LOS ANGELES, CA – Numerous celebrities, filmmakers and VIP guests attending the World Premiere of the new Disneynature film, EARTH, at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood are arriving at the event today without using any gasoline. They will be driven to the festivities in Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell vehicles, which are powered by hydrogen and leave a carbon footprint of zero. In the last 15 months, about 33,750 gallons of gasoline have been saved by using these vehicles.

The Walt Disney Company is an important participant in Chevy’s Project Driveway program – the largest endeavor ever to put fuel cell vehicles on real roads – the vehicles are zero emissions and petroleum free. Disney joined Project Driveway to help GM gain an understanding of how companies can use fuel cell vehicles. With Disney’s help, GM has done what no other company has done… logged 675,000 miles of driving with fuel cells.

According to Chevrolet Vice President and General Manager Ed Peper, the Chevrolet/Disney relationship is an important alliance between two forward-thinking companies.

“These fuel cells are effectively the cleanest vehicles on the planet, and people who use them are showcasing the fact that the technology is viable,” Peper says. “Disney’s participation is key in Project Driveway, and making these vehicles available to VIP guests for the EARTH premiere is an exciting opportunity for us.”

Narrated by James Earl Jones, “EARTH” tells the story of three animal families and their amazing journeys across the planet we call home. The epic adventure captures some of the most intimate moments of our planet’s wildest and most elusive creatures. The film opens in theatres nationwide on Earth Day, April 22. Disneynature will celebrate the premiere film, EARTH, by planting a tree in honor of every moviegoer who sees the film in its opening week.

Commenting on the announcement, Mark Zoradi, president, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group, said, "Our new Disneynature label was created to give moviegoers an entertaining and informative look at the planet they call home and the wildlife that inhabits it, and our debut film, 'EARTH,' tells a captivating story using some of the most incredible images ever put on the big screen. We are proud to take part in Chevy's Project Driveway program, and to be taking positive steps for the environment by using Chevrolet's advanced fuel cell vehicles at the World Premiere of 'EARTH.'"

The Project Driveway program began in Oct, 2007 and will run through the end of 2010. Project Driveway puts Equinox electric vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells into the hands of drivers to gain real world experience and learning. More than 4,000 individuals have driven the fuel cell Equinox; either in short drives at media programs or special events, or as part of longer loan.

“The vehicles are performing very well and Project Driveway participants love them,” Peper says. ”This program is an important part of Chevy’s ‘fuel solutions’ strategy.”

Prior to Project Driveway, no one has ever put 100+ fuel cell vehicles on the road. The program is mainly in the U.S., although some vehicles were sent to Europe and Asia. In the U.S., the vehicles are being placed with media, public policy leaders, business partners, celebrities and “regular” customers who have raised their hands via the internet.

Drivers generally have the vehicles for two months, although some placements, such as those with business partners like Disney, run for the entire program.

The vehicles are production Chevrolet Equinoxes, outfitted with GM’s fourth-generation fuel cell propulsion system. They meet all applicable U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and are equipped with a long list of safety and convenience features.

About Chevrolet

Chevrolet is one of America’s most well-known and successful automotive brands. With the largest dealer network in the United States, Chevy is a leader in fuel efficient products ranging from “Gas-Friendly to Gas-Free” vehicles. The Chevrolet brand offers more vehicles that get more than 30 mpg any other manufacturer, and has nearly 3 million flexible fuel vehicles on the road. This year, Chevrolet introduced the Malibu and Tahoe hybrids, and the world’s first full-sized hybrid pick up truck.

About Disneynature EARTH

Disneynature is a brand new film label, building on the rich legacy of Walt Disney’s groundbreaking Academy Award ®-winning “True-Life Adventures” series, bringing new stories of the natural world around us to the motion picture screen as never before.

The first film in the Disneynature series, EARTH, narrated by James Earl Jones, tells the remarkable story of three animal families—polar bears, elephants, and whales—as they make their amazing journeys across the planet we all call home. EARTH combines rare action, unimaginable scale and impossible locations by capturing the most intimate moments of our planet’s wildest and most elusive creatures. Directors Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield, the acclaimed creative team behind the Emmy Award ®-winning series “Planet Earth,” combine forces again to bring this epic adventure to the big screen, starting Earth Day, April 22.

NOTE: downloadable images are also available on media.gm.com.