Whether you’re shopping for an Earth-friendly ride or just interested in learning more about alternative transportation technology, consider checking out the second annual Alternative Car and Transportation Expo in California this week.

Now in its second year, the expo will run from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19, and Saturday, Oct. 20. Featuring 100 different exhibitors, a slew of seminars, guest speakers and other attractions, the expo will be held at the Barker Center at the Santa Monica Air Center in Santa Monica, California. Admission is free.

Seminars during the expo will tackle such subjects as "Driving the Future: It’s Here Today," "The Likely Effects of Federal Climate Change Policy on the Development of Alternative Vehicles," "Getting Out of the Box, Moving With Our Feet," "Biodiesel Technology," "Hydrogen/Fuel Cell Technology" and "Monorails."

Expo attendees will also get a chance to take Sustainable Works’ Ecological Footprint Quiz, be able to use a free bicycle valet parking system, participate in a fuel cell "Ride and Drive" featuring the natural gas-powered 2008 Honda Civic GX NGV, and even buy one of the alternative-fuel vehicles on display during the show.

While some of the exhibitors are names that have already generated a lot of green buzz — like Segway — others might be less familiar, including:

• EcoLimo, which aims to become "the premier provider of fuel-efficient, chauffeured ground transportation service to businesses all over the world." With offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., EcoLimo’s fleet includes the gasl/electric Lexus 400h hybrid, the biodiesel-fueled Mercedes E320 CDI and the compressed natural gas-powered Chevy Suburban.
• Gorilla Vehicles, a California-based company that sells electric tractors, ATVs and a one-person, standup electric utility vehicle it calls the Chimp.
• Oka Cars, a Russian maker of electric mini-cars, some of which are only for patrolling private parking lots and gates communities, others of which are licensed for travel on public streets.
• SSI-Racing, the California-based developer of the 2 SSIC, which it calls "the world’s fastest extreme street electric car." Still in the development stage, the 2 SSIC is designed to be a electric-powered replica of an American muscle car. SSI’s Website says the vehicle is going to be "uber-geeked to the max and get crazy good gas mileage."
• Vectrix, a 12-year-old U.S./European company that developed the Vectrix ZEV zero-emissions, electric-powered maxi-scooter. The company bills its invention as the "greenest ride in the world": with a built-in rechargeable battery, the Vectrix ZEV can go up to 62 miles per hour and can travel around 68 miles before needing a recharge. The scooter is already available through British Motor Car dealerships in California and retails for $11,000.