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Professor helps to set world record

Electric vehicle enthusiast charged up by EV rally

Cal State Monterey Bay Professor Dan Fernandez was one of hundreds of electric vehicle buffs who helped the U.S. reclaim a world record Sept. 20 in Cupertino.

The record for the world’s largest parade of electric vehicles was set at a National Drive Electric Week event at De Anza College. Dr. Fernandez’s Nissan Leaf was one of the 507 vehicles in the parade. A Guinness World Record official was on hand to certify that the event surpassed the previous record of a 481-car parade set last May in Stuttgart, Germany.

Dr. Fernandez, who teaches in the Division of Science and Environmental Policy, is the organizer of the university’s FOCUS event, CSUMB’s annual look at sustainability issues. He co-chaired the campus-wide sustainability committee that produced the university’s Climate Action Plan and works to integrate sustainability issues throughout the curriculum. Ironically, the record-setting event wasn’t all good news. “On the way home, I – for the first time – ran out of charge and needed a tow,” Dr. Fernandez said.

Related story: Campus gets two EV charging stations