EV Digest 2891
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) EVLN(NJ ZEV rules blocked by GM interests)
by Bruce EVangel Parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
2) EVLN(Win a EV that is exempt from UK congestion charge)
by Bruce EVangel Parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
3) EVLN(Phoenix Motorcars EV takes to Ojai streets)
by Bruce EVangel Parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
4) EVLN(Ford Ranger EV ticketed for leaving motor running)
by Bruce EVangel Parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
5) EVLN(Solar EVs in American Solar Challenge 7/13-23 Chicago to LA)
by Bruce EVangel Parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
6) EVLN(Key West GEM renters drive on designated streets)
by Bruce EVangel Parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
7) EVLN(Stumble, Bumble, Oil and Tumble)
by Bruce EVangel Parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
8) CA ZEV parking decal
by Danny Ames <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
9) Re: Gasless on Greenwood AV.
by Ryan Fulcher <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
10) Re: Electric boat, more EV projects
by "David Chapman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
11) BART station in San Bruno CA did not put in EV charging outlets
by Danny Ames <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
12) Re: Orbital YT Wannabes NOW hi current NiCad
by Seth <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
13) fuel cells - fuel source
by "Mark Hanson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
14) Re: K&W BC-20 Charger Failure? (new email)
by [EMAIL PROTECTED]
15) Re: real time wh/mile meter?
by "John G. Lussmyer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
16) Switched capacitor battery equalizer
by Rod Hower <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
17) Re: fuel cells - fuel source
by "Mark Abramowitz"<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
18) 2003 NEDRA Power of DC Part III
by Chip Gribben <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
19) Cross country thoughts....
by "Christopher Zach" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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EVLN(NJ ZEV rules blocked by GM interests)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.c-n.com/gsbr/story/0,21421,753374,00.html
Clean car bill stalled
Published by the Gannett State Bureau 6/20/03
By PAMELA KROPF GANNETT STATE BUREAU
TRENTON -- Legislation that would require cars sold in New
Jersey to meet stricter California-like emission standards
stalled in a Senate committee Thursday, primarily due to
opposition from a senator whose district includes the
General Motors plant in Linden.
Six members of the Senate budget committee voted for the
bill, one short of the number needed to pass it. Two voted
against it -- Sen. Joseph Suliga, D-Union, and Sen. Martha
Bark, R-Burlington -- and the other four abstained.
Environmental advocates targeted their wrath at Suliga and
said opponents should think about the estimated 6,000
children who will visit emergency rooms this summer due to
the state's poor air quality.
"Sen. Smog may have won for today," said Jeff Tittel,
director of the New Jersey chapter of the Sierra Club. "But
the people of New Jersey will win in the end. We will get
cleaner air."
"This is a temporary setback, but the bill is very much
alive," said David Pringle, campaign director for the New
Jersey Environmental Federation. "The Democrats need to
steer clear of Sen. Suliga driving them down the path of
more emergency room visits by asthmatics and seniors on
oxygen."
Suliga, a member of the committee, said he was opposed due
to a lack of facts.
"(I still haven't seen a) study (showing a) significant
difference between the federal standards and California
standards," Suliga said. "There is no urgency in the matter.
We have at least six months to see what California does and
have the benefit of their experience."
After not receiving enough votes in the Senate Budget and
Appropriations Committee, the bill was subsequently held in
the Assembly Budget Committee.
Sen. Bernard Kenny, D-Hudson, one of two senators to vote
for the bill, said Suliga is trying to aggressively defend
his district, which includes Linden and Rahway in the east,
then stretches west along Route 22 into Somerset County.
"He's from Linden -- that's where cars are," Kenny said.
"He's representing his district and his constituency. That's
where a lot of his constituents are employed and he believes
this bill is harmful to his district's interests."
The automotive lobby said the bill would force automakers to
produce unmarketable cars.
"Under the California rules, automakers would be required to
sell Zero Emission Vehicles with the latest anti-pollution
technology beginning in 2006," said Michael Egenton,
assistant vice president of government relations for the New
Jersey Chamber of Commerce.
"The only ZEV around have little appeal because they are
electric cars costing $20,000 more than gasoline vehicles,"
Egenton said. "Also, the range is only 75 to 100 miles on a
four to six hour charge. You'd have to hope the Energizer
Bunny is around."
"Car dealers want to sell what people want to buy," said Jim
Appleton, president of the New Jersey Coalition of
Automotive Retailers. "(People) want hybrids. An electric
car is a glorified golf car. It won't serve New Jersey well
and isn't viable in this marketplace."
Environmentalists say the bill is the best solution to
cleaning up New Jersey's air.
They said New Jersey has worse air quality than any state,
with high levels of smog and cancer-causing air toxics 1600
times above the EPA's health standard. They said in-state
cars and trucks are the single largest source of New
Jersey's smog, 40 percent, and are responsible for 80
percent of our air toxics.
Advocates said state residents can't afford to wait any
longer to breathe clean air.
"Unfortunately, today the people of New Jersey lost a chance
to breathe a little easier and live healthier," said Senate
President John Bennett, R-Monmouth, a sponsor of the bill.
"Study after study has shown that the air we breathe is
making millions of Americans sick. We, as a state and
nation, are obviously falling short of providing the level
of protection necessary to safeguard public health."
"I'm very disappointed that it didn't get more Democratic
support. Air quality is particularly poor in urban areas,"
said Sen. Leonard Lance, R-Hunterdon. "We live to fight
another day, but New Jersey ought to be in the vanguard of
this. New Jersey has a tradition of environmental
protection, and this is one of those issues."
11 Published on June 20, 2003
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http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/homes/news/articles/5374170?source=EveningStandard
Win a luxury flat!
By David Spittles, Evening Standard 18 June 2003
Next week the Evening Standard launches its fantastic summer
win-a-home competition. The fabulous prize we are giving
away is a luxury apartment worth �270,000 in a new, small
designer development in Islington, close to Regent's Canal
and Upper Street's lively bar and restaurant scene.
[...]
There is an invaluable concierge service to keep your life
running smoothly and storage lockers in the basement. When
the development is completed, there will be a raffle and one
of the flat-owners will win an eco-friendly electric car
that is exempt from the congestion charge.
[...]
All this could be yours. It is certain to transform the life
of the lucky Evening Standard reader who wins the prize.
[...]
The developer, Goldcrest, has chosen one of London's most
fashionable locations for this scheme. It is the preferred
address of authors, QCs and celebrities. Locals include
presenters Angus Deayton and Clive Anderson, comedian Paul
Whitehouse, author Nick Hornby and singer David Gray.
Find out more about our terrific prize in next week's Homes
& Property. �2003 Associated New Media
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EVLN(Phoenix Motorcars EV takes to Ojai streets)
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http://www.staronline.com/vcs/technology/article/0,1375,VCS_129_2057683,00.html
Electric, smooth, high-end and cool
June 23, 2003
The car accelerates smoothly, almost silently, up a side
street in Ojai.
Heads turn as the electric-powered replica of a 1937 Ford
Cabriolet glides by people hustling to beat the afternoon
rain that's just beginning to fall.
Sitting low behind the steering wheel of the vintage
convertible, Dana Muscato runs a hand across his mustache
and gives his cap a tug.
This is a time warp. Muscato could be headed for a steak and
whiskey dinner at Matilija Hot Springs. Maybe a soak
afterward.
But (sigh) this is the 21st century and the old resort with
its medicinal baths has been closed for years, and the CEO
of Phoenix Motorcars Inc. [ http://PhoenixMotorcars.com ]
actually is taking a reporter on a demo ride in the
company's prototype car.
Wires dangle from the dashboard and the seats are temporary,
but the ride is comfortable, and the car simply exudes
cool.
The low hum of the motor is barely audible. Driver and
passenger converse easily without raising their voices.
"We've got about 3,000 miles on it," Muscato said. "We drive
it around Ojai, and people always stare."
Phoenix Motorcars is a privately owned company developing a
line of "environmentally sound, zero-emission vehicles that
are safe, have excellent performance and are fun to drive,"
according to its mission statement.
The Ojai company has some challenges to overcome before it
accomplishes that mission.
First, the electric car market hasn't exactly been booming.
The big auto makers have tried the electric car market with
little success. Some critics question their commitment to
electric-powered cars, but, at least, they've tried.
Low-speed Neighborhood Electric Vehicles are selling fairly
well, but not so with highway-speed electric cars.
Nonetheless, Muscato and Phoenix Motorcars Chairman Daniel
Riegert are not deterred. General Motors, Ford and the rest
of the big boys have taken the wrong approach to the
electric car market, the Ojai entrepreneurs said
Most electric cars are small, boxy and decidedly unstylish,
they point out.
Certainly, some people will buy an electric car no matter
what it looks like because it is environmentally friendly.
And others will buy a zero emission car simply for the tax
breaks.
A better and potentially much more profitable approach,
however, is to build a vehicle that is environmentally
friendly AND has plenty of style, Riegert said.
"People want these cars," Riegert said. "They want to make a
change if there is a viable alternative."
Muscato and Riegert believe their cars have the right mix of
style, power, range and environmental friendliness consumers
want, the Ojai businessmen said.
Buyers will pay a premium for the cars, though. Final prices
have not been determined, but a range of $80,000 to $100,000
is expected.
The cars, however, will qualify for state and federal
incentive programs that could cut the cost by $15,000 to
$30,000 with various grants and tax breaks, Muscato said.
Prototypes of the company's 1930s era cars are attracting
attention. Dozens of individual buyers have expressed
interest in the cars. And, Electricab LLC, a Sacramento
company that plans to operate a fleet of battery-powered
taxis, has ordered 80 cars, Riegert said.
Electricab official Robert Kittell confirmed an order has
been placed, but said it's too early to talk about the cab
company's plans.
Production of the first 20 electric cabs should be finished
by September, Riegert said.
The cars are powered by 28 12-volt nickle-zinc batteries,
which generate about 120 horsepower. Standard features
include disc brakes, power windows, driver- and
passenger-side airbags.
A factory-installed controller limits the top speed to 95
miles per hour. Driving range is 80 to 110 miles with a
single battery pack.
In addition to the Cabriolet, two-door sedan, coupe and
truck body styles are available.
Several options are planned, including a 200 horsepower
motor, power steering, power brakes and air conditioning.
One more future option should be very popular with drivers:a
GPS navigation system programmed to locate charging
stations.
Time will tell if Phoenix Motorcars' decision to target the
high end of the market will work.
Car buyers can be pretty picky, especially when they write a
six-figure check. But there's no question the cars have lots
of cool.
-- Roger Harris is the editor of Fast Forward. Questions,
comments and criticisms can be e-mailed to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] His phone number is 645-1050. For those
who prefer snail-mail is P.O. Box 6711, Ventura, CA 93006.
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http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2003/06/22/bsticket.htm
June 22, 2003 Traffic tickets are waiting for you
By Brendan Scott Times Herald-Record [EMAIL PROTECTED]
A $50 ticket for having one of those black plastic frames
around your license plate?
Nailed for leaving your car running while you dart into the
corner deli?
Hit with a court summons for having a beach towel-sized
American flag flying from your antenna?
Don't laugh. Those are all legit offenses under New York
state's Vehicle and Traffic Law. And the ongoing ticket
blitz controversy in the Big Apple shows the boys in blue
aren't afraid to use them.
As part of a citywide quality-of-life crackdown, police
officers have ticketed city motorists for everything from
dealer-supplied license plate frames to faded inspection
stickers to having dim headlights.
Union officials say a budget-worried City Hall has forced
cops to write 75,000 more tickets � an increase of 6.7
percent � between January and April of this year compared
with the same period last year. City police brass deny any
crackdown exists.
Still, it begs the question. Just what else can they nail us
for?
After all, more than 390,000 cars and trucks are registered
in Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties, according to the
Department of Motor Vehicles. There are 221,000 cars in
Orange alone, and the last U.S. census said folks here drive
an average of 35 minutes to work each day.
The state Vehicle and Traffic Law provides plenty of fodder
for police to scribble in their ticket books. Most motorists
are aware of laws regarding cell phones and seat belts. But
how about windows that are tinted too dark? Or improperly
located registration stickers? Or leaving your car running
with the keys in it?
A couple of years ago, Walden resident Tom Fodor became
enraged when Village of Montgomery police tried to ticket
him for leaving his Ford Ranger running outside
Copperfield's Cafe. The catch: He was using an electric car
starter. The case was eventually dropped.
And the rules keep coming. On May 1, the DMV put motorists
on notice: Driving around with one of those outdated
"Liberty" license plates can garner a $50 to $200 fine.
"If it's in the Vehicle and Traffic Law, it can be
enforced," says Sgt. Ronnie Timoner, who supervises traffic
enforcement for the state police in Orange, Rockland,
Sullivan and Ulster counties. "You're responsible to know
what's legally allowed."
There is no New York City-style crackdown going on around
here, but, in 2002, state police Troop F wrote some 85,000
tickets, including 40,000 for miscellaneous traffic
offenses, such as broken taillights and funky custom
lighting, like those illuminants some people put on their
windshield washer nozzles.
But drivers do have some wiggle room. There's simply not
enough cops to chase every excessive tint job and
smoked-license plate frame off the highway. And Big Brother
does occasionally show his soft side.
Last year, the DMV reinterpreted it's "obstruction of view"
statute to allow things like E-ZPass tags, and fuzzy dice
and graduation tassels hanging from rearview mirrors.
It comes down to common sense, says Rochester attorney
Edward Cossgrove, who chairs the trial lawyers section of
the New York State Bar Association. A government must
educate citizens in new laws before holding them
accountable, he said.
"People should know that they're breaking the law,"
Cossgrove says. "They should know why they're charged before
they are charged."
They've got tickets to write
License plate frames: There's a bit of debate on this one.
Cops in New York City recently ticketed a guy for having one
of those black plate frames that came with his car. And,
according to V&T law, the NYPD is in the right. Most police
don't go that far, though. A simple rule of thumb: Anything
covering your plate � tinting, mud, snow, even one of those
clear plastic covers � is illegal. $25 to $200 fine.
That little red Statue of Liberty? She's out of style. Since
May 1, anyone who hasn't replaced his or her Liberty plates
with Empire plates is breaking the law. $50 to $200 fine.
Fuzzy dice in the mirror?: Not illegal. A recent review of
the law excludes things like E-ZPass, small flags and
graduation tassels from the "obstruction of view" statute.
Below the radar?: Radar detectors are also kosher. That is,
unless you drive a tractor-trailer, or other commercial
vehicle. $25 to $100 fine.
Car is on, but nobody's home?: It's illegal to leave your
car running, with the keys in it, if you're not behind the
wheel. Recently, some cops have taken this to include cars
started by an automatic starter, but the law says the keys
have to be inside.
CRX or UFO?: Funny lighting, such as those red and blue
illuminates that clip onto your windshield washer nozzles,
are illegal. Basically, the law says certain color lights
can only be on certain parts of the car.
Registration sticker: If it's not in the right place � lower
driver's side windshield � it's illegal. $25 to $200 fine.
In NYC, the cops have recently ticketed folks for having a
faded sticker. But local cops don't see how the new sticker
material could fade.
Riding in the dark: If the tinting is too dark, you could
get ticketed. The law says 70 percent of the outside light
must pass through the windows. The state police at Troop F
actually have a "tint-meter" to measure it. The catch: The
rule only applies to the windshield and front side windows.
Oh yeah, anyone installing illegal tint is also breaking the
law. $25 to $200 fine.
License plates, part deux: If the DMV gives you two plates,
you've got to use two of them. $25 to $200 fine.
Record Online is proudly brought to you by the Times
Herald-Record, serving New York's Hudson Valley and the
Catskills. 40 Mulberry Street * PO Box 2046 * Middletown,
NY 10940 Telephone 845-341-1100 or 800-295-2181 outside the
Middletown, N.Y., area. Powered by THRNewMedia.com
Copyright Orange County Publications. All rights reserved.
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http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20030616/solarcar.html
Solar Car Race Revs Up for July
By Larry O'Hanlon, Discovery News
U. of Arizona's 'Turbulance'
June 19, 2003 � This July, the historic Route 66 is going to
be invaded by giant bugs, manta rays and alien spacecraft.
Or at least it'll look that way for a few days.
The strange vehicles are student-designed and built solar
electric cars on a 2,300-mile race from Chicago to Los
Angeles in the American Solar Challenge 2003,
[ http://www.formulasun.org/asc/ ] organized by the U.S.
Department of Energy. No gas stops or plugging in allowed.
"The race is an adventure in itself," said Scott Rowland,
mechanical team leader for the University of Arizona's solar
car, Turbulence.
More than 30 schools from the United States and Canada are
currently entered in the this year's July 13-23 high-tech
competition, with some bringing new designs with the latest
technology, and others just recycling their cars from the
2001 race, saving their money for future races when they can
afford to revamp their machines.
"This project cost a quarter of a million dollars," said
Rowland, of Turbulence.
Among the things that might give Turbulence the edge this
year are its specially made, low-rolling resistance Michelin
solar car tires and a solar cell array that is half
off-the-shelf solar panels and half spacecraft-quality solar
cells that are far more efficient. They also have switched
from heavy old lead-acid batteries to lighter lithium-ion
batteries and built the chassis out of tough, lightweight
carbon fiber tubing.
Cars in the race are divided into two classes, stock and
custom. The stock cars are those that use off-the-shelf
parts. The custom cars have the higher price tags, since
they use materials and technology � usually donated by
manufacturers � that are anything but ordinary.
Turbulence is a custom solar racer.
A school that is taking a different approach is Kansas State
University. "Our main plan is to race our 2001 car," said
KSU solar car team president Jay Nightingale.
The KSU team members are setting their sights on 2005 for a
introducing a totally new car, he said.
In the meantime, said Nightingale, his team hopes to make up
for what they lack in cutting-edge technology with
strategy.
"A lot of it is just racing better," he said.
That means carefully monitoring the speed of the car so the
batteries are not drained and responding to changes in
sunlight, which is the only source of power for the cars.
There's also the matter of human endurance. Solar cars are
not built for comfort.
"It can get incredibly hot inside the cockpit," said
Rowland.
But comfort is not the goal, he said. Efficiency is the
goal, and for the students working on these cars, there's no
truer test that Route 66.
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http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/6196079.htm
Posted on Sun, Jun. 29, 2003 story:PUB_DESC
GRAND STRAND TOURISM
Electric vehicle a GEM for Ocean Boulevard cruisers
By Kent Kimes The Sun News
Forget the six-pack abs, teeth whitening procedures or some
designer fragrance.
If you're looking to attract attention down on the Boulevard
this summer, try a shiny, new GEM.
No, this isn't an expensive rock. It's a Global Electric
MotorCars' Neighborhood Electric Vehicle, or GEM for short.
Key West Cruisers, open for about a month in the former
Bart's Jewelry and Collectibles storefront at Eighth Avenue
South and Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach, has a fleet of the
four-wheeled vehicles aimed at Ocean Boulevard cruisers.
Available in two- and four-seat models, the GEM (made by
DaimlerChrysler AG) looks like the result of a golf cart and
a VW Beetle mating.
"It's just like a car, only it's more fun to drive," said
Luke Fitch, whose family owns Key West Cruisers. "Most folks
are driving them up and down the strip."
The front-wheel-drive GEM is classified by the federal
government as a low-speed vehicle and doesn't exceed 25
mph.
Proponents trumpet its low maintenance, no need for gas and
no exhaust emissions. The vehicle's battery can be fully
charged in eight to 10 hours by plugging into a 110-volt
outlet.
It can also run on turf, like a golf cart.
Key West Cruisers rents to drivers older than 21 with a
valid driver's license and insurance. The company issues a
"Rules of the Road" sheet to renters, asking them to only
drive in a designated area bounded by Ocean Boulevard, Oak
Street and 21st Ave. N. U.S. 501 is a no-no.
A cruise down the Boulevard in a GEM is breezier than a
convertible, hipper than a golf cart.
And heads definitely turn.
Fellow GEM drivers honk and give each other a shout out as
they pass each other.
Other motorists don't always seem as thrilled, such as the
taxi driver who got behind a GEM on Withers Drive Friday
afternoon, honking and waving the electric vehicle to the
side of the road so he could pass.
Key West Cruisers' rental prices range from $44 an hour for
a two-seater to $198 for 24 hours for a four-seater.
The nearest authorized GEM dealership, Neuwirth Motors in
Wilmington, N.C., has a few used and new GEM cars, ranging
from $6,500 to $9,800. Contact KENT KIMES at 626-0304 or
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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http://www.planetizen.com/news/item.php?id=9798
Technology
Testing The Segway On Britain's Streets
Ryan Dilley tests the lawnmower-shaped scooter on Britain's
less-than-perfect sidewalks.
Jun 19, 2003, 02:00 pm PDT
Contributed by Abhijeet Chavan
"President Bush took a tumble when he stepped on a Segway
two-wheeled scooter last week. Could I do better than the
leader of the free world?...whizzing around an empty, flat
car park within the BBC's walls is one thing. Navigating the
pedestrians, prams, rubbish bins and discarded kebabs of
London's mean streets is quite another...the Segway's rather
unforgiving suspension system soon makes it clear
that...British pavements are in a ruinous state of
repair...The novelty value of the Segway is arguably a
stronger social lubricant that alcohol...Many liken it to
the ill-fated Sinclair C5, a three-wheeled electric car also
supposed to revolutionise personal transportation."
Full story: Can I beat George Bush on a Segway?
[ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2994858.stm ]
Source: BBC News, Jun 17, 2003.
===
Jun 17 - President Bush Falls Off A Segway
http://www.planetizen.com/news/item.php?id=9788
President Bush Falls Off A Segway
President Bush and Vice President Cheney try out the Segway
Human Transporter. Segway's inventor wants U.S. Special
Forces to use it in combat.
Jun 17, 2003, 06:00 am PDT
Contributed by Abhijeet Chavan
"A safety manual warns the Segway user to wear a helmet and
'get a friend to act as your spotter' but Mr Bush was
wearing only his tennis clothes...the nearest he had to a
'spotter' appeared to be the family dog, Spot....His foray
on the new scooter follows Vice President Dick Cheney's use
of a Segway to ride around his Washington office when his
Achilles tendon was playing up. The machine's creator, Dean
Kamen, wants to see US Special Forces troops eventually ride
Segways into battle. But machines in use around the world at
present have been mostly confined to gentle tasks such as
traversing car parks or airport check-in halls."
Source: BBC News, Jun 16, 2003.
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. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor & RE newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
=====
__________________________________
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The form to get the EV parking decal is up on the DMV site at:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg4048.htm
Thanks to Marc Geller for posting on the Think Yahoo groups.
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I and perhaps U did not see this part of the message...
>Just a SMALL correction. The trophy was for BEST IN SHOW as voted
>by the participants.-Tom True
Cause I only saw this...
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
* LP8.2: HTML/Attachments detected, removed from message *
Anyway, "Best-of-Kind" kinna sounds like out of the 6 EV's...
oO(GEM, Roadster, VW Pickup, Porsche, Sparrow, Pair of Drag Bikes) 7
oO(Not including the scooters, bikes, and Bar Stool that were there)
Out of 7 EV's it was the best? (I picked the Bar Stool ;)
Steven S. Lough wrote:
> We had a GEM N.E.V. thanks to Tom True of EV Parts. And we also had
> Rodric Wildes Ford Roadster, which by the way WON a Trophy ! A big
> trophy! for I guess Best-of-Kind. Many thanks to Rodric of EV Parts,
> and Tom for bringing the car, and all the work that went into that.
It was actually "Best of Show"!
Out of the ~400 Customs, Classics, and exotic cars there;
the Yellow Electric Roadster was voted best of show!
.oO(Thats like Eminem(Rapper) winning a Country Music Award.)
I was thrilled, though strangely not all that surprised....
Rodric was there at the roadster with Don "Father Time" Crabtree
and his drag bikes just in front of it (they ran out of room for us).
Some motor head strolled up and began grilling Don on what kind of
tranny the roadster had, thinking it was his. As Don struggled for
the answer the grease monkey continued, I believe asking about the
rear end. I was gettin a little miffed when Rodric stepped in with,
It's got a something-such differential and watcha-who-wapper tranny.
It appeared that the smart mouth recognized these particular parts
and was a little taken back. So as he stood there baffled Rodric
hit him with the "Ya, and it does a 16 second 1/4 miles.". Over
the course of the next 60 seconds the Neanderthal struggled to
integrate this apparently unbelievable information. Searching both
Rodric and Don for the slightest smile or twinge of sarcasm. "NOooo."
he proclaimed, but Rodric reassured him that it would infact, and that
it wasn't even all that fast compaired to other more "specialized"
projects. I think a wheelie pulling mazda was mentioned. After a
few more minutes of trying to get to the bottom of this EV stuff
he left seeming rather convinced. Though I don't think we have a
new EV enthusiast, I know that there is one more Joe Hot Rodder
out there that now knows the truth. I wouldn't be surprised to see
him at a NEDRA EVent, Of course probably not till fuel gets a little
harder to find.
Anyway, I wanted to congratulate Rodric once again. And
thank Don for letting me ride the little yellow drag bike.
It was a blast and now I'm itchin to get an EV Commuter Bike,
maybe I can convert my ex500 or something.
L8r
Ryan
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Myles,
Facinating post on the wetter side of EVing. I got to wondering if using a
speed reducer would help solve your and other waterborne electric
enthusiasts? I ask because I recently acquired a # of Browning Gear speed
reducers similar to what is used on low speed amusement rides, kiddie trains
and conveyers. These things are about the size of a good sized cantaloupe
with a shaft sticking out both sides and are supposedly pretty efficient.
You could probably find out more on the BG website, pretty informative site.
If you figure out what would be a good reduction ratio for you, let me know.
So far all the ones I have inventoried are 20:1 and good for approx 1 HP,
but there might be some other ranges in this batch as well that I havent
sorted yet. Regards, David Chapman.
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Just checked the new San Bruno BART station to night and they did not
install any EV charging let alone any 120 vac outlets. I saw security
driving around and pulled them over to talk to me. They said they did
not know themselves I said come your kidding, no its are first time on
the job. Oh well I said I'll drive all over the station looking for
outlets and let me know if you find anything. Couple of nice guys they
knew I was electric from the Think I was driving and one said to me that
he really thought EV charging access was a good thing.
Looks like BART needs to hear from us on this one folks.
Danny...
If intersted please contact BART:
TAKEN FROM EVDL POST AUG. 2000
On the positive side, your letter and those we received from other EV
users were directly responsible for the Board taking interest in
re-establishing an EV program at BART. We intend to have the program
in place by October 1. We are using the time between now and October 1
to get signage installed, work out enforcement details, educate BART
staff about the program, and work out any accessibility (e.g.
ADA-related) issues that BART must address. Please note that although
the memo and fact sheet propose that a permit program be implemented,
staff is discussing the possibility of not instituting a permit
program initially because of the small number of EV only spaces.
The electric vehicle program will be new to BART. I do hope we can put
together a simple, effective public access program that balances well
with BART's other access-related goals. I will be sure to send you
information on the final program details, including the location of
the EV only parking spaces as soon as they are available. Please do
contact me with any questions or comments.
Regards,
Maria Lombardo, Senior Planner [EMAIL PROTECTED]
BART, Strategic & Policy Planning
P.O. Box 12688, Mail Stop MSQ-3
Oakland, CA 94604-2688
p: (510) 287-4796
f: (510) 464-7673
Please contact Marianne Payne at (510) 464-6140 if you should have any
questions. Thomas E. Margro
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Hope the fireworks are only in the sky, not the lab. Hopefully they will
behave more like an Optima than a Saft 100.
I am eagerly awaiting the results.
Seth
Joe Smalley wrote:
>
> We have one and it has been tested to verify its capacity but we have not
> done any high current tests.
>
> Maybe it is time to test them (the 4th of July is coming up Friday.)
>
> Is it just coincidence?
>
> Joe Smalley
> Rural Kitsap County WA
> Fiesta 48 volts
> NEDRA 48 volt street conversion record holder
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Seth" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Sent: Monday, June 30, 2003 5:17 PM
> Subject: Re: Orbital YT Wannabes NOW hi current NiCad
>
> > Rich-
> >
> > You guys ever try aircraft starter NiCads? The fiber plate ones? They
> > don't do so hot for energy density, so I was wondering what they were
> > like at high current. Like a STX 600 saft, or the surplus ones? No I am
> > not shipping any wet batteries 3500 miles for you to abuse. Yet. I dunno
> > what the 14Ahr NiCads weigh, the 34's are ~32 lbs per 12V worth.
> >
> >
> >
> > Seth
> > --
> > [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >
--
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Yes all fuel cells operate on hydrogen but can have a reformer that converts
something else to hydrogen. That something else can be methanol, gas etc.
Due to the elaborate process and expensive materials, fool cells will not be
cost effective for the average consumer or realistically compete with other
forms of transportation. Corporations are just following federal dollars.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Abramowitz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Monday, June 30, 2003 6:00 PM
Subject: Re: Fuel Cell Laptop/What type of fuel will fool cells need to
become fuel cells.
> In <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, on 06/30/03
> at 12:22 PM, "Lawrence Rhodes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> said:
>
> >That is Methanol. A much better source of energy than hydrogen.
>
> I think that the fuel cell uses the methanol as the source of hydrogen.
>
> --
> -----------------------------------------------------------
> "Mark Abramowitz"<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> -----------------------------------------------------------
>
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I will check again tonight or maybe this weekend but I did have full DC
power at the terminals of the charger until I disconnect the breaker in the
car. So it would have to be inside the charger. I looked at the manual last
night and went through all that and everything I could check checked out. I
will have to disconnect all and open it up this weekend and try to see if
anything came loose.
Sorry about the email it's a new month so hopefully they reset my monthly
limit but i'm going to have to change my email address since they have a new
transfer limit since I get crushed by spam, the only legitimate email I get
is this list and that can't be 10 megs a month.
If you want cc or just email shantar42-at-yahoo-com and i'll get it.
Mark Hastings
'83 S-10 EV Blazer
www.geocities.com/evblazer
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At 10:59 PM 6/30/2003 -0700, Joe Smalley wrote:
Many older cruise control kits had a gizmo to get an electronic signal
from
the cable to run the cruise control electronics.
All the ones that I ever saw used a magnet and sensor off the driveshaft,
NOT the speedo cable.
--
John G. Lussmyer mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Dragons soar and Tigers prowl while I dream.... http://www.CasaDelGato.com
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An ex coworker from Baldor Motors and Drives stopped
buy for the weekend. He switched jobs and is now
working at the University of Illinois. One of his
projects is developing an interesting battery
equalizer.
You can see the concept at the Patent office.
http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html
5,710,504
Unlike many of the other balancers this system
does not shuttle overcharge current to a resistor.
I would like to get some feedback from the
balancing guru's on the list.
Thanks,
Rod
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In <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, on 07/01/03
at 08:24 AM, "Mark Hanson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> said:
>Yes all fuel cells operate on hydrogen but can have a reformer that
>converts something else to hydrogen.
Exactly.
>Due to the elaborate process and expensive materials, fool cells will
>not be cost effective for the average consumer or realistically compete
>with other forms of transportation.
For now. But fuel cells are being developed for other uses. Down the
street from me, a hospital is using a fuel cell to provide energy, and
other commercial uses are in development and close to becoming comercially
viable.
>Corporations are just following federal dollars.
I'm not sure that's true. A lot of companies have put lots of money into
development of fuel cells on their own.
--
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Mark Abramowitz"<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
-----------------------------------------------------------
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This year's race wouldn't have been possible without our sponsors,
contributors and all the volunteers who helped pull this race together.
And of course the visitors and EV enthusiasts who came out to watch.
SPONSORS
KTA Services
EV Parts
Manzanita Micro
Megawatt Motorworks
EVA/DC
KTA Services has always been there with us from the beginning with their
advice and support so we really appreciate their help this year.
Same with EV Parts. Our first race they helped us out and donated some
shirts and was one of our main sponsors.
Manzanita Micro was a big help this year as well. Rich has been great with
his advice on the generator and charging so this year his sponsorship helped
with our generator rental.
Megawatt Motorworks is new this year and provided some cool new books for
some of our winners. You'll be hearing more about Megawatt Motoworks soon.
The club members of EVA/DC, who rented trailers and dollies to get member's
cars to the track and helped to set up our registration area and take
videos.
CONTRIBUTORS
Our contributors helped out with ads in our programs or provided donations
for door prizes.
Bad Fish Engineering - T-shirts
Metric Mind Engineering - program ad
Vanner Incorporated - program add
Flexcar - carsharing membership
SkooterCommuter - scooters
Virginia Solar Council - program ad
Battery Warehouse - program ad
Advanced Energy and Lighting - program ad
Charlie Garlow - Auranthetic Scooter, solar car kit
Jerry Asher - t-shirts
SEVICES
Dotties Trophies - Trophies
Captial Rental - Generator
Tasty-Ts - t-shirts
POWER OF DC STAFF
Chip Gribben - 2003 Event Coordinator, t-shirt design, program layout and
design and the website
Monica Gribben - Race Registration, t-shirt sales and timeslip recording
Wallace Rumbarger - Media Coordinator
Charlie Garlow - Advertising
Gregory Crabtree - Video
Tom Sigman - Generator and Power
Gary Sumner - Printing
Greg Pokorny - Digital photography, 2001 and 2002 Event Coordinator
Rob Neighbor - Digital photography
Bryan Murtha - Awards
Dave Davidson - Transportation
Jeff Silva - Set up, food and drinks
AND MORE . . .
Jenny and Jake Gribben - door prizes and awards presentation
Hugh Gribben - truck
Phil Pollack - car trailer
Mark Hanson - Video
Chris Cason -Video
Last but not least we'd like to thank Cathy and Elmer of the Mason-Dixon
Dragway who has been very accommodating to us for the past three years.
NEXT UP, THE RACING . . .
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The run to Hagerstown for the Power of DC was interesting. My first thought
of course was to try and have the car towed. Unfortunately I didn't have a
car capable of towing a 4,000lb Prizm, and a professional tow was out of the
question. I could have signed on to be taken up by a car carrier, but it's a
long drive to my house, and I really didn't want to inconvenience anyone.
So I decided to give a drive a try. Mapquest showed that it would be a 45
mile run from my house to Frederick, then another 30 miles to the race
track. Problem was that I had never taken the car over 42 miles (and that
would cause the E-meter to go to 20%), and it was a hilly run to Frederick.
West of Frederick the road (70) goes over the first of the Appalachain
mountatins, with some pretty steep grades along the way.
It was pretty obvious that I would never make 75+ miles on a single charge,
so I needed someplace along the way to fill up. Fortunately I could take the
MagneCharger which can put about 6,000 watts per hour into the pack. So a 2
hour stopover would peak the pack, assuming I could find a place to plug in.
In checking around I could not find a campground anywhere close to 70 and
FDK. So I figured I was stuck. Then Dave G suggested I try the Battery
Warehouse in FDK. I called them, sopke to the manager and he had no problem
with me popping over for a charge. They had a nice "Dryer outlet" so I could
do 220. I arranged to be there by 10, and thanked him profusely.
For the return trip, the plan was to borrow a 6,000 watt generator and
charge on the road. With these steps I would arrive at the track with an
empty pack, fill up at the track, then drive home.
Things didn't quite work out as planned. Rule #1: Be flexible.
Sunday morning dawned with me tired from a hamburger party at the house. We
packed up the generator in the minivan (the chase car), bought a Crow foot
plug and a 30 amp 120/240 twist lock and headed out to Frederick. The drive
out was actually quite nice. At first I kept the speeds to 50mph, but
noticed that the car seemed happier at 60-65. Perhaps the motor programming
is just more efficient, but I was getting 250 watts per mile without a
problem. Some of the hills were a bit steep, but it was usually going
downhill, then uphill so I would build up speed on the down, then slow down
to 50 or so on the uphill.
Frederick is probably about 600 feet above Relay, so the drive out was a
slow climb uphill. Passed the 20 mile mark and realized that we were now
past the point of no return :-). Pressed on.
At about the time the E-meter went to 20% (one flashing red bar) we pulled
off 70 and into the garage of the Battery Warehouse. The car was still
pulling 285-290 volts at 60 amps, so the batteries were nowhere near flat.
Then I looked at the plug.
50 amp, 250 volt. Drat, did not have a plug for it. And it was 10:15
already.
Ran out to Home depot in the minivan. Grabbed the only 50amp plug and put it
on the end of the extension cord on the way back. Plugged in, MC didn't
start up.
*Drat*
Checked the voltage: Good. Checked the wiring: Good. Checked the MC; the
breaker had tripped from being bounced around in the minivan. Reset the
breaker and plugged the paddle in.
18.6 amp charge. Good. However by this time it was 10:50am, and the shop
closed at noon.
Was going to be close :-)
So charge we did. Talked to the owner for awhile, really nice guy. Since he
had no clue as to how much power I was really using we agreed on $20 for his
time and the use of the outlet. He actually didn't seem to have much of a
problem with it, and we talked for awhile about putting an outside outlet in
(his suggestion)
That would be *very* nice. I wonder if it would be worth funding: A charging
station at Frederick would allow Baltimore EV's access to that whole region,
as well as the ones based in Gaithersburg. Heck, with a station in FDK I
could drive up there, then down to Gaithersburg to charge at someone's
house. Like Johnny Appleseed; puting in little EV plugs around the
region.Any thoughts on a little locked box with a 30 amp outlet inside?
Attached to a meter so the owner could bill.... well, someone. I doubt it
would be that much actually but someone would have to be responsible (hm.
Maybe me)
Anyway, at 12:10 I ran out of time and had to disconnect. 24 amps were back
in the pack; would be a tight ride to the track. So off we went.
As soon as we got out of Frederick I noticed a problem on the highway. I
must have a flat; the road seems level but the car is pulling over 100 amps;
now 150 just to keep up at 65mph. So I pulled over and checked. Nope all the
tires were fine. I then realized that I was on the side of a mountain,
climbing fast. They put an extra lane in for trucks; this is why.
Going up steep hills can be an illusion. There were times when I felt I was
going downhill, but the E-meter still showed a drain. The extra lane would
go away at the top of a climb, so I knew that if there was an extra lane I
was climbing. I think the illusion is after you have started a straight
climb you think that up hill is "level" and less of a grade is going "down".
But the E-meter does not lie to you.
So I pulled back onto the road and just powered up the hill. Peak draw was
150 amps; I can take it up to 200 so I was running 75% of max power. Still,
it was a climb. Then at last we hit the peak. And started going down.
You know you're going down because the regen kicks in. 30 amps of regen and
the car was still picking up speed. So I kicked the car into 2nd "gear" (35%
regen power as opposed to D which has I think 10%). The car kept at 65, but
the regen current went to 80 amps. And stayed there. It's a good thing I am
not using gel cells; I'm not sure how well they would take a 40 amp charge.
But the Hawkers are rated to accept whatever you can put in them (up to a
certain voltage) so regen we went.
Picked up a few amps before we finally bottomed out. After that we were in
the valley, and it was a mostly flat run to the 66 south exit. Once there I
pulled over and waited for the dad to catch up in the van, then proceeded to
the track under power. Just hit the 20% mark on the E-meter as we pulled in.
Next thought: Charging at the track, or bring lots of plugs or a screwdriver
:-)
Chris
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