EV Digest 4945

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) EVLN(Free Santa Cruz Electric shuttle service)
        by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
  2) EVLN(Electric 1932 Ford Roaster plans to race next spring)
        by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
  3) EVLN(ZAP XEBRA: 3 wheel nEV)
        by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
  4) EVLN(32 Ford Duce Highboy rat rod hybrid, land-speed record hybrid)
        by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
  5) EVLN(Wrightspeed X-1 EV: 112mph/11.1sec)
        by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
  6) EVLN(Weeeeeeeeeeeee! Fernbach's Skoda electric pu truck)
        by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
  7) EVLN(Electric Mitsubishi i car for Japan in 2010)
        by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
  8) EVLN(Mateja still down on EVs and still wrong about EV facts)
        by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
  9) EVLN(Airport shuts down Electric Wiki Wiki shuttles)
        by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
 10) EVLN(Nissan's first hybrid late 2006)
        by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
 11) EVLN(Venturi Fétish EV sporting Intel's WiMAX wireless data comm)
        by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
 12) EVLN(BadBoyBuggies 4wd ATV nEV: 48V 1Ka dual 15hp motor, 22mph/28mi)
        by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
 13) Re: Extra TAX on High-Milage Hybrids ?? WHAT !!
        by "damon henry" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
 14) Re: EVLN(Wrightspeed X-1 EV: 112mph/11.1sec)
        by "Christopher Robison" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
 15) RE: NAPA Floddies
        by "Myles Twete" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
 16) Re: Question about MK battery AGMs and Gel cells
        by M Bianchi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Free Santa Cruz Electric shuttle service)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2005/November/23/local/stories/02local.htm
November 23, 2005  Capitola
New mayors take over in Santa Cruz, Capitola, Watsonville
By Soraya Gutierrez  Sentinel Staff Writer

CAPITOLA — New mayors took the thrones in Santa Cruz, Capitola
and Watsonville on Tuesday.
[...]
Councilman Mike Termini will serve as the new vice mayor, filling
the vacancy left by Norton.

Termini has served one year on the council and said he looks
forward to getting the ball rolling on a free shuttle service
that would run during the summer. The electric vehicle would stop
at popular destinations including the beach, village and mall.
[...]
A ceremony for the outgoing Capitola mayor will take place at the
next regular council meeting at 7 p.m. Dec. 8 at the council
chamber in City Hall, 420 Capitola Ave.

Contact Soraya Gutierrez at [ [EMAIL PROTECTED] ]
-




Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter

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EVLN(Electric 1932 Ford Roaster plans to race next spring)
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--- {EVangel}
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=129930
Ogden Student Working to Create Electric Car
November 17th, 2005 @ 2:59pm Dina Freedman Reporting

As gas prices bounce around and the air becomes more polluted,
looking into alternative sources of power for our cars becomes
more essential. One student from Ogden has taken the initiative
to not just develop a hybrid, but a solely electric vehicle,
which he plans to race next spring.

It seems like everything is becoming more expensive: more money
for gas, more money for heat, more money to just simply live our
lives. With gas prices changing so much lately, now is an
important time to look into different ways of powering vehicles.

Brent Singleton realizes this and knows that it's time to start
cracking on some new ways to power our cars.

Brent Singleton, Student: "Since it's electric, anything that
creates some sort of energy can be your fuel source."

That's the idea behind this. It will become the first hybrid
electric 1932 Ford Roadster.

Brent Singleton: "Their idea of a hybrid vehicle is that you run
a gas motor to run electric, and then you have a little bit of
battery pack to do the rest. And this is a mainly electric motor
so you can have any fuel system on it, and on this one, it can be
anything you want it to be!"

The key here being any type of anything that creates power, such
as the wind, the sun, hydrogen or whatever else you can think of
that makes energy.

But Brent can't do this alone, that's why he's asking for help
from other students. He's received some help from the diesel
department at Bridgerland Applied Technology College; they're
putting together the body of the car, like the wheels and the
brakes.

Vern Smith, BATC Dept. Head: "It makes a lot of sense, we need
something else, let alone the emissions difference between an
electric car and a fossil fuel car. It's an important thing, I
think it's important for students. I think it's important for
everybody. Ithink we need a change."

Once other students all work together and create the rest of the
car, the next step is to make a kit so people can convert to
their own electric vehicles.

Brent Singleton: "A kit car is where you buy every part
individually. So, if you have every part off of the shelf, you
can design everything, anyway that you want. And in the end you
just buy a kit and it would go together really fast, and it would
be really inexpensive."

College and high school students are invited to participate in
this project, which eventually could break records in electric
vehicle racing next year.

If you are a student or a business that would like to get
involved with developing the 1932 Ford Roaster all Electric Car
just email Brent Singleton at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
-




Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter

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EVLN(ZAP XEBRA: 3 wheel nEV)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20051121005336&newsLang=en&amp;newsLang=en
November 21, 2005 08:00 AM US Eastern Timezone

ZAP Premieres All-Electric 'City Car' at the San Francisco
International Auto Show; ZAP Calls XEBRA(TM) the Only Production
Electric Car
San Francisco Auto Show  Booth 1030

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 21, 2005--Automotive pioneer
ZAP announced today the premiere of the nation's only production
all-electric car at the San Francisco International Auto Show,
which runs from November 19-27 at The Moscone Center in downtown
San Francisco.

ZAP has entered into a manufacturing contract with a Chinese
automaker to produce a unique car aimed at filling the need for
gas-free, all-electric cars that are practical and affordable.
ZAP Chairman Gary Starr says that the XEBRA project is the
offspring of more than three decades of thought and evolution in
electric transportation and designed to meet the needs of today's
drivers.

"We designed the XEBRA to be unlike anything else on the market,"
said Starr. "The use and purpose of electric vehicles is
different than gas cars, so the wheel did need to be invented."

ZAP calls the new XEBRA a 'City Car,' a unique design suitable
for urban, non-freeway driving. The car is ideal for households
that want a fun, inexpensive vehicle for running errands around
the city. Unlike the hybrids currently on the market in the U.S.,
the ZAP car needs no gas at all -- just plug into any
conventional outlet.

ZAP is taking advance orders on the new car. Dealers and
consumers can schedule test rides by visiting the ZAP Booth,
Number 1030, at the San Francisco Auto Show. For show times and
ticket information, visit http://www.sfautoshow.com. For
information and test rides on the XEBRA, visit
http://www.zapworld.com.

About ZAP ZAP, Zero Air Pollution(R) [...]
http://www.zapworld.com.  Cautionary Statement This press release
contains forward-looking statements.  [...]

===

[ http://www.zapworld.com/about/news/news_xebra.asp ]
-




Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter

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EVLN(’32 Ford Duce Highboy rat rod hybrid, land-speed record
hybrid)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.wsusignpost.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/11/16/437ad0e1834a6
Past meets future
By Jason Staley | managing editor  November 16, 2005

Car manufacturers blended new-car engineering with an old-school
look when Chevrolet released the SSR and Chrysler put out the PT
Cruiser and the Prowler.

But a group of Weber State University students are developing the
next major leap in blending old and new with a hybrid
gas-and-electric ’32 Ford Duce Highboy.

As their senior project for the WSU Department of Computer and
Electrical Engineering Technology, Thomas Allgood, Vincent
Dilworth and Fong Xiong are designing and building the electrical
system for the vehicle.

I’ve always been interested in electrical vehicles,” Allgood
said.

Hybrid cars are not new to WSU. Several years ago, WSU received
one of the 30 hybrid Ford Escorts donated to colleges across the
nation. After a few years and with only 2,000 miles on it, the
car was going to be scrapped. But rather than scrap the vehicle,
Bill Clapp, WSU Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering
chairman, found the car a new home.

I wanted to give it to somebody,” Clapp said.

Clapp sold the car to Kent Singleton of Washington Terrace.
Singleton and his son Brent, a WSU early college student and
Bonneville High School senior, currently hold the land-speed
record for a hybrid car using the 1992 Ford Escort.

The new ’32 Ford hybrid project is the brainchild of the
Singleton father-and-son duo.

We approached them by going to the students and asked if they
would care to do their senior project on it,” Singleton said.

Allgood and friends became interested and hopped on the project.

I found it interesting to me, so I jumped in,” Allgood said.

Part of the WSU students’ responsibility with the electrical
system is working with all of the major electrical components,
including designing and connecting the gas motor to the
electrical motor and hooking up the batteries.

The vehicle project extends beyond the bounds of WSU. Many other
schools involved in its creation include high schools, charter
schools and technical schools. Bridgerland Applied Technology
Center in Logan is building and assembling the frame, chassis and
drive train; the Ogden-Weber Applied Technology Center is doing
sheet metal work on the body; and Hunter High School is setting
up a GPS system for the car. Other schools are working on other
parts.

There is a lot of stuff out there which is not in other schools
yet,” Singleton said.

According to Singleton, he wants to have the entire vehicle built
and designed by students across the state. When all is said and
done, the ’32 Ford will be a “rat rod,” which is a 1950s style
hot rod painted with flat black primer. All of the students who
worked on the vehicle will have an opportunity to sign it.

Beyond looking good, everyone involved in the project hopes the
rat rod runs well.

We’re hoping to be able to run it at the drag races down here [at
Rocky Mountain Raceway],” Allgood said.

The WSU students are shooting toward getting the car up to 100
mph in the quarter-mile drag. In addition to racing it at RMR,
Singleton said he hopes to enter it in the April Electric Vehicle
Challenge in North Carolina.

How neat it would be for the world’s fastest vehicle to be an
alternate fuel vehicle,” Singleton said.

You can reach reporter Jason Staley by calling 626-7614.
-



Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter

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EVLN(Wrightspeed X-1 EV: 112mph/11.1sec)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.kron4.com/Global/story.asp?S=4122234&nav=5D7l
Electric Car Wins Infineon Performance Test
Posted: November 15, 2005 at 9:55 a.m.

SONOMA (KRON) -- Most people think of electric cars as slow,
ponderous things that you're lucky to do 35 mph in. Don't tell
that to one man whose purely electric car outraced a Ferrari and
Porsche at Infineon Raceway.

Ian Wright recently put his electric powered "Wrightspeed X-1" to
the test at the same raceway where the rubber burns for NASCAR
competitions. Wright says he believes eventually drivers will
choose electric cars even over hybrids.

"If you measure the energy required to drive a mile and compare
that to the energy use by the (Toyota) Prius, it's about three
times better," Wright told KRON 4's Will Nordby.

Wright concedes purely electric vehicles have drawbacks including
a maximum range of 150 miles between charging. Batteries of
expensive, but Wright says the benefits offset the limitations
for some drivers.

"I've chosen to optimize the car for performance and sell it into
the performance market," Wright said. "Technology will get a lot
cheaper, of course, with time and practice and volume. And it
will trickle down to much less expensive cars. This is a proof of
concept car, not a production car."

Wright competed in a race with $170,000 Ferrari and a $400,000
Porsche. Wright's X-1 cost $150,000 and beat the other two,
reaching 112 mph in just 11.1 seconds.

(Copyright 2005, KRON 4. All rights reserved.)

===

[ www.wrightspeed.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] ]
-




Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter

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EVLN(Weeeeeeeeeeeee! Fernbach's Skoda electric pu truck)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.durhamregion.com/dr/regions/durham/story/3162246p-3664185c.html
Vehicle makes the sound of silence
Ultra quiet electric vehicle surprises
Nov 15, 2005 By Carly Foster

DURHAM -- Silence.

Jean-Pierre Fernback turns the key in his Skoda electric pickup
truck and there is no noise. It's a little disarming to be in a
running vehicle and not hear a chugging motor. It's not until he
steps on the gas (battery?) pedal that there is any sound at
all.

"Weeeeeeeeeeeee!" the truck squeals, increasing in pitch as it
gears up. It quiets as Mr. Fernback shifts into second, then
starts again as he accelerates. But when we stop at the light at
Bayly Street and Westney Road in Ajax, we can only hear the low
rumble of the cars, trucks and SUVs around us.

Compared to this near silent machine, the vehicles sound like a
wheezing smoker with bronchitis.

Mr. Fernback is just one member of the Durham Electric Vehicle
Association (DEVA) with an electric vehicle. Some members have
purchased kits to convert their cars -- such as Honda Civics and
S-10 pickup trucks -- into electric vehicles.

But DEVA is not just about vehicles on the road. One member built
a very successful solar-powered boat that people are now
ordering. Some have electric bikes (like Vespas) and scooters,
others design battery-powered lawn mowers and tractors.

"If we all had electric vehicles, would we need these noise
barriers along the 401?" asked DEVA president Alex Krebelj, one
of the founding members of the group. "It's the noise, pollution,
environmental factor.

"At that scale, changing things makes a big difference to the
environment."

For the past 10 years DEVA has promoted clean air, noise
reduction, economic savings, energy conservation and, ultimately,
a healthier environment. The group holds monthly meetings at the
Durham College Skills Training Centre in Whitby where they bring
in guest speakers on topics such as solar panels, fuel cells,
electric trikes and businesses using environmentally friendly
electric tools.

They're also involved with the University of Ontario Institute of
Technology's solar car team, high schools, and have appeared in
Santa Claus parades, malls and business initiatives to educate
the public.

Members are not a stereotypical group of geeks, the pair say.
They're tinkerers of all ages, from 20 to 80. They're students,
engineers, retirees, divers and electricians. Three of them are
women.

But is a world of battery operated machines a reasonable
expectation? Or part of a futuristic dream?

The perception that the technology does not exist and is not
attainable is false: it is around, and it's not new, Mr. Fernback
said. Think of the old crank engine cars. Look at fork lifts and
golf carts. Europeans use battery-powered delivery trucks.

"These vehicles exist, they're just not advertised," he said.

"Ask the big companies," Mr. Krebelj added. "They should be
designing them. Adults don't really care as long as it goes
fast... and powerful."

And then there are the politics. Where do governments get a big
chunk of their tax dollars from? Gasoline. Mass produced and
driven electric vehicles would require an increase in service and
decrease in revenue.

With low maintenance, no oils, spark plugs or antifreeze,
electric vehicles and tools last longer, too, the pair said.
Using direct current, they are also safe.

"We offer an alternative," Mr. Krebelj said. "It's something we
encourage, but we know it's still a long way's off."

Visit www.durhamelectricvehicles.com to learn more. DEVA's next
meeting is Dec. 1.
-



Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter

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EVLN(Electric Mitsubishi i car for Japan in 2010)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/article/0%2C%2C22749-1868188%2C00.html
Times Online    November 13, 2005
Micro Mitsubishi is set for Britain

A new urban mini-car that is smaller and nippier than a Smart
will be launched in Britain next year by Mitsubishi. The
four-seater “i car” is just over 11ft long and just under 5ft
wide and should be in the showrooms by May.

Mitsubishi unveiled its rival to the struggling Smart at the
Tokyo Motor Show last month. It hopes to use the British market
to gauge customer interest before launching the car, pictured
right, across Europe. Showrooms will offer just one top-spec
model with a list price between £8,500 and £9,000.

Other, lower priced models could follow. An electric-powered
version is being developed and is set to be the first
mass-produced electric car from a mainstream manufacturer. The
electric i city car will be launched in Japan in 2010 offering a
much greater range than current electric vehicles such as the
Reva G-Wiz, which is built in India and distributed in Britain by
Goingreen and can travel only about 40 miles between recharges.

*
We are looking at bringing in maybe 500 petrol-powered i cars at
first,” said Gabi Whitfield, head of public relations for
Mitsubishi in the UK. “That could rise to 2,000 if it takes off.
Dealer feedback has so far been very positive.

This car is something completely different for us. A lot of
people are saying it is what the Smart ForFour should have been.
It is a proper four-seater and it has storage. It could really
catch on.”
-




Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter

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EVLN(Mateja still down on EVs and still wrong about EV facts)
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http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/motoring/2002630238_electric18.html
Friday, November 18, 2005 - Page updated at 12:00 AM
Electric cars get another jolt of interest
By Jim Mateja  Chicago Tribune

LAS VEGAS — If at first you don't succeed, and electric cars
didn't succeed the first time around, is it worth trying again?

General Motors brought out a battery-powered car that it leased
between 1996 and 2000. Because only 800 motorists signed up for
one, GM scrapped that venture into an alternative-fuel,
nonpolluting machine.

While the industry has turned to gas/electric vehicles to
conserve fuel and clean the air, battery power alone may be
poised for another run.

"We had the Lancer Evo Miev on display at the Tokyo auto show, a
battery-powered electric that uses electric motors to propel each
wheel," said Rich Gilligan, president and CEO of Mitsubishi
Motors in the U.S. "Maybe we'll have something similar to Miev at
an upcoming auto show in the U.S.," he said of the January event
in Detroit.

GM gave up on electrics because they could travel only 80 to 100
miles before having to plug in for a six- to eight-hour
recharge.

They were limited to warm climates because cold-weather operation
drained battery power more quickly.

Because nothing has changed there, Gilligan admits a battery car
wouldn't be for the masses.

But he hints that if a version of Miev is produced for the United
States, it might be able to get up to 200 miles of range before a
recharge.

"It would be low-volume, but it would send a message that
Mitsubishi is committed to technology and the environment.
Besides, until we know when hydrogen refueling stations will be
set up on every corner, fuel-cell cars are still out in the
distant future."

While fuel-cell cars, which run on hydrogen, are undergoing
testing, estimates are that they are still 10 years from being
seen in anything but limited numbers on the roadways.

There's no refueling network to serve them. The gas/electrics are
seen as a fuel-efficient stopgap until they arrive.

"Electric cars would have a limited range, and you couldn't drive
one from Chicago to Denver without a lot of long stops to
recharge," Gilligan said.

"But for use in some metro areas, consumers won't mind using them
during the day and recharging them overnight, because to those
people, having to spend $40 to $50 a week on gas means an awfully
lot."

Guess the success of an electric depends as much on range as on
whether a concept such as Miev ever becomes reality.

Copyright © 2005 The Seattle Times Company
-



Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter

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EVLN(Airport shuts down Electric Wiki Wiki shuttles)
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http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051111/NEWS01/511110356/1001/NEWS
Posted on: Friday, November 11, 2005
Airport shuts down Wiki Wiki shuttles
By Mike Leidemann Advertiser Transportation Writer

With its electric, air-conditioned shuttles out of commission,
Honolulu International Airport has been transporting passengers
with its fleet of older, open-air diesel buses and trams.

BRUCE ASATO | The Honolulu Advertiser

Honolulu International Airport has grounded its fleet of electric
Wiki Wiki shuttle buses, citing maintenance and reliability
problems, officials said.

The buses, which transport thousands of passengers each day
between terminals and from arrival gates to the baggage claim
area, have been temporarily replaced with older open-air diesel
buses and trams.

Six air-conditioned vehicles were taken out of service in
September, said Scott Ishikawa, Department of Transportation
spokesman. In addition, airport officials have notified the
contractor, GEM of Hawai'i, that four other buses scheduled to go
into operation next year will not be accepted until the problems
are resolved.

"We're disappointed that this action was necessary, since the
air-conditioned vehicles were popular with the traveling public,"
Ishikawa said. "But until the contractor can demonstrate an
acceptable level of reliability for the vehicles, they will
remain grounded."

The six buses were put into service in late 2003 as part of a
$2.5 million contract to improve airport passenger services.

Ishikawa said the problems never posed a safety threat to the
public, but he would not identify the specific maintenance issues
in the dispute because "the state will be discussing the matter
with the manufacturer this month."

The grounded fleet includes four 25-passenger vehicles, which
take passengers between terminal buildings, and two 100-passenger
trams that bring arriving passengers from outlying gates to the
baggage claim area. All of the vehicles remain under warranty,
Ishikawa said.

They were built by Electric Vehicles International, a
California-based company. Each bus has an all-electric power
train and a propane gas engine that runs the air conditioning,
Ishikawa said.

Top company officials plan to fly to Hawai'i this month to
address the problem and suggest solutions, Ishikawa said. The
company sent mechanics last month to work on the vehicles.

"We plan to test-run two of the repaired buses for reliability
very soon," Ishikawa said.

A spokesman for GEM of Hawai'i would not comment. A spokesman for
Electric Vehicles International could not be reached for
comment.

It's the not the first time the company, which was founded in
1991, has had problems with its electric vehicles.

In 1999, city officials in Evansville, Ind., said three electric
trolleys costing almost $600,000 would be returned to the
company. It was a "never-ending problem trying to get the bugs
out of the trolleys," the director of the Metropolitan Evanston
Transit System said then, according to an Associated Press
report.

A major problem with those trolleys was a charging system that
didn't work properly. The problems required city workers to
charge the trolley batteries every hour, rather than every four
hours as the company said was needed.

The Hawai'i shuttle buses were part of a brief controversy even
before they arrived in the Islands.

In 2002, another company, Enova, partnered with the state's
Hawai'i Electric Vehicle Development Program and spent almost $1
million to develop an all-electric bus service at the Hono-lulu
airport. But when delivery of a prototype of that bus was delayed
by manufacturing problems, the state chose to move forward on the
contract with GEM. The Enova bus still sits idle in a Kaka'ako
parking lot.

The state also spent more than $12 million in 2002 to repair and
upgrade ramps and roadways used by the Wiki Wiki buses. Those
repairs included removing and replacing the concrete road
surfaces used by the buses inside the secured portions of the
airport.

Last year, the city of Anderson, Ind., where Electric Vehicles
International was originally located, sued the company over an
unrepaid $1.1 million loan it made to the company in return for
the promise of creating 300 jobs in the city. The company has
since relocated its manufacturing operations. In July, the
company's president and investors agreed to a $500,000 settlement
of the lawsuit, but city officials said Electric Vehicles
International missed the first deadline to make a payment under
the settlement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Reach Mike Leidemann at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
-





Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter

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EVLN(Nissan's first hybrid late 2006)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_47/b3960064.htm
[...]
But Nissan execs had little time to savor their achievement as
they started to fret about problems building in the U.S., their
biggest and most profitable market. High fuel prices are denting
sales of trucks and sport-utility vehicles. The introduction of
Nissan's new models has been delayed. And its first hybrid
gas-electric car won't hit showrooms until late 2006
-



Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter

' ____
~/__|o\__
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. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor, RE & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere


                
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EVLN(Venturi Fétish EV sporting Intel's WiMAX wireless data comm)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId%3D107949#3
Venturi Claims World First With Production Electric Sports Car
Date Posted 11-10-2005

MONTE CARLO — Sports carmaker Venturi has launched the Fétish,
which it claims is the first electric-powered production sports
car in the world.

The Fétish is a major departure for Venturi, a company best known
for luxury grand tourers. But advances in technology, Venturi
says, have allowed it to harness the power available from the
latest electric motors to give the Fétish outstanding performance
figures. The company claims its 0-to-60-mph time is a shade below
4.5 seconds with a top speed of 105 mph and, crucially, a range
of 250 miles.

Microchip maker Intel has provided the technology to manage the
car's electric systems via WiMAX wireless data communication
technology. Power comes from lithium-ion electric batteries
weighing a total of 772 pounds (100 modules of 72 cells each).

"The technological challenge in an electrical vehicle is not its
engine but its batteries," said Gildo Pallanca-Pastor, CEO of
Venturi Automobiles. "Intel technology can offer us real-time
management of these 7,200 lithium-ion batteries, which demand
extremely precise monitoring."

"The arrival of WiMAX, particularly in Monaco, has enabled us to
embrace the idea that it was possible to exchange a large amount
of data over long distances," adds Gildo Pallanca-Pastor. WiMAX
technology was also chosen for its range and its safety. The
WiMAX technology opens up new possibilities — for example,
networking other cars and transferring power from car to car, or
incorporating solar panels into the car as an additional power
source.

What this means to you: It seemed like electric cars were a blind
alley — but battery technology is progressing, and the crucial
question of range is being addressed by innovative automakers
like Venturi. Maybe the electric car is a viable alternative to
hybrids and fuel cells after all? Then again, maybe not.
-



Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter

' ____
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. EV List Editor, RE & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere


        
                
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Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 
http://mail.yahoo.com

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EVLN(BadBoyBuggies 4wd ATV nEV: 48V 1Ka dual 15hp motor,
22mph/28mi)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://badboybuggies.com/press3.html
Hunting vehicles: Kings off the road © 2005, The Dallas Morning
News.
BY RAY SASSER

The Dallas Morning News DALLAS - (KRT) - At the Dallas Safari
Club Convention and Hunting Expo recently, Market Hall was jammed
with displays to make an outdoors man drool. None of the gizmos
caught my attention like the spectrum of customized hunting
vehicles.

Since my first deer-lease partner's Army surplus Willis Jeep that
seemed unstoppable in rough and rocky Hill Country terrain, I've
been fascinated by the inexorable development of increasingly
better hunting vehicles.....

...
Today's sportsmen are investing in utility vehicles and saving
their expensive pickup trucks and SUVs from off-road scratches
and abuse. For most sportsmen, a $10,000 utility vehicle,
properly maintained and carefully driven, is a lifetime
investment.

Tom Mansell of Bedford is a commercial photographer who fell in
love with Bad Boy Buggies, an electric-version of
gasoline-powered utility vehicles. Nowadays, Mansell spends most
of his time selling the electric vehicles, which retail for about
$8,000. How is this different from a golf cart? Answer: Dual
motors that total 31 horsepower and deliver 170 foot-pounds of
torque.

"The Bad Boy Buggies will go anywhere you want to go and they'll
do it without any noise," Mansell said. "You can drive right up
on a deer and they'll never hear you coming."

Top speed on the electric utility vehicle is 22 mph, and the
cruising range between battery charges is 28 miles. At the end of
the day, plug in the battery charger and the rig is fully charged
in about eight hours.

I know lots of people who hunt from gasoline-powered utility
vehicles, and they all complain about engine noise. An electric
utility vehicle should be particularly attractive to quail
hunters who keep track of their dogs with beeper collars.
Information is available at www.badboybuggies.com.

===

http://badboybuggies.com/imagepages/wheelie.html

http://badboybuggies.com/video/badboy.wmv

-
Bad Boy Buggies

Description: Introducing the first ever all electric 4WD BAD Boy
ATV hunting buggy with reverse gear. Not only is it quiet, clean
and environmentally friendly, it is strong, powerful and rugged
to meet all of your tough needs.

This mean machine runs on dual electric motors with a 1,000 amp
controller, ability to haul 800 pounds, comfortable, cargo area
and so many features available it will meet the needs of all
users.

Joe Palermo from Southwest Louisiana and Bubba Kaiser from the
backwoods of Misssippi were hell bent to design a vehicle that
would do just about everthing that a gasoline four wheeler would
do and be whisper quiet.

Countess man hours were spent designing the front end and the
electrical system (Patent Pending). So the Bad Boy was not an
instant performer, patience became a virtue and trial and error
was common place.

In the end I think we have the answer to the Skeet and Trap
shooter, the horseman, the farmer, the deer and turkey hunter,
the quail hunter and everyone else that wants peace and quiet and
the power to get them to the hard to get game.

Bad Boy Enterprises
2 River Terminal Rd.
Natchez, MS 39120
Phone: (866) 678-6701
Phone: 601-442-6989
Fax: 601-442-6707
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
-




Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter

' ____
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'@----- @'---(=
. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor, RE & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere


                
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Start your day with Yahoo! - Make it your home page! 
http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

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David,

Easy on the "quasi-hybrid" label until you publish a dictionary of your own. I know in your mind that a true automotive hybrid needs to be capable of using two sources of energy(ie gas and electric), and I like you believe that a plugin hybrid is more desireable than what is currently on the market. However, one definition of the word hybrid is "Something, such as a computer or power plant, having two kinds of components that produce the same or similar results." The current hybrid cars on the market certainly fit this definition as they have both electrical and gas engine/motors that produce similar results. This is actually one rare time when the marketing department is using a word correctly.

Now if you want to start calling them "non David Roden approved hybrids" I can't complain:-) My Honda Insight, by definition, is a hybrid.

damon

From: "David Roden" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Extra TAX on High-Milage Hybrids ?? WHAT !!
Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2005 12:55:10 -0500

quasi-hybrid vehicles.

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Intriguing.  Apparently based on the chassis of an Ariel Atom.

http://www.arielmotor.co.uk

In which case its performance is not surprising.  There's nothing to the
Atom -- very little bodywork, no roof, no fenders ...   Notice no one's
comparing the Wrightspeed with the real Atom, which is much less expensive
but shares the lofty neighborhood with the Ferrari Enzo as one of the
fastest road cars in the world.

Really cool idea, but he should have come up with his own design to avoid
this obvious and unflattering comparison.

  --chris




bruce parmenter said:
> EVLN(Wrightspeed X-1 EV: 112mph/11.1sec)
> [The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
> informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
> --- {EVangel}
> http://www.kron4.com/Global/story.asp?S=4122234&nav=5D7l
> Electric Car Wins Infineon Performance Test
> Posted: November 15, 2005 at 9:55 a.m.
>
> SONOMA (KRON) -- Most people think of electric cars as slow,
> ponderous things that you're lucky to do 35 mph in. Don't tell
> that to one man whose purely electric car outraced a Ferrari and
> Porsche at Infineon Raceway.
>
> Ian Wright recently put his electric powered "Wrightspeed X-1" to
> the test at the same raceway where the rubber burns for NASCAR
> competitions. Wright says he believes eventually drivers will
> choose electric cars even over hybrids.
>
> "If you measure the energy required to drive a mile and compare
> that to the energy use by the (Toyota) Prius, it's about three
> times better," Wright told KRON 4's Will Nordby.
>
> Wright concedes purely electric vehicles have drawbacks including
> a maximum range of 150 miles between charging. Batteries of
> expensive, but Wright says the benefits offset the limitations
> for some drivers.
>
> "I've chosen to optimize the car for performance and sell it into
> the performance market," Wright said. "Technology will get a lot
> cheaper, of course, with time and practice and volume. And it
> will trickle down to much less expensive cars. This is a proof of
> concept car, not a production car."
>
> Wright competed in a race with $170,000 Ferrari and a $400,000
> Porsche. Wright's X-1 cost $150,000 and beat the other two,
> reaching 112 mph in just 11.1 seconds.
>
> (Copyright 2005, KRON 4. All rights reserved.)
>
> ===
>
> [ www.wrightspeed.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] ]
> -
>
>
>
>
> Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
>
> ' ____
> ~/__|o\__
> '@----- @'---(=
> . http://geocities.com/brucedp/
> . EV List Editor, RE & AFV newswires
> . (originator of the above ASCII art)
> ===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
>
>
>
>
> __________________________________
> Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005
> http://mail.yahoo.com
>
>

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Regarding pulling more energy out of batteries at lower rates after
delivering Peukert capacity, I'd be curious to know how much (e.g. %) of the
reduced Peukert capacity actually translates into lost energy as a function
of the current drain vs energy that is recoverable.

Sponge or beer analogies of the Peukert effect notwithstanding, the higher
the current drain or charge, the more heat and other irreversible energy
losses (e.g. eddy currents and bubbles in electrolyte clearly represent
losses) one would logically expect.  Those non-recoverable losses surely
make up some fraction of the reduced energy delivered as a function of
battery current.

Two primary questions then might be:
 1) Can we estimate the fraction of non-recoverable loss vs recoverable
capacity as the current increases?
 2) Is the non-recoverable loss a function of the Peukert coefficient?

Noone disputes that at high discharge or charge rates there are losses to
heat at least.  That energy loss is non-recoverable w/o thermoelectrics or
other strategies to capture at least some of it.

Guessing that heat loss is the primary non-recoverable loss, then first
order, that loss might be stated as Ploss ~ Rbatt*(Ibatt^2), with the Rbatt
varying with temperature, DOD, current and other factors.

At EV discharge rates (20-min to 2hr rates), the non-recoverable HEAT loss
alone appears to be between 7-15% for a T-105 battery---read on....

Using Rint ~.004ohm (nominal) for a T-105 battery,
at 75amps, we should expect an unrecoverable power loss of about 22-23
watts.
So, in the 115minutes of rated capacity at 75amps, non-recoverable loss
could be estimated to be 43watt-hr, or perhaps 7amp-hr.

So while we expect Peukert capacities of:

        404ah at   1amp,
        225ah at  11amps, and
        144ah at  75amps,
        121ah   at 150amps,
        102ah at 300amps,

For constant Rbatt, the heat loss (Rbatt*I^2)*time, respective losses are:

        .004watt *  404hr   =   1.62w-hr ( ~ 0.25amp-hr)
        .484watt *   20hr   =   9.68w-hr ( ~ 1.6 amp-hr)
        22.5watt *    1.9hr =  43.1 w-hr ( ~ 7.  amp-hr)
          90watt *   0.81hr =  73.  w-hr ( ~ 12. amp-hr)
         360watt *   0.34hr = 122.  w-hr ( ~ 20. amp-hr)

Those are unrecoverable heat losses.

As a percentage of capacity change from the 20hr capacity:
         75amp rate: 6.8%  (~(43-9.7)wh/6v or 5.5amp-hr of 81amp-hr capacity 
chg)
        150amp rate: 9.6% (~ 10amp-hr of 104amp-hr cap chg)
        300amp rate: 15 % (~ 19amp-hr of 123amp-hr cap chg)

It looks even worse if you use the capacity change from the 2hr rate as the
ref:
        150amp rate: 22% (~(30wh/6) or 5amp-hr of 23amp-hr capacity change)
        300amp rate: 31% (~ 13amp-hr of 42amp-hr cap change)

I.E. a significant percentage of the Peukert Capacity reduction is actually
LOST energy and not recoverable, despite the valid sponge or beer analogies.

It's probably worse than this since the resistance is highly nonlinear and
increases with temperature, DOD and battery age.
It's also likely that the ratio of "non-recoverable loss" to "Peukert
capacity change" is a direct function of the Peukert exponent---hence the
importance and value of having a low Peukert exponent.


-Myles Twete, Portland, Or.

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Lee Hart wrote:
> M Bianchi wrote:
> > I have long argued that having block-by-block continuous equalization of a
> > pack will pay off, and now I claim to have the evidence.  13 blocks, 10
> > years, 23,000 miles.
> 
> That's good news, Mike. But I should point out that you really don't know what
> would have happened if you didn't have the Badicheq, so you can't tell for
> sure what its effect has been. You (and I) would guess that the batteries
> wouldn't have lasted as long; but we don't really know.
>  (((Typical Lee Hart detailed description ...)))
>       :

No, Lee, we won't _really_ know, but ... there were a half-a-dozen Solectria
Force cars in a station-car project 3 miles 18 inches from here.  Same
batteries, _very_ similar cars (a couple of years newer), etc. but no balancing
circuitry.  I'm told by the people who ran the project and Jim Greene who did
all the batterectomies that none of them got anywhere like 5 years out of their
packs.

Also, that one block that was replaced in 1998 was called out by the BADICHEQ
and showed evidence of having vented.  No it ain't _proof_, but our experiences
make for pretty compelling evidence.

It's my AMPS2GO grin and I'm gonna keep it!

And a plug.  (I say, that's a PUN, boy!)  I hired Jim Greene of JC Electrics to
do the battery change and he was worth every penny!  I helped, but ... mostly
by being the third and fourth hand when needed.  He knew the car cold, and also
had experience with other BADICHEQs.  He knew _exactly_ what he was doing.  He
services all sorts of electric vehicles in the New York City area, and delivers
a decade of experience and knowledge.

                J. C. Electrics Service Corporation
                631 689-1539

                Highly Recommended

--
 Mike Bianchi

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