Car blogs

Sad news.


Michelin, citing the "depth of the current economic crisis," said today it is cancelling the planned 2009 Challenge Bibendum -- a premier global showcase and test bed for alternative fuels and power train technologies.


---------- 


The 2007 Challenge Bibendum was held in Shanghai.


----------


The biennial green car event, which was to have taken place in Rio de Janeiro in april, will be held over until 2010, the French tire giant said.


In a brief statement, the company said the decision "takes into account the increasing financial constraints of several of Challenge Bibendum's traditional partners. Many will be unable to participate, to the extent that they have done in the past, in an event which illustrates the existence of solutions to the challenges of tomorrow's road mobility."


Michelin said that for 2009 the Challenge Bibendum organizing team will "propose a series of different initiatives to our partners to stimulate ongoing debates on the future of road mobility." 


We hate to see the event delayed, even for a year (and even though we weren't going to be able to travel to lovely Rio to witness it first hand), but trust Michelin and partners will do everything possible to stage a bigger and better Challenge in 2010.


John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Tags: Alternative Fuels, France, Green Vehicles, 2009 Challenge Bibendum Postponed, Michelin

---

Challenge Bibendum Bows to Economic Crunch, Postponed 'til 2010 was originally published by Green Car Advisor. Read the full story by clicking here.