EV Digest 2663
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) EVLN(Kohala HS electrathon for Hawaii Electron Marathon)
by Bruce EVangel Parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
2) EVLN(Central Valley needs investor to build local EVs)
by Bruce EVangel Parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
3) EVLN(ZAP LUV nEV Live with Regis & Kelly)
by Bruce EVangel Parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
4) EVLN(RAV4 EV not canceled due to low demand, GM's vacuum tube thinking)
by Bruce EVangel Parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
5) EVLN(Hybrid & nEVs sell out as prices soar above $2/gal)
by Bruce EVangel Parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
6) EVLN(Tioman wants to make their own EVs & ban ICE)
by Bruce EVangel Parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
7) EVLN('nEV hit by a Suburban, you don't have a chance')
by Bruce EVangel Parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
8) Re: Sob... I think if fried my motor.
by "1sclunn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
9) Re: Reality closing in - LeSled wiring and universal input relays
by "1sclunn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
10) Re: Motors was Heibao ot
by "1sclunn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
11) Re: ZAP RAP FEVER: page to sell or trade your EV
by "Roy LeMeur" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
12) Re: ADC 8" testing
by Lee Hart <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
13) Re: Motors was Heibao ot
by Lee Hart <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
14) Re: Motors was Heibao
by Peter VanDerWal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Kohala HS electrathon for Hawaii Electron Marathon)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/daily/2003/Mar-17-Mon-2003/news/news3.html
Kohala students ready to test their creation
By CYNTHIA SWEENEY /WHT Correspondent
There's something electrifying in North Kohala.
A small gray car, parked at a bodyshop across from the high
school, is the product of a team of students who hope the
months of hard work will earn the best of show prize for the
third consecutive year.
Teams from 31 Hawaii high schools gather Saturday on Oahu
with their electric cars in the eighth annual Hawaii
Electron Marathon. For the students, their mentors and their
parents, this will be the test of their hard work,
dedication and a few setbacks.
The Kohala team is ready to put the pedal to the metal.
"I love this program, I love what it does for kids," lead
teacher Fern White says. "It's very difficult, it's
extremely demanding on everyone involved, physically and
mentally, emotionally, but it's all of life's lessons,
school's lessons, made relevant to life, to reality."
Although the race was created to raise alternative energy
awareness in the students, Amy Iwamoto, Educational Services
Coordinator with HELCO, said the race is for students to
work with each other and their teachers as a team.
"The skills they learn, team building concepts, are not just
for today, but also in their future jobs," she said.
The competition consists of several categories including an
oral presentation, safety demonstration, documentation of
the project and the race. The winner of the overall
competition takes home a best of show trophy. The winner of
the lap race is eligible to compete at the national
competition.
Of Kohala's two - time best of show wins, Iwamoto said,
"It's just outstanding for a neighbor island school."
Months before the race, HECO supplies participating schools
with a book of guidelines to follow in building their
electric car.
Each team is provided with a kit that includes the motor and
batteries. There is no minimum car weight, but the maximum
weight for the driver is 180 lbs.
The teams are challenged to come up with their own design
and building materials for their vehicle with a spending cap
of $2,500.
The cap was not a challenge for Kohala students. Many of the
supplies and services were donated; financial team member
Joel Yanos said, "basically, it's called begging."
Yanos and team members secured donations from Napa Auto
Parts and Land and Sea.
Gaspro provided welding lessons, and Keck Observatory
provided lessons in electrical forces and aerodynamics, and
helped with software for the car's design.
Each member of the team submitted a design for the car and
the final design incorporates ideas from each.
The cars are lightweight and aerodynamic. While last year's
car had a steel frame and foam body, this year's model has a
lighter, aluminum frame and a wood body.
Team driver Wesley Brum said the car is fun to drive.
It is easy to control, and has a smooth ride, and other than
operating the hand gears, requires no special skills.
Powered by a motor and two 12 - volt batteries, the car's
top speed is 34 mph.
Math, science, electrical, welding, computer and language
arts were applied in building the car. Team member Mistianne
Kahoopii will even be taking the skills she has learned with
her to community college where she plans to study to be an
auto mechanic.
White, in her second year as lead teacher, explains, "This
is where academics hit the pavement. It's what I love about
it."
While some schools provide academic credit for the project,
the Kohala team's efforts were all extracurricular. For
three months, the students and their mentors devoted their
time after school, sometimes until 10 p.m.
After coming home from his engineering job at Hapuna Beach
Prince Hotel, lead mentor Eric Dela Cruz donated his time to
the project.
"It's eight hours at work, and then I would be here, after
work, until 9 or 10 at night, every night," he said.
"I learned from the students, not the other way around,
because they were the ones who did it," he added.
During the construction, the students faced a few setbacks.
Though they laugh about it now, fabrication team members
Brendan Matsu, Ammon Sanchez and Sean Simon describe how the
steering was wired backward, "You turned left, and the tires
went right."
Also, near completion, the computer crashed and Kui Len
Rocha had to input everything again.
"It took me two days," she says.
While the race is exciting, the competition stresses the
students' application of many academic skills.
Jason Ontiveros, Kohala's oral presenter, explains that
portion of the competition is an impromptu session, in which
a team member is given three questions to answer, and using
only note cards must describe the team's experience.
He said he is confident and prepared.
Rocha is responsible for the documentation portion of the
competition. She has assembled a notebook full of
photographs, diagrams and descriptions of the entire
project.
In the safety portion of the competition, driver Wesley Brum
must be able to get out of the car safely in 20 seconds. The
judges will also check how fast the car stops, and for any
rough edges on the car.
And then there is the race itself, where Brum will compete
with all the other entries around a track, come rain or
shine, to complete the most laps around the track in one
hour.
The team displays support and camaraderie, and credit for
the project is shared equally.
-
=====
' ____
~/__|o\__
'@----- @'---(=
. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor & RE newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
=====
__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop!
http://platinum.yahoo.com
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Central Valley needs investor to build local EVs)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.modbee.com/opinion/story/6402937p-7349633c.html
Valley air needs state to push cleaner cars
Published: March 19, 2003, 06:15:08 AM PST
The staff of the California Air Resources Board has not
recommended abandonment of the state's historic Zero
Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate -- but almost. Bowing to car
companies, the board's staff wants to discard the
requirement that 2 percent of all new cars sold in
California after 2005 produce no tailpipe emissions.
Instead, their new plan calls for manufacturers to produce
250 zero-polluting fuel cell vehicles between 2005 and
2008.
That's not good enough, and it doesn't go far enough to help
curb the deadly air pollution in the Central Valley.
Essentially, the state would require car companies to commit
a quarter-billion dollars to test a promising, clean
technology, one companies say they are committed to anyway.
The new proposal requires them to continue to produce
hybrids, natural gas and ultra-low emission vehicles as
well. Given market, technology and political realities, the
staff has made a reasonable regulatory adjustment -- to
start.
But it could be improved, and it needs to go further.
A dozen years ago, car companies made the same claims about
electric vehicles they now make about fuel cells: that they
are the clean technology of the future. If carmakers believe
that, the state should not let them off the hook after 2008,
as this new proposal does. A mandate for some level of
zero-polluting vehicles should remain in place -- and
perhaps escalate as years pass and technology improves.
Also, since no one can predict what the future will produce,
the state should not abandon its policy of favoring no
specific technology. Regulators should not dismiss fuel
cells or electric or even technologies as fanciful as solar
or wind power.
The valley's air is too filthy -- and too unhealthy -- to
dismiss possibilities for cleaner vehicle technology.
In Stanislaus County, 150 to 200 of the county's 650
vehicles ultimately could be converted to an electric or
hybrid fleet, according to county Chief Executive Officer
Reagan Wilson. In turn, demand spurred by the county could
entice a private investor to build an electric-car assembly
plant here, Wilson said.
That would be a dual win for the valley, yielding both new
jobs and cleaner cars.
But it only could work, Wilson added, with state clean air
credits that help offset the price of producing low-emission
vehicles, making them viable in a competitive market. The
state air board is scheduled later this month to consider
eliminating the credits for electric vehicles.
We believe cutting or constraining the credits would be a
mistake. It is important to keep options open and incentives
intact, regardless of pressure from carmakers looking to
generate short-term profits.
California's ZEV mandate has produced results. The ZEV
requirement is directly responsible for hybrids being sold
commercially now and for the fuel-cell prototypes that the
manufacturers say will be the basis for clean technology of
the future.
State regulators are right to adjust to reality, but they
should not lose sight of the goal or abandon policies that
show progress -- and promise.
-
=====
' ____
~/__|o\__
'@----- @'---(=
. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor & RE newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
=====
__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop!
http://platinum.yahoo.com
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(ZAP LUV nEV Live with Regis & Kelly)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://new.stockwatch.com/newsit/newsit_newsit.pasp?bid=U-pSFTH020-U:ZAPZ-20030320&news_region=U&symbol=ZAPZ
AP Car Featured on 'LIVE with Regis & Kelly'
2003-03-20 10:00 ET - News Release
SEBASTOPOL, Calif., March 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A new
electric car from ZAP (BULLETIN BOARD: ZAPZ) is scheduled to
feature on ABC's "LIVE with Regis and Kelly," Friday, March
21, 2003. Check your local listings for air times and
channels.
LIVE is ending the week with technology expert Leo Laporte
from cable channel TECH-TV showing a round-up of new gadgets
from the Consumer Electronics Show held this past January in
Las Vegas. The feature includes ZAP's new Light Utility
Vehicle (LUV(TM)), which was selected as a finalist for
TECH-TV's "Best of CES."
The ZAP LUV is a new kind of automobile called a
Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV). The U.S. Department of
Transportation created the new category of automobile for
the many car trips people take for inner-city
transportation, planned communities, commercial zones, and
tourist areas. The L.U.V. sports a European design that
comes from Italy's Studio Linia 2, which designs some of
Italy's most famous automobiles. The 25 MPH electric car has
room for two and plugs into any normal household electrical
outlet.
ZAP is not new to LIVE. The Company's ZAPPY electric
motorized scooter was on the show in 2000. LIVE co-stars
include Regis Philbin, the 40-year television veteran who
hosted the popular game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire"
and Kelly Ripa of "All My Children" who joined the program
in February of 2001.
About ZAP
ZAP was founded in 1994 to develop and commercialize
transportation alternatives using the latest in electric
technologies. ZAP's management has over 100 years experience
in electric vehicles and is highly committed to protecting
the environment and to creating this industry. ZAP stands
for ZERO AIR POLLUTION with the goal to provide efficient
electric transportation that people throughout the world can
afford. ZAP is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture
and marketing of electric bicycles, electric scooters,
electric motorcycles and other electric transportation and
recreational products.
The ZAP line of products includes the POWERBIKE(R),
ZAPPY(R), VIENTO, the SEA-DOO SEASCOOTER(TM), the LUV(TM)
electric car and more. For information about ZAP vehicles,
including the LUV electric car, visit
http://www.zapworld.com/ or call 800-251-4555.
Forward-looking statements in this release
CONTACT: Alex Campbell, +1-707-824-4150, ext. 241, for ZAP
Web site: http://www.zapworld.com/
-
=====
' ____
~/__|o\__
'@----- @'---(=
. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor & RE newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
=====
__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop!
http://platinum.yahoo.com
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(RAV4 EV not canceled due to low demand, GM's vacuum tube
thinking)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,82~10834~1248734,00.html
Article Last Updated: Sunday, March 16, 2003 - 8:50:48 AM PST
Detroit vs. California: State, auto industry grudgingly face
reality on emissions standards
By Alan Zibel, BUSINESS WRITER
IN 1961, California, which helped define the American
landscape with drive-through hamburger stands, drive-in
movie theaters and single-story houses with two-car garages,
became the first government in the nation to regulate auto
emissions.
Back then, the state required automakers to install a
technology that cuts pollution by taking some exhaust gases
and rerouting them through the engine, rather than out the
tailpipe -- an innovation known as positive crankcase
ventilation.
Severe smog problems in Los Angeles were seen as far back as
1943, leading to complaints of low visibility and nausea.
That city began its air pollution control program two years
later. The Bay Area started its first coordinated air
pollution control efforts in 1953. Statewide air quality
standards were enacted in 1969, predating the creation of
the federal Environmental Protection Agency by a year.
GENERAL MOTORS says it spent more than $1 billion to meet
California zero-emission vehicle regulations by developing
the EV-1 electric vehicle (left) during the 1990s, but the
car did not catch on with consumers. Now, GM says the future
lies in hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars such as the
prototype Hy-Wire car (right) that GM is touring around the
country.
Lately, California has intensified its efforts to control
auto emissions, pouring fuel on the decades-long battle
between California and Detroit. Last summer, over the
objections of the auto industry, Gov. Gray Davis signed a
bill that requires the state to regulate automotive
greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide by model
year 2009.
Delighted environmentalists say the bill's passage caught
the auto industry off-guard. Although car companies have
design studios and offices in California, they misread the
state's political climate when fighting against the
greenhouse emissions bill last year, said Roland Hwang,
senior policy analyst with the Natural Resources Defense
Council in San Francisco.
"There's still a fundamental cultural gap between Detroit
and Sacramento," Hwang said. "These guys just don't get
it."
Another bone of contention is the state's effort to force
automakers to produce cars with no emissions at all. General
Motors and DaimlerChrysler have sued to stop the state's
zero-emission vehicles program, saying that California's
efforts are tantamount to regulating fuel economy, which is
under the purview of the federal government.
The Bush Administration has sided with the auto industry in
the lawsuit, but California regulators insist that better
fuel economy is a byproduct of the state's regulations, not
the main goal. For example hybrid gasoline-electric cars,
which the state is encouraging, get better mileage than
regular cars and also have lower emissions.
"We maintain our intent all along is to build cars that
pollute less," said Jerry Martin, spokesman for the powerful
California Air Resources Board, which regulates emissions.
"If people get a car that runs better and pollutes less, and
uses less gas, is that a bad thing?"
On March 27, state regulators will consider a revised
version of the zero-emission program. It aims to strengthen
the state's position in court by eliminating references to
fuel economy. The proposal also backs away from promoting
zero-emission, battery-powered cars. Instead, it promotes
low-pollution vehicles such as hybrids.
All along, California's regulatory zeal has been fought
tooth and nail by the auto industry, say state regulators
and California environmentalists. American auto companies
have been the most resistant to regulation, they say. In
1975, for example, California prevailed in a battle with the
auto industry over requiring catalytic converters, which now
add about $300 to the price of new cars.
"The car companies are always complaining: They can't do it;
it costs too much; it's technically impossible," but then
end up making significant technological advances, Martin
said. "We take what they say with a certain grain of salt."
In response, auto industry officials say it is absurd to
think that the only way to get technology improvements is by
government fiat.
"We would prefer to work through these issues with
technologies and collaborative partnerships rather than
command and control (regulations) and lawsuits," said Dave
Barthmuss, a spokesman for GM.
Barthmuss said his company is investing heavily in
technologies such as hybrid gasoline-electric cars and
hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. General Motors is doing so, he
said, not out of a need to satisfy California regulators,
but out of a desire to make money.
"We really feel that we are engaged in a key competitive
race to make money," he said.
The industry, he said, is "on the cusp of a tremendous
automotive technological revolution" from an oil-based
economy to a world in which vehicles are powered by
hydrogen.
"We don't want to be the company that's stuck with vacuum
tubes when the world has moved on to transistors," Barthmuss
said.
Michael Love, national regulatory affairs manager for Toyota
Motor Sales, said his company doesn't like government
mandates either, but added, "We don't tend to like to sue
people. ... We try to work with the regulators to explain to
them why we have a different viewpoint, if we do."
Paul Eisenstein, publisher of TheCarConnection.com, said
that Detroit automakers have made themselves an easy target
by opposing California's regulatory efforts. Often, he said,
the American automakers say out loud what the rest of the
industry is saying in private.
"Unfortunately, what's happened is both sides (California
and Detroit) have a tendency to play brinkmanship, where the
Japanese by nature have tended to find a more consensus
approach," he said. Japanese automakers Toyota, Honda and
Nissan are often praised by California officials and
environmentalists for making a more serious effort to
develop and sell clean cars.
Eisenstein faulted California for waiting until the last
minute before backing down on unworkable regulations. Also,
he said, the state has been unnecessarily inflexible in
regulating diesel cars, which are popular in Europe because
they get good gas mileage. Air regulators say California is
not prepared to relax its air quality standards to allow
more diesels.
Eisenstein called California's efforts to promote
battery-powered cars during the 1990s "a disaster." By
forcing the automakers to make those cars before the
technology was affordable, California effectively killed any
progress on battery-powered vehicles, he said.
To meet California's regulations, General Motors says it
spent more than $1 billion to develop its EV-1 electric
vehicle during the 1990s. Despite those cars' advanced
technology, demand was low. GM was only able to lease fewer
than 1,000 of the EV-1s for $400 a month, Barthmuss said.
Toyota had its own electric vehicle effort. The company sold
500 electric RAV4 sport utility vehicles from last February
until this January, when it canceled the program due to low
demand, despite an advertising campaign.
"We were losing huge amounts of money selling them at the
level we were," said Toyota's Love.
Most experts say that battery-powered cars do not travel far
enough on one charge and are too expensive for most
consumers. Martin of the Air Resources Board now
acknowledges that battery technology has not worked out the
way air regulators had hoped in the 1990s.
"Quite frankly, it pretty much has stalled," he said.
Instead, state regulators now want to focus on low-emission
cars with conventional internal combustion engines and
hybrid gasoline-electric cars, which have gained some
acceptance in the marketplace.
To the dismay of environmentalists, the Air Resources Board
is now proposing that automakers be forced to make only 250
zero-emission cars between 2005 and 2008, most likely
demonstration fuel cell cars. There would be no requirement
after 2008, though air regulators could revise that later.
Martin acknowledged his agency has made some mistakes in the
past in predicting the numbers of advanced technology
vehicles that the auto industry could build. The agency, he
said, is looking to maintain the zero-emission program's
credibility.
He predicted the new requirements, if approved, would
produce two million low emission cars on the road by 2010.
Those cars, he said, will be affordable for everyday
Californians, not just Hollywood actors and Silicon Valley
executives.
"That's got some real air quality benefit to it," he said.
Chris Cedergren, an analyst for Thousand Oaks-based Nextrend
Inc., said California has finally realized that "you can't
force technology."
"You have a bunch of bureaucrats, basically just mandating,
passing a law that you have to do this, without really
knowing much of the technology," he said.
But environmentalists say that, even though battery
technology failed to catch on with a mass market, it
resulted in important advances that are showing up in hybrid
vehicles and the fuel cell vehicles that automakers are now
showing off.
"It definitely raised the bar quite a bit for the industry
and led to this whole other technology (hybrids) that hadn't
really been anticipated," said Russell Long, executive
director of the San Francisco-based Bluewater Network. "The
hybrid is obviously a great leap forward and it would be
great to see them on all vehicles sold nationally."
Environmentalists say California's regulations have given
the automakers the necessary push to invest in technologies
they wouldn't otherwise consider.
"I think the industry's track record is dismal when it comes
to introducing environmental or safety technology
voluntarily," said Jason Mark, director of the clean
vehicles program at the Union of Concerned Scientists in
Berkeley. "Absent a push from government policy, they're
unlikely to actually offer up those new technologies."
Some people close to the auto industry agree, to some
extent.
"The fact that (California was) driving the notion that cars
could emit nothing caused people in the companies to focus
on what could be done," said Greg Dana, vice president of
environmental affairs for the Alliance of Automobile
Manufacturers, an industry group.
California's regulations have led to advances such as better
batteries and better electric controls, Dana said. Still, he
added, "I wouldn't say that the industry would never have
gotten anywhere without this mandate."
Jim Gillette, vice president of the Michigan-based
automotive consulting firm IRN Inc., said California's
stringent rules have benefited companies with the best, most
innovative technologies, such as parts suppliers that are
using advanced materials.
It's telling, he said, that Toyota and Honda have been less
aggressive about fighting California's rules. Not only are
those companies offering a "superb product," he said,
they're making lots of money doing it.
"The viewpoint that California is a little kooky on this
thing is a little short-sighted," Gillette said.
Alan Zibel may be reached at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or
(925) 416-4805.
-
=====
' ____
~/__|o\__
'@----- @'---(=
. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor & RE newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
=====
__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop!
http://platinum.yahoo.com
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Hybrid & nEVs sell out as prices soar above $2/gal)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www2.ocregister.com/ocrweb/ocr/article.do?id=30048§ion=BUSINESS&subsection=BUSINESS&year=2003&month=3&day=15
Saturday, March 15, 2003
Hybrid cars sold out in O.C. as gasoline hits record levels
High gasoline prices fuel sales of dual-power Toyotas and
Hondas. By DANIELLE HERUBIN The Orange County Register
Satisfied: Thomas Holmberg of Fountain Valley was happy with
the 39 mpg he got on the first tankful of gasoline in his
new Toyota Prius. Consumer Reports tested the Prius at 41
mpg in city/highway driving.
Steve K. Zylius, The Orange County Register
Thomas Holmberg recently called Toyota of Huntington Beach
to inquire about the Prius, a hybrid electric and gas car
that gets great mileage.
The dealership told Holmberg it had two. But a little while
later, the dealer called the retired engineer from Fountain
Valley and apologized. Both cars were sold.
Hybrid gas and electric cars have sold out in Orange County
as gasoline prices have soared above the $2 mark, dealers
say. Toyota and Honda, the two makers of mass-produced
hybrids, both reported record hybrid sales in the United
States in February. In addition to the mileage, motorists
are attracted to the more conventional styling of the new
models and their environmentally friendly nature.
Prius is the world's first mass-produced hybrid car, which
is a vehicle that calls on both gasoline and electric power.
It is rated at 52 miles per gallon in city driving and about
46 mpg on the highway. It gets higher city mileage because
the car relies on electric power at lower speeds. On the
freeway, it uses more gas because it needs more power.
Toyota sold 1,968 Priuses in February. Before rising gas
prices typically 1,500-1,600 cars were sold a month, says
Sam Butto of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. in Torrance. Honda
sold 2,274 of its Civic Hybrids in February, also a record.
The Prius starts at $19,995 and the Honda Civic Hybrid
starts at $19,550. Buyers of either vehicle are eligible for
a $2,000 federal tax deduction.
The Los Angeles region, which includes Orange County, is the
second best selling area for Prius in the nation, Butto
said. San Francisco and its suburbs � with the highest gas
prices in the nation � is No. 1.
Lookalike sedans
Unlike some alternative-fuel cars, the Prius and the Civic
look like other sedans.
Holmberg, who finally bought a silver Prius, said he got
38.91 mpg on his first tank. Consumer Reports said it got 41
mpg in a combination of city/highway driving.
"I'm reasonably happy with the mileage," Holmberg says,
adding he loves the car for its advanced technology.
Dealers say they're trying to steer people who can't get a
Prius to other cars � the gas-powered Toyota Echo gets up to
44 mpg on the highway, for example. Other cars, especially
diesels, get good mileage. The Volkswagen Jetta wagon diesel
has been rated at 50 mpg highway and 42 mpg in the city,
according to Kelley Blue Book, an automotive pricing and
statistical company.
Gordon Wangers, a consultant to the automotive industry,
says he loves the Prius, which was introduced by Toyota in
1997 and first sold in the United States about 2 1/2 years
ago.
"In my opinion, the hybrid is the answer that we as a nation
have been seeking for fuel economy, at least for the short
term," Wangers says. "The car is brilliant."
Prius alternates between using gasoline and electricity.
Like some golf carts, the engine shuts down when the car
stops.
"It's an eerie feeling, like, 'Oh, my God! It's dead! When
the light turns green all the people behind me will start
hollering!' " Wangers says. "But as soon as you touch the
pedal it starts right up."
Prius' early sales were slow, partly because Toyota barely
advertised it. Also, the hybrids are built in Japan. Early
cars were ordered and then built, which meant people had to
wait six months or more to get a car.
Early buyers were mostly environmentally conscious. But now,
with Consumer Reports saying "Reliability has been
excellent," the more cautious buyers are stepping forward.
"It has attracted an interesting cross-section of people,"
says Paul Lunsford, general manager of South Coast Toyota.
"It isn't any one demographic � it's across a number of
different income levels, and both male and female."
Sales are increasing
Worldwide, Toyota has sold 110,000 Priuses since 1997,
including 44,800 since it was introduced in the United
States. By comparison, more than 400,000 of Toyota's
best-selling Camry were sold in the United States last
year.
Honda has sold 17,669 of its Civic Hybrids, which have been
available for less than a year. Before that, it was pushing
a two-seater called Insight, which sold only 11,026 in the
last two years. Insight gets the best mileage at about 66
mpg city, but the other two hybrids seat five passengers and
have trunk space.
General Motors is close to mass producing a hybrid Chevy
pickup. Wangers has driven it already.
"What a great idea," Wangers says. "A great big gas-sucking
pickup, and it gets like 25 mpg or 30 mpg."
So far, Toyota and Honda haven't recouped their investment
in the technology and retooling it took to mass produce an
electric/gas car that recharges itself and doesn't need to
need to be plugged in. Wangers says the Prius is bargain at
$20,000 because the actual cost of the car is closer to
$30,000.
Toyota, which recently increased production of the Prius in
Japan, hopes to sell 300,000 of the cars by next year.
"I can sell every one I've got, but we're out right now,"
said Marino, with Toyota of Huntington Beach. "I have one
coming in, and that will probably be sold before it gets
here."
With gas over $2 a gallon, Wangers expects the hybrids to
continue to sell well.
"Once they get to a certain volume it becomes a money-making
proposition," Wangers said. "Toyota and Honda deserve some
credit."
CONTACT US: (714) 796-2221 or [EMAIL PROTECTED]
-
=====
' ____
~/__|o\__
'@----- @'---(=
. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor & RE newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
=====
__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop!
http://platinum.yahoo.com
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Tioman wants to make their own EVs & ban ICE)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.emedia.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/National/20030317081107/Article/
New Straits Times � National
Clean cars for Tioman Jason Gerald
PULAU TIOMAN, Mar 16: The Government may introduce the use
of electric vehicles on the island to ensure the natural
environment is not ruined by smoke and chemicals emitted by
diesel and petrol engines.
In view of this proposal, Second Finance Minister and Rompin
MP Datuk Dr Jamaludin Jarjis called on national car
producers Proton and Perodua to look into the possibility of
producing electric cars.
"Tioman is considered one of the 10 most beautiful islands
in the world and is known for its crystalclear waters, white
sandy beaches and vast greenery, and we want this to be
permanent.
"We have a proposal to ban all petrol and diesel vehicles on
the island and replace them with environmental-friendly
ones." Jamaludin had attended the official opening of Juara
Jetty by the Sultan of Pahang here today. Also present were
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob, Marine Department
director-general Raja Datuk Malik Saripulazan Raja
Kamaruzaman and State Secretary Datuk Abdul Rahim Abdul.
"This is not a bad idea. If Proton or Perodua can develop
such vehicles, we will be able to introduce them on Tioman.
"This will be an added attraction and help promote tourism."
Asked on the electric car developed by Tenaga Nasional
Berhad, Jamaludin said it was only a test project and not
meant for mass production.
On another development, Jamaludin said the construction of
the RM15 million concrete road from Kampung Tekek to Kampung
Juara would start this year.
"We have approved the allocation," he said when asked to
comment on the call by the Sultan for the project to be
implemented as soon as possible to boost the economic growth
of Kampung Juara.
Jamaluddin also said Telekom Malaysia would build a RM1.3
million communications tower at Kampung Mukut to promote
economic development of the island.
-
=====
' ____
~/__|o\__
'@----- @'---(=
. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor & RE newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
=====
__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop!
http://platinum.yahoo.com
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN('nEV hit by a Suburban, you don't have a chance')
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134656258_gocar19m.html
Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 12:00 a.m. Pacific
Legislature 2003
Little vehicle made for low speed closer to being street
legal By Andrew Garber Seattle Times Olympia bureau
ALAN BERNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES
NEVs have won approval of the House and Senate.
OLYMPIA � Odds are it will soon be legal to zip around city
streets in small, battery-powered cars that look like golf
carts on steroids.
Both the state House and Senate have unanimously passed
bills recently that would allow the "neighborhood electric
vehicles" (NEVs) to be driven on public roads with a speed
limit of 35 mph or less. Once the two sides iron out
differences in the bills, lawmakers expect Gov. Gary Locke
to sign the legislation.
Although people like to drive the cars on golf courses,
"They're not a golf cart," stressed Linda Graham, director
of the Puget Sound Clean Cities Coalition, which lobbied for
the bills. The coalition includes city governments, transit
agencies and auto manufacturers.
"They go faster," she said. "They are actually built for
on-road use, whereas golf carts stay on a golf course."
Companies that make the NEVs are also pushing for the
legislation.
The cars can go 30 to 40 miles without recharging. They come
in two- and four-seat configurations and have features
typically found in automobiles, such as seat belts,
headlights, brake lights and solid exteriors. Some models
have doors.
The cars supposedly have a top speed of 25 mph, but some say
they have gotten theirs to go a bit faster.
You wouldn't be able to commute to work from the Eastside to
downtown Seattle in one, but they'd be fine for people who
live downtown or in neighborhoods such as Ballard and
Fremont, said Rep. Brian Sullivan, D-Mukilteo, who sponsored
the bill that passed the House.
"You're not going to go faster than 25 mph on the side
streets in Seattle, or even downtown," he said. "This is
potentially a way for us to clean up the air shed in the
Puget Sound region."
In states that allow them on public streets, the electric
cars become particularly popular in gated communities,
resorts and planned subdivisions, supporters say.
Global Electric Motorcars, a subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler,
makes several models with prices ranging from $6,900 to
$8,700, according to a dealer in Bellingham. The company is
the largest manufacturer of neighborhood electric vehicles
in the country, according to the Electric Drive
Transportation Association, based in Washington, D.C.
The four-passenger car made by Global Electric is a little
more than 10 feet long, 4-1/2 feet wide and weighs 1,280
pounds.
By comparison, a gasoline-powered Honda Civic Si compact car
is about 14 feet long, 5-1/2 feet wide and weighs 2,744
pounds. It has a base list price of $19,000. Mike Woodward
of Vancouver, Wash., has a two-seater electric car that he
uses to get around his golf-course community. It beats a
golf cart, he said.
"I had a traditional club car, and they go about 12 mph.
This thing goes twice as fast. It's great to take the kids
to the pool and things," he said. "Time is money, and it
saves a lot of time."
Are they safe?
At least as safe as a traditional compact car, said Steve
Shark, a spokesman for Global Electric. He notes the cars
aren't supposed to go faster than 25 mph; plus, they have
sturdy frames and are as tall as a minivan, which makes them
visible.
Woodward says he feels safe driving around the golf course
but notes, "If you get hit by a Suburban, you don't have a
chance."
Fort Lewis keeps a fleet of 13 of the cars to use around the
base.
Sherri Whiteman, who manages the base's air-quality program,
said she'd have no worries about driving one on a public
street with other traffic.
"I think you'd be a lot more vulnerable on a bicycle or a
motorcycle than you are in these things," she said.
Washington would become the 38th state that allows the cars
to be driven on public streets, Shark said.
"Culturally, we need to move this direction," Sullivan, the
Mukilteo lawmaker, said. The cars could be ideal for parents
with teenagers, he said.
"I could see worried parents buying this as a first car for
their kids."
Andrew Garber: 360-943-9882 or [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Copyright � 2003 The Seattle Times Company
-
=====
' ____
~/__|o\__
'@----- @'---(=
. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor & RE newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
=====
__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop!
http://platinum.yahoo.com
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
bummer ... what gear were you in? Hope its just a cable bruned off. what
motor do you have??
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lawrence Rhodes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2003 7:25 AM
Subject: Sob... I think if fried my motor.
> I went up a hill I almost stall on everytime with an extra 350 pounds. I
> stalled and tried to feather the clutch and something stopped working. I
> had to back down the hill. The big 400 amp fuse is good. I smell
something
> burnt coming up from the motor...sobbbbbbbb..... Gotta jack it up and
test
> the motor.l..What could it be.....????Lawrence Gotta drive an ice to work
> sob.....Rhodes.........
>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
>
> Yeah, but I prefer an idiot-proof solution. I'd like to be able to lend
> the car to someone with no EV experience and be confident they can't
> hurt themselves.
>
Be sure to till them not to put gas in it .
There were a lot of good ideas from different people . I lend my ev's to
different people and worry about all the little things that could go wrong
but feel that it's inportant for people to see what could be. Making them
idiot proof is a good goal .
Steve Clunn
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
This rewinding fridge motors has got me thinking. Heat is energy , couldn't
we pump the heat/energy out of the fridge , spinning that motor and power
the house from the fridge. When the lights started going dim you could open
the fridge door and let some more heat in the box, to make more power.
Got to go Mr littlefield is at my door.
I just got a order for 300 of my "convert your car to electric" CD's
snip
AS REGARDS THE PAYMENT FOR THE (EV Conversion CD)
FOR $10 , I WILL BUY 300 PIECES WHICH IS $3000.00 AND SHIPMENT, I WILL
INSTRUCT A CLIENT OF MINE WHO IS OWING ME SOME FUNDS IN US DOLLARS $9800 TO
ISSUE OUT A CHEQUE DRAWN FROM AN AMERICAN BANK IN YOUR NAME,WHEN THE CHEQUE
CLEARS YOUR BANK,THE EXCESS FUNDS WILL BE SENT BACK TO ME VIA WESTERN UNION
MONEY TRANSFER OR MONEY GRAM .
THE REASON WHY AM DOING THIS IS THAT, IT TAKES 20/30
DAYS FOR A CHEQUE TO CLEAR IN ACCRA GHANA BUT IN
AMERICA IT TAKES 24/48 HOURS IN AMERICAN BANK ,SO IF
MY TERMS ARE ACCEPTABLE TO YOU PLEASE GET BACK TO ME WITH YOUR NAME AND
ADDRESS ,SO THAT I WILL INSTRUCT MY CLIENT TO ISSUE A CHEQUE IN YOUR NAME .
I WILL ALSO LIKE TO HAVE YOUR PHONE NUMBER FOR EASY
ACCESS TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOU,GET BACK TO ME WITH AN UPDATE.
THANKS
KASSEY
not need for info on refridge / or how to give away my money (there going to
buy my ev truck also). just enjoy
Steve Clunn
ready to eat some crow
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop
----- Original Message -----
From: "Victor Tikhonov" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2003 2:06 PM
Subject: Re: Motors was Heibao
> This wasn't suppose to go on the list... Sorry...
>
> Victor
>
>
>
> >
> > Oh, brother...
> >
> > Now I know why you suggested rewinding fridge motor.
> >
> > Have fun, report your achievements.
> >
> > Victor
>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Bruce EVangel Parmenter wrote:
---------------------------------
http://www.zapworld.com/rapcars.htm
Offering pre-owned Sparrows, Force, conversions, nEVs, scooters.
It sort of says to contact them to sell your EV through them
(like a broker?).
Has anyone used their service?
---------------------------------
After buying and selling many, many vehicles over the years, I _never_ call
on an ad that doesn't list an asking price. With rare exceptions, people who
do not list a price think their *stuff* don't stink and is always too high
priced.
Not one vehicle at this site/page has an asking price, even the conversions.
Buyer beware!
IMHO
Roy LeMeur Seattle WA
My Electric Vehicle Pages:
http://www.angelfire.com/ca4/renewables/evpage.html
Informative Electric Vehicle Links:
http://www.angelfire.com/ca4/renewables/evlinks.html
_________________________________________________________________
MSN 8 helps eliminate e-mail viruses. Get 2 months FREE*.
http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Lawrence Rhodes wrote:
>
> I have the ADC 8" out in the open. It seems to spin freely. A2 & S2 are
> shunted together normally. A1 is positive and S1 is negative. With a
> multimeter what resistance values would I look for in a normal motor at rest
> and while spinning by hand . What values from connection to connection.
> Can I hook up a batterycharger and spin a non loaded motor with it?
> Lawrence Rhodes........
Sure. It will take 20-30 amps though. A 10-amp charger will probably
trip its circuit breaker.
--
Lee A. Hart Ring the bells that still can ring
814 8th Ave. N. Forget your perfect offering
Sartell, MN 56377 USA There is a crack in everything
leeahart_at_earthlink.net That's how the light gets in - Leonard Cohen
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Steve Clunn wrote:
> This rewinding fridge motors has got me thinking. Heat is energy;
> could we pump the heat/energy out of the fridge, spinning that
> motor and powering the house from the fridge>
The principle is sound, but the valves in a refrigerator's compressor
won't let it run backwards as a heat engine (heat difference used to run
the compressor as an air motor). Even if you re-valved it, you'd find
that quite a substantial temperature difference was needed between its
hot and cold sides to run.
There are heat engines more suitable for this. The Stirling engine is
the classic choice.
--
Lee A. Hart Ring the bells that still can ring
814 8th Ave. N. Forget your perfect offering
Sartell, MN 56377 USA There is a crack in everything
leeahart_at_earthlink.net That's how the light gets in - Leonard Cohen
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Nope sorry. I don't see any real benefit to eliminating back EMF. As I
have said it is NOT a loss.
I suppose there could be a use for a motor that doesn't actually spin,
you could call it a space heater.
On Thu, 2003-03-20 at 15:34, garry wrote:
> Hi Peter,
>
> Perhaps we cant agree that it can be done, but surely we can agree that it
> would be beneficial ?
>
> Garry Stanley
>
> Cable.net.nz
>
--
EVDL
--- End Message ---
