with Protect Our Winters (POW) to offer free premium parking to guests who carpool to the resort with four or more passengers in the vehicle. Protect Our Winters is a non-profit whose mission is to engage and mobilize the winter sports community to lead the fight against climate change, founded by professional snowboarder and Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows athlete Jeremy Jones. The POW Parking program aligns with the resort’s mission to reduce its carbon footprint, raise awareness about how transportation contributes to climate change, and promote carpooling and efficient transportation within the region.
- Electric Car Charging Stations: In 2013, Squaw Valley became the first ski resort in California to install charging stations for electric cars. Use of the car charging stations is free for guests and the four charging stations are open daily for use.
- Tahoe Area Regional Transit (TART): Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows contributes $60,000-$65,000 annually to Tahoe Area Regional Transit and has been paying for all employee TART fares since 1998.
- Free Skier Shuttle: Since 2012, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows has supported the Free Skier Shuttle, operated by Tahoe Area Regional Transit, which provided enhanced door-to-door service between regional hotel and motel operators and the Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows resorts. Since the beginning of the program, the resort contributes $65,000-$170,000 per year in support.
- Free Shuttle Between Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows: Since Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows joined forces in 2011, a free shuttle has run between the resorts. In the 2013-2014 season alone, there was an estimated savings of 38,400 one-way trips from an average ridership of 8 people per van, which adds up to 307,200 miles saved from replacing guest’s personal vehicles with the free shuttle. That’s roughly 85 tons of CO2 in emissions, which is the same as taking 18 passenger vehicles off the road for an entire year.
About Squaw Valley | Alpine Meadows
Voted 2016 ‘Best Ski Resort’ in North America by USA Today and 10Best Readers’ Choice, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is an internationally renowned mountain resort in North Lake Tahoe that spans over 6,000 skiable acres. The resort features slopeside lodging at The Village at Squaw Valley®, which bustles year round with nonstop events and nearly 60 bars, restaurants and boutiques. With an annual average of 450 inches of snowfall and 300 sunny days, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is known as the spring skiing capital as it provides one of the longest ski and snowboard seasons in Lake Tahoe. Over 65 percent beginner and intermediate terrain and 14 easy-to-navigate mountain zones welcome skiers and riders of all ability levels. Visit squawalpine.com or call 1.800.403.0206 to learn more.
