First Toyota Prius Hybrid National Car Meet Announced For June

Toyota has now sold more than 1 million Prius hybrids in the U.S. over 12 years.

Now their owners can get together to celebrate their cars, and all the fuel they didn't burn.

For the first time ever, a national gathering of Prius owners is being held from June 14 through 16 in Riverside, California, about 50 miles east of Los Angeles.

The event, called "To Go Before" (a translation of the Latin word prius), kicks off the evening of June 14 with a welcome gathering at the Sunkist Center in the California Citrus State Historic Park.

During the following two days, participants can socialize with other owners, attend technical sessions, and look over a variety of products and accessories specifically for the Prius.

They can also take test drives of all four models in the 2013 Toyota Prius lineup: the original Prius Liftback, the Prius V wagon, the Prius C subcompact hatchback, and the Prius Plug-In Hybrid.

On Sunday, Prius drivers will bring their Toyota hybrid cars--of every model and year from 2000 through 2013--together for a caravan drive up to nearby Lake Arrowhead.

The event has been organized by longtime Prius advocates Danny Cooper, who founded PriusChat.com in 2003, and Russell Frost, who started PriusOwnersGroup.com in 2005.

Frost and Cooper say they've planned the event for more than 18 months, and hope to create a gathering that differs from both typical enthusiast meetups and traditional car shows.

"Our focus has been simply to give Prius owners a chance to spend time together," say the organizers, "learning more about their cars and each other."

"We've intentionally created a small, exclusive event."

Nonetheless, Cooper and Frost hope that they will attract owners from all over the country--not just Southern California Prius partisans.
 
And the Riverside area may be an apt location for a gathering of fuel-efficient, low-emission hybrid cars.

The Inland Empire region has some of the worst air pollution in California, and now offers buyers of plug-in electric cars additional local purchase rebates on top of Federal income-tax credits and California state rebates.

The organizers note that Toyota is the presenting sponsor of the event, helping to make it possible--although To Go Before 2013 is a private enterprise.

More information on the schedule of events, along with directions, is available on the event's website. Interested Prius owners can also register online to take part.

Courtesy of Green Car Reports.