PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 29th, 2007 (Santa Monica, CA): SSM is pleased to announced our sponsorship program for our test/demo vehicle. This vehicle will be retrofitted and utilized by Los Angeles Integration Team to test our state-of-the-art, patent pending Kernel™ electric drivetrain. This same electric drivetrain architecture will compete in the upcoming Automotive X-Prize contest - The multi-million prize for the first 100MPG vehicles.

SSM-RFP-0701 Request for Proposal: Sponsorship for Dual Purpose Demonstration Vehicle

Executive Summary

Society for Sustaiuable Mobility of California is seeking $295,000.00 (USD) to retrofit a late model vehicle for testing purpose. The same vehicle will also double as a show car in the upcoming exhibitions in the Los Angeles County. Potential sponsors are invited to purchase advertisement spaces on the vehicle to take advantage of this exciting opportunity.

 

• Associate your business with environmental efforts and one of the fastest growing Open Design community in the world. SSM-OSGV project is a highly anticipated open-design automotive project. California, where SSM is located, is home to many environmentalist groups and open source/open design advocates. Also with presence in Europe and Southeast Asia, SSM’s latest demonstration vehicle is poised to deliver a sensation around the world. The upcoming Automotive X-Prize contest will also bring national media coverage. SSM’s next generation Hybrid Electric SUV will be one of the few 100 MPG SUVs in the competition. Pictures of this demonstration vehicle and sponsor messages will be circulated in SSM publications, press releases, web sites and online forums; and its influence will last for generations to come. Sponsor may expect International media exposure, particularly in North America and E
  urope. Our web site has registered more than 1000 hits per day and steadily increasing. Portion of your contribution may be tax-deductible under the United States IRS code.

About SSM-OSGV

The Society for Sustainable Mobility (SSM website: http://www.osgv.org/) is a program of the International Humanities Center (http://www.IHCenter.org), a 501(c)[3] nonprofit charitable organization based in Los Angeles, California. SSM’s three-part mission is to create an alternative to conventional automobiles. Combining the BEST of European Automotive Engineering and American Aerospace Engineering, SSM pioneers Open Design technology as an automotive OEM. Our Kernel™ Hybrid Electric Vehicle (Patents Pending), already one year into development, is a 100MPGe mid-size SUV that will sit 7 passengers and could reach top speed of 120mph (160km/h).

Objectives

Society for Sustainable Mobility (SSM) has a plan for a demonstration vehicle that will serve two purposes: 1. As a preliminary test platform for our latest Kernel™ drivetrain components and control algorithms until the new advanced material frame is available; It will also be used for packaging study. 2. As a show vehicle for use at various car show events near Los Angeles, California.

Milestones

Proposal due date: 8/15/2007 - May be cut short at SSM’s discretion.

Funding appropriation due date: 8/31/2007

Exterior decoration completion: 9/30/2007

Test / Demo vehicle completion: November, 2007.

 

Sponsorship Opportunities

Total Budget

Item	Estimate $USD
Vehicle	$40,000
Prototype Material and tools	$50,000
Labor / Outside Processing	$15,000
Paint / Exterior	$10,000
Outreach / Fundraising	$50,000
4 x Car shows 2007-2008	$80,000
2 x Public Demonstrations	$50,000
Total	$295,000.00

Primary Sponsorship

Minimum bid USD $170,000 or $130,000 plus an in-kind donation of a suitable vehicle, the sponsor may put commercial messages on the following:

1. 100% Entire left front door non-glass exterior surface
2. 100% Entire right front door non-glass exterior surface
3. 100% of the hood cover
4. Top 15% of the windshield glass surface
5. Top 20% of the rear windshield glass surface
6. An advertisement space of 480×60 pixels on the front page of OSGV.ORG for two calendar years.

 

Terms are negotiable. Vehicle has an operational life of two calendar years. Rights are re-sellable and transferable.

Exclusive Sponsorship

The Primary Sponsor has the option to exercise an “Exclusive” sponsorship to buy out the rest of the vehicle’s advertising surfaces that are not reserved for SSM’s use. See above for

Minimum bid USD $125,000 in addition to the terms in Primary Sponsorship.

Terms are negotiable. Vehicle has an operational life of two calendar years. Rights are re-sellable and transferable.

General Sponsorship

Individual spaces on the vehicle are available for purchase. Minimum bid is USD$100.00 per square inch. Minimum order is 20 sq. inches. Quantity discounts are negotiable. This is a one-time fee for the useful life of the vehicle. The following locations are available:

1. Rear hatch and window
2. Two (2) rear quarter panels and windows
3. Two (2) front quarter panels
4. Two (2) side mirror covers

Terms are negotiable.

Vehicle Specification

A suitable vehicle shall be/have:

1. Late model mid-size SUV with a modern aerodynamic appearance
2. Unibody construction (a.k.a. car-based, or crossover)
3. 5 passengers capacity; 7 desired (3^rd row seat)
4. 4WD or AWD desired; RWD could be accepted.
5. Metric parts desired but not absolutely necessary
6. Power steering
7. ABS and active stability control program

New vehicle(s) is preferred but USED vehicle(s) less than 5 years and 100,000 miles in good condition will be considered as well. The exterior and interior conditions are equally important.

Possible Candidates

Acura MDX / RDX AWD Audi Q7 AWD BMW X5 AWD/RWD Ford Edge AWD Honda CR-V Infinite FX AWD/RWD Land Rover LR2/LR3 Lexus RX Lincoln MKX AWD Lotus APX

Mazda CX-7 AWD Nissan Murano RWD Porsche Cayenne AWD/RWD Subaru Tribeca Toyota Highlander AWD Volkswagen Touareg AWD/RWD Volvo XC AWD Other models will be considered on a case-by-case basis

Hybrid variants with NiMH or Li-ion batteries are also preferred.

Demonstration Plan

The vehicle will go through various stages of retrofitting process:

All modifications are to be completed by November, 2007.

Opportunities for Additional Media Coverage

1. Double your coverage!! A second show/test vehicle will be procured for our drivetrain design team in Los Angeles, California. If you are interested in sponsoring this second test/demo vehicle, please state so in your proposal.

2. SSM is also one of the few contenders of the upcoming Automotive X-Prize contest, which will generate huge amount of international media attention.

3. The vehicle is also available for your display when not in use by SSM. Terms are negotiable.

End of Life Purchase

The vehicle’s expected operation life as a test vehicle is 2 years. End-of-life purchase option can be negotiated.

How to Submit Proposal

Please contact Valerie Wilson, our Liaison Manager, at: liaison@osgv.org

Tel: +1 (310) 362-8410

Fax: +1 (310) 862-4477

Or submit your inquiry via our web site at http://www.osgv.org/ 

What to Submit

In your proposal, please clearly indicate:

1. Contact name, address and phone numbers
2. Business name, address and phone numbers
3. Geographic/demographic objectives of your marketing campaign
4. Advertising messages, banners and logos you plan to use on the proposed vehicle and other publications
5. Bid type: Exclusive, Primary or General.
6. Bid size: For General Sponsorship, please indicate the number of square inches on the vehicle you are interested in.
7. Bid amount (Please specify the amount of cash and material contributions)
8. Any other terms and conditions you would like to add to the agreement