EV Digest 4036
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) Re: conversion body modifications
by Victor Tikhonov <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
2) Battery Packs
by Gnat <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
3) Re: Importing an EV?
by Victor Tikhonov <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
4) Re: Flexcharging NiCad. Smarts a bad boy doesn't have.
by "Lawrence Rhodes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
5) Re: conversion body modifications
by Adam McLeod <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
6) Re: Backdoor Politics
by "Jay's peoplestar account" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
7) EVLN(George Clooney orders a Tango EV)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
8) 400 amp DC breaker
by Jeff Shanab <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
9) EVLN(Activists protest Ford Jr's EV policies)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
10) Re: EVLN(George Clooney orders a Tango EV)
by Brad Waddell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
11) Re: geared bike hubs
by Martin K <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
12) EVLN(Th!nk 'Public' EV 12k, launch later this year)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
13) Re: New Beetle EV Conversion Update
by Victor Tikhonov <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
14) test ignore
by Danny Ames <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
15) Re: INDUSTRIAL REMOTE CONTROL SYS
by "John Reinkens" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
16) Re: INDUSTRIAL REMOTE CONTROL SYS
by "John Reinkens" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
17) Re: EVLN(George Clooney orders a Tango EV)
by Lonnie Borntreger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
18) Ford Ranger EV Drivers Resist Repossession
by Danny Ames <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
19) Re: EVLN(George Clooney orders a Tango EV)
by John Wayland <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
20) Re: conversion body modifications
by David Dymaxion <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
21) Re: EVLN(George Clooney orders a Tango EV)
by Rod Hower <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
22) test
by "a.k. howard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
23) test ignore
by "Roderick Wilde" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
24) EVLN(Seed money that should have been better spent on highway EVs)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
25) EVLN(hybrids are a big deal for Optima Bus Company)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
26) EVLN(Toyota hybrids made in the USA)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
27) EVLN(REVA for sale in JP)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
28) EVLN(Feds stall Feinstein hybrid hov bill)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
29) RE: Coilovers for Ghia's, bugs, was Batts in Ghia's,
by "Steve Marks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
--- Begin Message ---
I did this, belly pan is useful not only to reduce drag butto keep
underhood clean and road water free. Easy to make but may be hassle
to install if you don't have access to a grease pit. Fortunately
you don't do it routinely.
Sealing off radiator intake area is questionable to me.
IT certainly does not reduce frontal area, and total
drag is Area*Cd (accurate enough for practical purposes).
If an air goes around sealled fff radiator OR gets through the
grill and exhausted elsewhere, the difference may be so
minimal (Ah wise) that may not worth the effort.
Besides, if you need air to cool off stuff, the grill
must remain unsealed.
Victor
John O'Connor wrote:
Experienced EV converters (or others with an opinion.)
In planning the conversion of my truck I have been reading Convert It
and Build your own electric vehicle. In build you own..., the author
discusses the reductions in the coefficient of drag possible by sealing
off the engine compartment.
Do many converters do this, and if so how?
John O'Connor
He with ICE parts littering the garage floor in Sacramento, California.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Hi
I'm sure this has been beat to death here but I wanted to make sure
I'm going down the right road on battery packs.
I'm looking at using 2 paralleled 96V battery packs. 24x 8volts
The car/truck is going to be built around the battery packs and really
is more or less a glorified dune buggy or Jeep. I've found something
on-line at www.tomcar.com and look at the Tour model. It will give an
idea of the idea anyway. Put a Jeep Liberty front end on it and you'd
be close to the end product.
I'm planning on using 8v cart batteries to maximize plate area per pound.
I need to be able to hit and maintain about 55mph with reasonable acceleration
and maintain that speed for 5-10 miles max. That is about my longest trip I
take
with my Bronco II unless I am heading out of town. The majority of driving
has to be
30mph and under 3miles. As long as I can merge with traffic and not worry
about
being too slow to accelerate it will be fine. While the odd smokey burnout
would
be fun, don't really need to. I am driving a Bronco II which is made by
Ford not Ferrari
so I'm used to somewhat glacial acceleration ;-]
I'm hoping for 50-75 miles range plus. This is going to be at city speeds ie 30
not highway. The farther the better of course.
Now as far as I understand going to a higher volt pack would give me a
higher top
end. Using a paralleled pack should give me better acceleration from more
available
amps or longer range.
Any suggestions on a better battery pack setup for better range verse speed or
acceleration? I can't see there being a do all setup but what is the best
compromise.
Thanks
Dave
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
You can import them for private use; hassle but doable.
You cannot import them as a dealer to re-sale.
Victor
David Roden (Akron OH USA) wrote:
On 16 Jan 2005 at 19:05, Dave Davidson wrote:
Try importing a production EV
from Europe, such as a Pugeot 101 Electric, or Citreon Saxo Electric or a
Renault electric pickup (pardon my spelling). Can't be done.
It's certainly difficult, but I'm not so sure about "can't." A member of the
Eastern Electric Vehicle Club in PA quite some years ago imported a Kewet
for his own use. I don't know what the process was, but he was successful.
I'm fairly sure that he had to agree never to sell it. When he decided he was
finished with it, he donated it to a museum.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Is their method good? They say they have charged NiCad packs before and
know the difference between NiCad types of batteries. Lawrence Rhodes......
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe Smalley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2005 11:19 AM
Subject: Re: Flexcharging NiCad. Smarts a bad boy doesn't have.
No. You need a resistor, variac, inductor, capacitor bank, or some other
current control method. They only turn on or turn off based on the pack
voltage. They do not limit the current.
Joe Smalley
Rural Kitsap County WA
Fiesta 48 volts
NEDRA 48 volt street conversion record holder
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lawrence Rhodes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Electric Vehicle Discussion List" <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2005 8:27 AM
Subject: Flexcharging NiCad. Smarts a bad boy doesn't have.
Seems this Controller could take the bad boy output and civilize
it.....Am
I
hoping for too much. These guys are near Lee Hart. Lee got your ears
on.
Lawrence Rhodes....
Our charge control will work with most sources as long as it is within
the amperage range of the controller. An NCHC60/48 would be a 60 amp
max. 48 volt controller. The price is $233.00 plus freight of $10.00 or
less. The controller will let the battery voltage of ( in your case) 40
cells, rise to 62 volts and then turn off and let the voltage drop to
about 55 volts and turn back on again. We don't regulate the incoming
voltage or amperage but watch the battery voltage very close. Even
though you are monitoring only 40 cells you can pass a higher voltage
through the switching contactor so you are able to charge any number of
cells you want to up to the capacity of your charge source. Flooded
cell NiCad's can usually be charged by voltage monitoring with no
problem. Dry sealed NiCad's are a completely different story and our
control will not work on them.
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Web Site www.flexcharge.com
Lawrence Rhodes
Bassoon/Contrabassoon
Book 4/5 doubler
Electric Vehicle & Solar Power Advocate
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
415-821-3519
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
On Mon, 2005-01-17 at 17:12, Victor Tikhonov wrote:
> Sealing off radiator intake area is questionable to me.
> IT certainly does not reduce frontal area, and total
> drag is Area*Cd (accurate enough for practical purposes).
Sealing off the rad will not change the frontal area, but it will change
the Cd. I'm not sure what the truck is that original poster is
converting, but sealing the grill area flush to the front of the hood
and headlights there may be a fairly significant advantage to the feel
of the truck at speed and to the drag.
Adam.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Yup, I agree it's best to keep the politics to a minimum in items posted
to the EV discussion list. There has been a little too much politics
leaking into the list in my opinion, given the diverse nature of the
participants in the EV list. A safe rule to follow when posting a
message is that it should be *not possible* to determine whether the
author of a message is conservative or liberal from the text.
Proofread your messages before sending. If it is clear that the message
says "written by a liberal" or "written by a conservative", think hard
before sending it.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(George Clooney orders a Tango EV)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.realitytvworld.com/index/articles/story.php?s=1001284
George Clooney buys British electric car
Falk AdSolution UPI News Service, 01/16/2005
U.S. film star George Clooney is adding an $84,000 electric car
to his collection of cars and motorcycles, the London Sun reported.
Clooney, 43, has ordered the Tango, an eco-friendly vehicle, from
the British firm Prodrive.
The two-seater, which can reach speeds of 100 mph, is 39 inches
wide, eight feet long and has to be charged each night.
Prodrive is customizing a Tango for Clooney, known for his Harley-
Davidson motorcycles.
"It will be sent to Los Angeles in a couple of weeks," a company
spokesman told the London Sun.
-
=====
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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--- Begin Message ---
Is this big enough for a system with a zilla 1k and 25 orbitals, oops
180V, thats a no go ?
is 180V 400 amp looked at as 72Kw and therefore 300V at 240A or 120V at
600 amp?
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--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Activists protest Ford Jr's EV policies)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=2814759
SACRAMENTO Drivers of two electric-powered Ford Ranger pickup
trucks
are vowing to remain at a Capitol-area Ford dealer until the Ford
Motor Company allows them to buy their vehicles.
They say Ford wants them to turn in the leased vehicles so they can
be destroyed.
The drivers from Pomona and Mariposa County say their 1999 pickups
require no fuel, cost almost nothing to maintain and spare the
nation
from dependence on foreign oil.
But Ford says it's calling them in because the company's focus has
shifted to hybrid vehicles.
The Rangers are among 15-hundred leased by Ford to comply with
requirements that 5 percent of cars made for California by 2001
have
zero emissions.
That requirement has since been suspended.
Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
-
=====
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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--- Begin Message ---
I was not sure if this was public information when I was told about
this, guess it is now! George has not even seen or driven the Tango,
but he is getting a rush delivery of the vehicle this month, delivered
personally by the company owner. Great news for the future of EV's,
Clooney drives electric carts at all of his movie sets and likes to
show off, this will be a great year for EV's!
brad
On Mon, 17 Jan 2005 16:33:38 -0800 (PST), bruce parmenter
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> EVLN(George Clooney orders a Tango EV)
> [The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
> informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
> --- {EVangel}
> http://www.realitytvworld.com/index/articles/story.php?s=1001284
> George Clooney buys British electric car
> Falk AdSolution UPI News Service, 01/16/2005
>
> U.S. film star George Clooney is adding an $84,000 electric car
> to his collection of cars and motorcycles, the London Sun reported.
>
> Clooney, 43, has ordered the Tango, an eco-friendly vehicle, from
> the British firm Prodrive.
>
> The two-seater, which can reach speeds of 100 mph, is 39 inches
> wide, eight feet long and has to be charged each night.
>
> Prodrive is customizing a Tango for Clooney, known for his Harley-
> Davidson motorcycles.
>
> "It will be sent to Los Angeles in a couple of weeks," a company
> spokesman told the London Sun.
> -
>
> =====
> Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
>
> ' ____
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> '@----- @'---(=
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> . (originator of the above ASCII art)
> =====
>
>
> __________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! Mail - now with 250MB free storage. Learn more.
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>
>
--
Brad - voice mail: 703-935-7647
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
spidercats wrote:
Try this,
60 (MPH) = (Engine revs x wheel radius including tyre) / ( final gear
ratio x 168)
Hence 60 mph = ( 3500revs x 12.0) / (A x 168)
A = 42000 / 168
-----------
60
A = 4.16
Thus to make 60 mph @ 3500 revs per minute would require a reduction of
4.16:1
final gear ratio is the product of all gear ratios in use IE: Primary
and secondary reduction from the motor plus the transmission. You could
calculate backwards from there substituting in your known reduction IE
3:1. Why are you reducing the effective output speed of the motor
before the transmission anyway... isn't that just wasting wattage?
Matt G
Think "bicycle" :)
Max speed required = 25MPH
Abs. max motor power is around 700 watts and max RPM is probably 3600 so
I want a good reduction so I have some torque on the wheel:
A = (3600*12)/(25*168) = 10
Again, it's AC and the current limit is ~25 amps.
--
Martin K
http://wwia.org/sgroup/biofuel/
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Th!nk 'Public' EV �12k, launch later this year)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.autoindustry.co.uk/news/industry_news/news-57g3p3cnam
Th!nk Nordic launches new electric car
14th January 2005
The Norwegian electric city car manufacturer saved in 2003 by a new
Swiss owner from closure by former owner Ford has developed a new
Th!nk Public model.
Th!nk Public, due for launch later this year, is a four-seater with
a maximum speed of just 30mph, intended mainly for passengers
transferring from airports and stations to city centres.
An automated charging system is to allow each occupant to pay for
use according to the distance he/she has covered. Th!nk Nordic
hopes
to sell around 5,000 units a year across Europe, at a price of
around �12,000. Th!nk is now a subsidiary the Swiss Kamkorp
Microeletronics, and employ 60 people. (Source: CCFA)
-
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--- Begin Message ---
Don,
Why would you want to attach anything to the exhaust port?
To work properly the exhaust port itself should not be under
vacuum, so you could glue in a small plastic tube inside the
port hole and route it out through the wall of the box.
Vacuum is indeed a good sound insulator
However, MES pumps are already so quiet (acoustically) that
you only can hear it while not in motion. Most of the noise
will come from a vibration of the surface the pump is attached
to, not from the exhaust port. It is designed with a resonator
cavity shaped out such that the noise is canceled out.
These pumps are relatively expensive not for nothing.
Victor
--
'91 ACRX - something different
Don Cameron wrote:
Yes, Lee suggested this a while ago. Jon's Silver Cheetah
(http://jon.silvercheetah.net/bsuev/24sept.asp) has one like this as well.
I wanted to do this with the MES pump (that's what the black ABS box was
built for), but the MES pump's exhaust port is so small and has very little
plastic to be able to attach an adapter :-{
Don
Victoria, BC, Canada
See the New Beetle EV Conversion Web Site at
www.cameronsoftware.com/ev/
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of Frank Schmitt
Sent: January 17, 2005 12:06 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: New Beetle EV Conversion Update
* vacuum system installed
http://www.cameronsoftware.com/ev/EV_VacuumSystem.html
This brings to mind...is there any reason you couldn't hide the vacuum pump
*inside* a vacuum reservoir? If you muffled the output and isolated it
mechanically, the vacuum itself should help quiet things down a bit.
-Frank
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Test ignore.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
I'm new to the list; my background is industrial contol systems. I've
worked an everything from wired to wireless controls. What is the I/O and
what type of communications are you looking for?
KJR
----- Original Message -----
From: "SCOTT O'QUINN" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Electric Vehicle Discussion List" <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2005 8:48 AM
Subject: INDUSTRIAL REMOTE CONTROL SYS
> Has anyone on the list had any experience with remote control equipment
?
> we are trying to modify a smell piece of equipment to run remotely with
a
> CATTRON controller but we can't come up with controller actuator setup to
> control the hyd . ANY help would be appreciated .
> SCOTT
>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
The KOYO DL06 from Automation Direct could be a low cost alternative, it has
quite a list of options along with some base discrete I/O. The programming
is not extremely difficult, using the hand held programmer or a PC with
DirectSoft.
KJR
----- Original Message -----
From: "larry_cindy.balogh " <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2005 8:54 AM
Subject: Re: INDUSTRIAL REMOTE CONTROL SYS
> One option would certainly be PLC's. They have become fairly inexpensive
recently. $100-200. They can be easily programed to respond to low voltage
inputs. Allen Bradley's Micrologix is toward the top of the scale, but, has
free software for programming. Direct builds one cheaper. Check with your
local community college if programming it yourself seems too intimidating!
Balogh
>
> ---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
> From: "SCOTT O'QUINN" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Reply-To: [email protected]
> Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2005 08:48:23 -0800
>
> > Has anyone on the list had any experience with remote control equipment
?
> > we are trying to modify a smell piece of equipment to run remotely with
a
> > CATTRON controller but we can't come up with controller actuator setup
to
> >control the hyd . ANY help would be appreciated .
> > SCOTT
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________________________________________
> Sent via the WebMail system at kendra.com
>
>
>
>
>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
On Mon, 2005-01-17 at 16:33 -0800, bruce parmenter wrote:
> Clooney, 43, has ordered the Tango, an eco-friendly vehicle, from
> the British firm Prodrive.
OK. I'm confused. I thought the Tango was built in the States.
Lonnie Borntreger
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
http://yubanet.com/artman/publish/article_17127.shtml
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Hello to All,
Lonnie Borntreger wrote:
> On Mon, 2005-01-17 at 16:33 -0800, bruce parmenter wrote:
> > Clooney, 43, has ordered the Tango, an eco-friendly vehicle, from
> > the British firm Prodrive.
>
> OK. I'm confused. I thought the Tango was built in the States.
>
> Lonnie Borntreger
Rick Woodbury has been in England for some time now, setting up the agreement
with
Prodrive to build the production versions of Tango. He recently called me from
there when
we had discussions about changes to the car's sound system that I originally
designed and
worked on.
See Ya.....John Wayland
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Race cars make the radiator opening as small as they can to reduce
aero drag.
=====
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--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
I thought Rick Woodbury is the creator of the Tango?
Isn't he in CA?
--- bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> EVLN(George Clooney orders a Tango EV)
> [The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public
> EV
> informational purposes. Contact publication for
> reprint rights.]
> --- {EVangel}
>
http://www.realitytvworld.com/index/articles/story.php?s=1001284
> George Clooney buys British electric car
> Falk AdSolution UPI News Service, 01/16/2005
>
> U.S. film star George Clooney is adding an $84,000
> electric car
> to his collection of cars and motorcycles, the
> London Sun reported.
>
> Clooney, 43, has ordered the Tango, an eco-friendly
> vehicle, from
> the British firm Prodrive.
>
> The two-seater, which can reach speeds of 100 mph,
> is 39 inches
> wide, eight feet long and has to be charged each
> night.
>
> Prodrive is customizing a Tango for Clooney, known
> for his Harley-
> Davidson motorcycles.
>
> "It will be sent to Los Angeles in a couple of
> weeks," a company
> spokesman told the London Sun.
> -
>
>
>
>
> =====
> Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
>
> ' ____
> ~/__|o\__
> '@----- @'---(=
> . http://geocities.com/brucedp/
> . EV List Editor, RE & AFV newswires
> . (originator of the above ASCII art)
> =====
>
>
>
> __________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! Mail - now with 250MB free storage. Learn
> more.
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>
>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
test
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.7.0 - Release Date: 1/17/2005
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--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Seed money that should have been better spent on highway EVs)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/business/stories/050112mti_grants.shtml
Wednesday, January 12, 2005 MTI approves 25 proposals for funding
By From staff reports, Copyright � 2005 Blethen Maine Newspapers
Inc.
The Maine Technology Institute announced its first round of grants
for 2005, with funds going to projects ranging from devices that
measure sunlight to Nigerian dwarf dairy goat yogurt.
In its 23rd round of funding, the MTI board of directors approved
25
out of 59 proposals and awarded more than $230,000, with company
matches of more than $340,000.
"This is the largest amount of proposals we've received since
offering these grants six times a year," said Janet Yancey-Wrona,
director of the state Office of Innovation, which oversees MTI.
"It's also exciting to see so many new proposals. Our outreach
efforts continue to pay off."
MTI seed grants range from $1,000 to $10,000 per project and are
offered on a competitive basis to support early activities for
product development, commercialization or business planning and
development. A company may only be awarded up to $25,000 in seed
grants for a specific project.
Projects receiving funding in the latest round:
[...]
# Alteva Inc. of Orono will conduct preliminary research for the
development of a neighborhood electric vehicle to be manufactured
in Maine and sold in the United States and abroad. The funding
will support development of an engineering design that will
specify all parts and systems that will be installed on the
vehicle.
[...]
Copyright � Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
-
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EVLN(hybrids are a big deal for Optima Bus Company)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.kansas.com/mld/eagle/business/10655448.htm
Posted on Sun, Jan. 16, 2005
Hybrids could fuel Park City busmaker
Optima Bus Corp. is planning the first hybrid-electric vehicle of
its
kind and, area officials hope, creating jobs outside the aircraft
industry.
BY CARRIE RENGERS The Wichita Eagle
Economic development leaders are touting the need to diversify the
Wichita-area economy, and they think they found one way to do it
with
Optima Bus Corp. The Park City maker of trolleys, and 30-foot and
35-foot buses has its sights on manufacturing the first
commercially
viable 30-foot, low-floor hybrid-electric bus, in part thanks to
two
$100,000 loans from Sedgwick County and the Kansas Department of
Commerce.
"This is a big deal for Optima Bus Company," chief executive
Michael
Monteferrante said. "We expect sales to blossom because of it."
The company predicts $40 million in sales this year and expects
that
number to double by 2008. Monteferrante predicts that hybrid bus
sales will be 40 percent of Optima's total sales by 2009.
Optima already has added a couple of engineering-related positions
for the new hybrid buses, and expects to add 250 new employees to
its 140-employee base over the next five years. Those hires will
start in 2006.
Optima has to repay the $100,000 county loan, but the state loan
would become a grant if the hiring objectives are met.
"It's part of what we do to try and encourage the growth of
companies," said Steve Kelly, the commerce department's business
development director and deputy secretary. "We do take seriously
this idea that it's important for us to grow existing companies."
So does the county, said former County Commissioner and new state
Sen. Carolyn McGinn.
"We need to continue to nurture industries that we already have
here," she said. McGinn said she's particularly impressed with how
Optima continues to reinvent itself.
"They have a good potential for continuing to grow and expand their
business," McGinn said. "They're bringing jobs to town."
The Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition, which is made
up of county, city, state, area chamber and private business
representatives, hired a consultant to determine how the area could
diversify.
"Obviously, we're looking to diversity beyond aerospace," said Dave
Wood, vice president for economic development at the Wichita Area
Chamber of Commerce.
Wood said the consultant pointed to the automotive and technology
sectors as areas where the region could naturally expand.
"This was a fantastic opportunity," Wood said of Optima's hybrid
project.
Development of Optima's hybrid bus is a $1 million-plus venture
that Monteferrante said couldn't be done without county and state
support.
"They rapidly came on board with the logic and the understanding
and the value," Monteferrante said.
There may be other benefits besides Optima's sales and employee
growth. For instance, for its first hybrid bus, Optima transported
one of its traditional buses to San Diego, where ISE Corp. --a
supplier of hybrid-electric systems and software for large buses
and trucks -- is retrofitting it with the hybrid package. But for
future buses, Optima will buy the hybrid parts -- 10 different
subassemblies in all -- and build the entire bus here. And
eventually, some of the hybrid parts manufacturing could move to
Wichita.
"There is a possibility that one or more of those subassemblies
could be manufactured in Kansas," said Michael Simon, ISE's
chairman.
He likes the geographically central location of Kansas. Optima
officials point out the cheaper cost of doing business here,
particularly for labor.
Simon said: "The Optima operation could be a catalyst for us to
expand our company's presence in the Midwest and in Kansas in
particular."
Why buy hybrids?
Optima will sell its hybrid buses for more than $400,000,
compared with $275,000 for gasoline- and diesel-fueled buses.
So why would anyone buy one?
For starters, Optima officials say, there's a 25 percent to 50
percent fuel savings over the 12-year, 500,000-mile life of the
bus.
"It's very important that... the United States become
energy-independent," Simon said. As technology advances, the
hybrid buses could be upgraded to use hydrogen or other
technology, he said, and be even less fuel-dependent.
"That can completely eliminate our dependence on foreign oil,"
Simon said.
Hybrid technology is gaining popularity, he said, because
lower emissions make it environmentally friendly.
"It's becoming very rapidly a nationwide trend," he said. "For
society at large, (it's) a good investment."
Also, Optima officials say, hybrids offer the advantage of
quicker pickup for drivers because electricity provide sinstant
torque, and with it, faster acceleration. With diesel engines,
there's a lag before the torque gets built up. In some cases,
hybrids can be quieter inside and out, they say.
Simon expects hybrid fuel economy to rise as technology
advances. He said production costs should lower, too.
"It's important for companies like Optima to get in on the
ground floor," Simon said. "Optima will be at the top of the
heap in 10 to 20 years when this really, really takes off."
Without hybrid technology, Monteferrante said, "our competition
will
eat us up."
He said it's estimated that in 2005, more than 300 hybrid buses
will
be manufactured -- most being 40-foot buses. That's out of 6,000
buses, ranging from 27 to 40 feet, that will be sold by seven
companies in the transit market.
Optima expects its hybrid prototype to be ready by April. Then it
will undergo testing and travel to trade shows and various West
Coast states, where hybrids are especially popular. The company
hopes to simultaneously test its new hybrid bus and win customers.
It already has several interested buyers.
"Optima's not just sitting and waiting for something to happen and
hoping that it will be good," the chamber's Wood said. "They
actually
go out and make good things happen."
-
=====
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--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Toyota hybrids made in the USA)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0501/12/A01-58097.htm
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Toyota pledges to add factories, jobs in U.S.
By Christine Tierney / The Detroit News
Toyota Motor Co.p. plans to build more factories in North America,
create more jobs and buy more local components in a bid to become a
fully domestic player, Toyota CEO Fujio Cho said Wednesday.
"We will not stop in our efforts to be a good corporate citizen in
North America," Cho said at the North American International Auto
Show.
He made the remarks as the Japanese giant's global sales edge
closer to those of General Motors Corp., the No. 1 automaker for
more than 70 years.
Toyota aims to sell 8.5 million vehicles globally in 2006, while
GM's sales have slipped from a 2001 peak of 8.59 million.
Toyota has invested more than $17 billion in North America, where
it can build 1.7 million vehicles, and it employs more then 36,000
people.
It is opening a factory next month in Mexico, building a truck
plant in Texas and already has more growth plans.
Toyota also wants to assemble a gas-electric vehicle locally.
Cho said a model and site would be chosen by mid-year.
-
=====
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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EVLN(REVA for sale in JP)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050110/asp/business/story_4234606.asp
Reva powered for Japan run RAJA GHOSHAL
New Delhi, Jan. 9: The Reva, India�s low-cost electric car, is all
set to enter the Japanese market.
The Reva, made by Bangalore�s Maini industrial group, will be
exported to Japan as an eco-friendly product.
The Japanese government has agreed to provide a subsidy of $2,600
for each car. Three models, which will be sold there, will be
priced
between $12,000 and $13,500, or 1.29 million yen and 1.49 million
yen.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Reva Electric Car Co deputy chairman
Chetan Kumar Maini said, �The models were now being showcased at
the
Osaka Auto Show. Car lovers are quite enthusiastic about them. The
subsidy will be given to customers directly by the Japanese
government on purchasing the car.�
Reva Electric has appointed Takeoka Autocraft as its distributor to
market the Reva in select Japanese cities. Maini said, �The Reva
will be positioned in the small and mid-sized car segments and
promoted as an ideal alternative environmental vehicle to
gasoline-based passenger cars.�
Reva can be described as a two-door hatchback. It can seat two
adults in
front and two children at the back. It uses 9 units of electricity
for a
single full charge that gives a mileage of 80 kilometres in
city-driving
conditions.
At home, the Reva, which is priced between Rs 2.6 lakh and Rs 3.2
lakh,
has a presence in Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Bangalore. The
variations
in the car�s prices are not only based on embellishments but also
on the
road tax imposed by some states. The EEC-certified Reva is
available in
three variations � standard, AC and Classe. However, the company
did not
disclose the number of cars it has sold so far.
The Reva has been exported to Nepal, Malta, Hong Kong and China.
The
price is approximately one-third of that of a similar electric
vehicle.
According to the company, it is one of the reasons for the car�s
appreciation in the international market.
-
=====
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Feds stall Feinstein hybrid hov bill)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.sacbee.com/content/business/auto/story/11966414p-12847427c.html
Feinstein to sponsor hybrid car bill By Tony Bizjak
Published 2:15 am PST Saturday, January 8, 2005
WASHINGTON - Sen. Dianne Feinstein announced this week she plans to
introduce a bill that will allow California and other states to
permit
certain hybrid vehicles with a single occupant to use car pool
lanes.
California legislators passed a law last year allowing hybrids that
get at least 45 miles per gallon to use car pool lanes for the next
three years.
Hybrids are vehicles that have two motors, one fueled by gas, the
other a self-sustaining electric motor.
The California law cannot be implemented, however, until it gets a
federal OK, which has been stalled.
Feinstein said she hopes her bill will speed the federal approval.
-
=====
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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--- Begin Message ---
Jerry,
The shocks are Strange Engineering Double Adjustable shocks, with 200lbs
springs. While I'm confident you can get them at a better price, mine
was around $650 per pair with springs.
Steve
-------
The site describes the distribution of batteries around the vehicle in
the Current Tasks page. On the Pictures page there's a 3D model you can
rotate to get a visual on where everything goes - you'll need to
download a VRML viewer to view it but a link to a free one is supplied
on that page.
The Ghia has a four link to adjust the ride height but I'll have to look
up the information on the coilovers and get back to you.
Steve
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of jerry dycus
Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2005 4:30 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Coilovers for Ghia's, bugs, was Batts in Ghia's,
Hi Steve and All,
--- Steve Marks <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> The Ghiamonster ( http://www.ghiamonster.com ) will
> have 84 of the 11 lb
> SVR batteries in it for a total of about 924 lbs.
> We used coilovers and
> should be under 3000 lbs total for the vehicle when
> it's finally
> completed.
How much of the batts will be on the front axle?
And which Coilovers did you use?
Cost? and where did you get them? I need some
badly.
Have you put weight on them to see what the ride
height will be?
I'm using 360 lbs of batts now and want to put in
420 lbs of batts in my front and raise it a couple of
inches with coilovers but the coils I have now don't
help that much and it's dragging.
The towers are not that strong either it seems.
Hot EV!! Can't wait until you get it going. Got to
be killer fast!
Thank both you and Keith for any info on them,
jerry dycus
>
> Steve
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
> Behalf Of keith vansickle
> Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2005 6:14 PM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: Batts in Ghia's, was : Thoughts on use
> of TS cells
>
> I have a bug with 10 orbitals in the front and it
> handles just fine it has spring over shocks I have
> preped the rear to hold another 10 and will soon
> have
> this completed. the car weighs in at 1900 lbs now
> and
> will only weigh 2400 when finished the batts are all
> in. Now all i need is a zilla so it will go quicker
>
> keith
>
>
> --- jerry dycus <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> > Hi Doug and All,
> > --- Doug Weathers <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> > >>
> > > Given that I was able to fit 16 Orbitals into my
> > > Ghia, I'm sure you're
> > > correct. It was easy - eight behind the back
> seat
> > > and eight under the
> > > front hood. None in the engine bay. It remains
> > to
> > > be seen how it will
> > > handle, though. I'm hoping for the best, and
> > > treating this arrangement
> > > as temporary until proven.
> >
> > This really worries me as I use a Vw bug front
> > axle and can only put in 6 t-105's in front of my
> > 3wheeler and it still drags the ground.
> > Ghia's and bugs were designed for most weight
> in
> > the rear. I'd put some batts, at least 4, behind
> the
> > transaxle. And if you don't do this, handling will
> > stink even with helper springs!
> > HTH's,
> > jerry dycus
> >
> > >
> > > Others (John Bryan for one) have also managed to
> > fit
> > > unlikely numbers
> > > of batteries into the Karmann Ghia. John didn't
> > > worry about modifying
> > > the sheet metal on his car and preserved his
> cargo
> > > space behind the
> > > back seat, plus he was able to mount most of his
> > > batteries lower than
> > > mine.
> > >
> > > Jay Donnaway is also working to stuff lots of
> > > batteries into his Ghia.
> > > He's got a bit less room than John and I because
> > he
> > > has a convertible,
> > > but he's not afraid to get out the welder
> either.
> > >
> > > Anyway, VW Karmann Ghias have a lot of useful
> > space
> > > for stowing
> > > batteries. Pity the engine bay is so open to
> the
> > > elements, though.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > --
> > > Doug Weathers
> > > Bend, OR, USA
> > > http://learn-something.blogsite.org
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > __________________________________
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> > http://my.yahoo.com
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
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