EV Digest 6537
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) EVLN(Starr's Solar-Electric roots, $12k XERO: XEBRA+150W PV)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
2) EVLN(EcoVElectric.com another nEV company)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
3) EVLN(Heckeroth built 12 EVs & converted 6 tractors)-LONG
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
4) EVLN(Heckeroth built 12 EVs & converted 6 tractors)-LONG
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
5) EVLN(Power-tool market: largest hi-power Li-ion battery buyer)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Starr's Solar-Electric roots, $12k XERO: XEBRA+150W PV)
[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=20070306005337&newsLang=en
March 06, 2007 12:43 PM Eastern Time
Electric Car Maker ZAP Adds Solar Option to Truck Design to
Combat Global Warming
SANTA ROSA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After a positive response
for its XEBRA XERO, electric car pioneer ZAP has designed a solar
option for its truck design, a photovoltaic panel that ZAP says
can offer short-distance driving on sunlight alone.
ZAP intends to showcase the new XEBRA XERO (pronounced 'zebra
zero') Truck at its March 23 dealer training as well as some
up-coming industry events for automotive fleets. Company
officials like to say that ZAP stands for 'Zero Air Pollution'
and the solar panels on the XEBRA can allow drivers a true 'Zero
Air Pollution' form of transportation.
If the XEBRA XERO is exposed to sunlight during the day, and your
commute is short, you can get pure solar powered driving, says
ZAP Chairman Gary Starr. If you want to ensure 100 percent solar
generated commuting, you can purchase a larger system that can
sit on your rooftop.
The XEBRA truck has attracted interest from several large fleets,
according to ZAP. They call the design a 'city-car,' available as
a 4-door sedan or 2-passenger truck, good for city-speed driving
up to 40 MPH. Starr says the XEBRA Truck with the XERO Solar
Panel Option will cost about $12,000. The car recharges normally
by plugging into a standard 110 volt outlet for a full charge in
up to six hours and a 50 percent charge in 1.5 hours. The ZAP
Truck converts into a flatbed or dump-bed that can tilt to allow
maximum exposure to the sun.
Starr believes the XEBRA is the first production electric vehicle
that incorporates solar power and adds that the main reasons
people are choosing alternative fuel transportation are the
growing relevance of the environment and the feeling of energy
independence. There are also other advantages of using solar
panels with your electric car. Studies have shown that solar
power charging systems can double the life of batteries. Panels
consume no fuel and have no moving parts to wear out. The only
maintenance is to occasionally wash for highest performance.
===
http://cgi.ebay.com/The-Solar-Electric-Book-by-Gary-Starr-1987_W0QQitemZ140086614446QQcmdZViewItem
http://www.worldcatlibraries.org/wcpa/ow/4708e1c28ca0b92ea19afeb4da09e526.html
The solar electric book : how to save $$$ through clean solar
power : a practical guide by Gary Starr Language: English Book
Publisher: Lower Lake, CA Integral Pub. Rohnert Park, CA : 1987.
ISBN: 0941255468
===
http://www.zapworld.com/ZAPWorld.aspx?id=3804
[Video
http://www.zapworld.com/ZAPWorld.aspx?id=2906
Gary Starr drives Xebra]
-
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
____________________________________________________________________________________
8:00? 8:25? 8:40? Find a flick in no time
with the Yahoo! Search movie showtime shortcut.
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EVLN(EcoVElectric.com another nEV company)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.world-wire.com/news/0703060001.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW DETROIT-BASED START-UP TO PRODUCE A LOW SPEED ELECTRIC VEHICLE
DETROIT, MI, March 6, 2007 --/WORLD-WIRE/-- A new Detroit company
is ready to start production of an urban-based electric Low Speed
Vehicle (LSV). The product, EcoVElectric, is a road-worthy
commercial fleet vehicle with pricing starting under $10,000.
Why another electric golf cart? EcoV is far from a golf cart! In
fact, EcoV is not for use on a golf course. EcoV is for daily
transportation on public roads with speed limits of 35 mph or
slower, and it provides a safe, comfortable driving experience.
Road-worthy
The team that invented EcoV for EnVironmental Transportation
Solutions, LLC is made up of ex-OEM automotive experts, whose
knowledge extends from the boardroom to the factory floor to the
showroom. They know how to develop and market a safe, comfortable
and reliable product for the sustainable vehicle niche.
EcoV is a small mini-car/utility vehicle. Under the attractive
bodywork is a welded tubular steel frame similar to that in a
race car. EcoV uses current technology, and is built with proven,
readily available automotive and industrial components. EcoV is
fun, practical and functional. At $11,500, as seen in the first
photo, EcoV is budget- and environment-friendly.
The owner, Richard Marks, spent 25 years with General Motors,
including five on the EV1 electric vehicle.
He then worked for Tier 1 suppliers and during the past four
years has been developing EcoV in a full-time, self-funded
effort. His "secret sauce" is the unique integration of product,
suppliers and process.
Low Speed Vehicles
Street legal in 45 states and limited by law to a 25-mph maximum
speed, Low Speed Vehicles offer a real urban transportation
solution. EcoV has no emissions, requires no trips to the gas
station and is virtually maintenance-free.
With 50¢ of electricity out of a wall outlet, EcoV is recharged
and ready to go another 25-40 miles. EcoV is designed for four or
six passengers with a rear flip seat to convert to a utility
vehicle and pick-up, all with a 1,000-pound payload capacity.
When and where available?
EcoV needs investors to move to the next level. Unlike other
electric vehicle companies, EcoV requires only a modest
investment and will break even on 1,050 units/yr. With an
experienced management team, arrangements to use an existing
niche vehicle production line in an empowerment zone, and a
realistic marketing plan initially targeting commercial fleet
buyers, EcoV can be in production in 9 months. Initial sales will
be regionalized and direct; volume production starts in 2009 and
retail soon thereafter.
Find out more at www.EcoVElectric.com.
Source: EnVironmental Transportation Solutions, LLC
Copyright © 2007, World-Wire. All rights reserved.
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
' ____
~/__|o\__
'@----- @'---(=
. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor, RE & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
____________________________________________________________________________________
Never miss an email again!
Yahoo! Toolbar alerts you the instant new Mail arrives.
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EVLN(Heckeroth built 12 EVs & converted 6 tractors)-LONG
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Livestock-and-Farming/2006-08-01/Solar-electric-Mowers-Tractors.aspx
Solar-electric Mowers & Tractors
Issue #217 August/September 2006
By George DeVault and Charles Higginson
Imagine a lawn mower that whirs instead of roars. Imagine a
tiller powered entirely by sunlight. Imagine a tractor that
doesnt spew exhaust. These arent idle dreams such machines
exist today. And every year, a few new electric and
solar-electric implements reach the market. Meanwhile,
adventurous inventors, far-thinking tinkerers and
electric-vehicle enthusiasts do it themselves, using 21st century
technology to convert existing mowers, tractors and other
implements to solar-electric power. Theyre handling chores and
putting food on the table, even as oil wells are drying up.
Solar-electric implements offer sustainability and freedom from
fossil fuels, and electric tools, mowers and tractors are cleaner
and quieter than their gas-powered counterparts. That explains
why theyre showing up on a growing number of farms, market
gardens and lawns around the United States and Canada.
Several U.S. companies sell electric lawn mowers, some of them
cordless and rechargeable. One sells a small walk-behind tractor
and a lawn mower, both powered by solar panels, and is developing
a solar-powered electric tractor. Another company plans to
introduce electric lawn tractors in Europe later this year and
make do-it-yourself conversion kits available in North America
soon thereafter. Electric-powered tillers, garden carts and other
implements also have appeared on the market in recent years.
Solar-powered Farming
Steve Heckeroth, a renewable-energy pioneer, off-the-grid
homesteader in northern California and award-winning architect,
says switching to clean, renewable solar-electric power is one of
the best ways to solve our growing crises in energy and global
warming. And he walks his talk since 1993, hes built about a
dozen electric cars and converted six farm tractors to run on
rechargeable batteries and electric motors, rather than
conventional gas or diesel engines. When their solar panels are
fully charged, his best tractors can run a loader all day,
cultivate for about four hours or drive a rototiller for two
hours. The batteries recharge in about three hours.
Some of his tractors carry their own power source: a canopy of
solar panels suspended over the machine (see photo). The canopy
on those tractors generates less than a kilowatt, he says, but
for planting and harvesting, thats enough to run the tractor.
This is where the electric tractor can really shine. Heckeroth
says electric motors have several big advantages over
internal-combustion engines, especially for tractors. Gas engines
rarely achieve 20 percent efficiency, but electric motors often
approach 90 percent efficiency. Motors never waste fuel by
idling; they simply stop. Even if the batteries charge from the
conventional grid, an electric motor accounts for far less air
pollution than a gas engine (studies show reductions of at least
50 percent). But the clearest advantage of electric vehicles is
that they can be charged from nonpolluting, renewable sources,
thereby reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
The extra weight of batteries is a disadvantage in automobiles,
but it improves tractor performance by increasing traction. And
electric motors generate high torque at very low rpm, making them
more effective than gas or diesel engines for the low-speed,
high-power applications typical for tractors.
In addition, electric motors are constructed more simply than
engines and therefore are much easier to maintain. Using
industrial batteries, every component in the electric tractor
will operate with very little maintenance for 15 to 20 years,
Heckeroth says. Many electric forklifts have been in service for
50 years, while their gas counterparts last only five to 10
years. (See his article, The Case for Solar-powered Electric
Tractors, April/May 2002.)
In addition to converting tractors to run on batteries,
Heckeroths company, Homestead Enterprises, has built several
electric and solar-electric tractors from the ground up. In the
late 1990s, the company created electric prototypes for two major
tractor manufacturers, Ford-New Holland and Eifrig Ltd., but the
companies did not put them into production.
Despite the numerous advantages of electric power, no major
manufacturers have yet decided to lead the shift that now seems
inevitable as fossil fuels dwindle and costs climb.
Plow-power Pioneers
Nonetheless, Heckeroth is not alone in his conviction that the
future will be solar-electric. Major manufacturers lack of
vision hasnt stopped others who share his understanding of the
multiple benefits of electric tractors. For now, at least,
electric power seems most promising for use on small farms and
home gardens. Here is a quick look at the current
electric-implement market in North America:
Riding mowers. Canadian entrepreneur Brian Edmond routinely mows
two acres of grass using just 50 cents worth of electricity each
time. Edmonds electric lawn tractor uses 48-volt deep-cycle
batteries, permanently lubricated drive components and an
electronic automatic transmission (see photo).
I have been using it for two years now without any problem,
Edmond says. The first thing people say when they see this is,
Why isnt everybody making them?
His new company, Edmond Electric Co., is converting 20 horsepower
lawn and garden tractors to battery power. The electric lawn
tractors, complete with 42-inch mower decks and side discharge,
will go on sale in Europe later this year under the Lawn Boss
brand. If plans work out, they will reach North American markets
in 2007, for about $4,000 each. Edmond says he also hopes to sell
kits for converting conventional gasoline-powered lawn tractors
to electric power around the end of this year for $1,500 to
$2,000.
The kit should be very easy to assemble and should fit most 38-
and 42-inch twin-blade tractors of good quality, Edmond says.
Electric push lawn mowers. Black & Decker sells a cordless push
model for about $450, along with five corded mowers. Country Home
Products Neuton cordless mower recently became the countrys
bestseller, at about $400. Country Home Products also sells the
Neuton battery-powered garden cart, with two forward speeds and
reverse, 200 pound capacity and push-button controls.
Steve Gladstone, Neutons senior product manager, says the
company is developing a solar battery charger. The market is
strong now for battery-powered products, he says. The interest
is there, but battery-electric products cost a bit more than the
gas equivalents. The selling points are convenience and ease of
use, quiet operation, pollution reduction and low maintenance.
Several companies, including Brook-stone and Sunlawn, sell
battery-powered reel mowers, at prices ranging from $200 to $390
(See Cordless Electric Lawn Mowers, April/May 2005).
Solar-electric implements. Free Power Systems is developing a
solar-electric tractor. Owner Tom Lopez, a retired aerospace
engineer, says, This new product will use existing farm
attachments and will be useful for small farms, with batteries
recharged by solar panels attached to its canopy.
The company already sells two solar-powered devices. The Sun
Whisper lawn mower comes standard with a 19 inch blade and a rear
leaf bagger, and it recharges from a roof-mounted solar panel.
The company says it is ideal for lots up to one-third of an acre.
It sells for $675.
The Sun Horse is a 190-pound two-wheeled walk-behind tractor
not a tiller that plows, cultivates and plants with attachments
that mount on a quick-change tool bar. It draws electricity from
a solar panel mounted on its handlebar and looks something like a
tall, narrow mailbox on wheels. It is powerful enough for tough
jobs like plowing and cultivating, yet precise enough for seeding
and close weeding, Lopez says.
The basic Sun Horse with one solar panel costs $2,250. A complete
farming system with plow, four-row gang seeder, cultivators and
more costs about $4,800.
Electric towing. If you need to lug around heavy loads, two
companies make electric vehicles designed expressly to do that.
The Electric Ox, made in Ontario by Electric Tractor Corp., comes
in 36- and 48-volt versions. The company bills it as a towing
vehicle for indoor and outdoor situations. The Electric Ox MP is
designed for outdoor use with attachments to mow, tow, grade or
push snow. The company says the Ox can tow up to 8,000 pounds. An
optional AC inverter allows the 48-volt model to power standard
electric tools.
Gorilla Vehicles sells its Gorilla e-ATV in 24- and 36-volt
versions. Each can be configured for primary use off-road, on
turf, on paved surfaces or in close quarters like warehouses. The
e-ATVs can carry payloads of about 450 pounds and can tow up to
4,000 pounds on level ground.
Drill-drive tiller. Last year, Johnnys Selected Seeds introduced
the Tilther, a 15-inch-wide mini-tiller powered by a cordless
electric drill, developed by master four-season grower Eliot
Coleman. It costs $350.
Coleman says hes not finished inventing. He has a dream, and
some plans, for a go-kart-size electric vehicle that would be a
small mobile platform for seeding, cultivating and harvesting.
Weve been to the moon. Surely we can make better tools for
small farmers, he says. If I could find a bored retired
engineer with a good shop, Id share these plans.
Too Soon to Scale Up
Convincing major tractor makers to go electric is not a simple
task. Like the electric car, electric-powered tractors and garden
and yard implements have had an on-again, mostly off-again
history. General Electric sold the Elec-Trak lawn tractor in the
late 1960s and early 70s. John Deere sold the Electric 90 and
Electric 96 lawn tractor models in the 70s.
Quite a few of those old electric lawn tractors are still mowing
merrily along. In May 2006, a Deere Electric 96 in beautiful
working condition sold on eBay for $650.
Some electric tractor enthusiasts covet the 50-year-old
Allis-Chalmers G model. Its small size and rear-mounted engine
made it ideal for market-garden cultivation and make it ideal
now for conversion to electric power. (See Vintage Tractor Now
Runs on Sunlight.") The modern tractor most similar to the old
Allis G is the Saukville, which is manufactured in Wisconsin. A
20 horsepower gasoline-powered Saukville sells for about $15,000,
while the 26.5 horsepower diesel version costs about $18,600.
Implements are extra.
Saukville President Larry DeLeers has been following the growing
interest in electric tractors, but has no plans to move in that
direction. Electric tractors have potential, he says, but there
are just too many unanswered questions.
Investors are not rushing to the table with wads of cash,
DeLeers says. Is the market big enough to enable you
realistically to recover your investment costs in a reasonable
period of time? I would think one of the big companies would look
at this.
In fact, one of the worlds biggest equipment companies, John
Deere, is at least looking at alternatives. Deere already sells
electric versions of its Gator utility vehicles for about $8,300
and recently introduced a diesel-electric hybrid Gator for the
military. Deere is seriously exploring alternative power sources,
including electric motors.
We have multiple teams in our engineering centers working on
this, says Peter Finamore, manager of research and development
at John Deere Advanced Energy Systems in Charlotte, N.C. This is
a complex issue. There are no easy answers. We do not have
product plans in this area, but we are doing an awful lot of
research and development. Electric vehicles are difficult to
justify, because the cost of electric batteries and drives is
still quite high. But the cost is coming down. Meanwhile, of
course, fuel prices are going up.
Saukvilles DeLeers says, You need to determine the various
loads put on electric motors and how long the batteries can last
under extreme loads. You wouldnt want to be stopping every half
hour to charge the batteries.
Solar-electric devotee Heckeroth says such comments dont
consider the tremendous differences in efficiency: about 80
percent for batteries, 90 percent for electric motors and less
than 20 percent for gas and diesel engines. He points out that in
many huge vehicles, internal-combustion engines dont move the
vehicle directly but generate electricity, which powers electric
motors that actually do the work. People think electric vehicles
are wimpy little things, but the largest earth-moving machines
use engines to power electric wheel-motors, he says. Most
diesel locomotives are electric vehicles. Nuclear submarines are
electric vehicles.
The Little Cub that Can
In Waterford, Maine, retired mechanical engineer John G. Howe
plows, discs, rakes hay, tows up to 100 bales at a time and
even enters tractor pulls all with an antique International
Farmall Cub powered entirely by the sun (see photo).
A metal frame atop the old red tractor holds four photovoltaic
panels. They supply electricity to nine 12-volt batteries stored
in boxes on both sides of the tractor. The deep-cycle marine
batteries cost $60 each. They feed a 10 horsepower DC motor
mounted under the drivers seat. The motor, heavy lead-acid
batteries and 11-by-5-foot canopy all add lots of weight, which
is exactly what a tractor needs for good traction, Howe says. He
spent more than $5,000 converting his Cub to electric power, not
counting the cost of the tractor. He says the power plant is more
than ample.
It definitely works! Howe says. That little bugger has more
power than the tractor can handle. I limit the power to 100 amps
maximum so I dont rip the gears out of the old tractor.
Howe lectures and writes prolifically about alternative energy
and the declining oil supply. He also takes his solar-electric
Cub to rural fairs around Maine, and he says it attracts an
audience that he can tune into his main concerns. Its knee-deep
in people all day long, Howe says. They love it. We use it to
promote the energy cause.
>From lugging logs around his woodlot with a log chain and towing
his wifes Volvo, Howe already knew that his electric Cub was a
pulling fool. But, out of curiosity, he entered it in a
load-pulling contest at a fair last year. I used second gear,
let some air out of the tires and raised the hydraulics, he
says. The front end came up. I couldnt steer. After 40 or 50
feet, I started to head for a wall. I had to shut it down. I got
a standing ovation when I drove out of there.
The Solar-electric Future
As the experiences of Heckeroth, Howe and others show, todays
technology plus a little amateur ingenuity can convert a
standard gas-powered tractor into a quiet, emission-free,
solar-powered electric tractor.
Today, solar-electric mowers and tractors are several things,
depending on scale and point of view: do-it-yourself projects,
on-the-shelf products, development projects or promising
prototypes. Stay tuned as improved solar collectors and
electric drives become available, and oil becomes ever more
expensive, we predict that clean, sustainable solar-electric
power will drive increasing numbers of machines everywhere.
Vintage Tractor Now Runs on Sunlight
It never fails. Whenever Ron Khosla turns on his tractor, nothing
happens. No grinding starter, no plume of blue-black smoke from
an exhaust pipe, no clattering engine. Thats because Khoslas
tractor doesnt have a starter, an exhaust pipe or an engine.
Khoslas antique Allis-Chalmers Model G tractor used to have all
that, of course, as well as a radiator that could boil over in
summer or freeze in winter, a cantankerous carburetor that could
leak gasoline, a fan belt that could break, and motor oil and
various filters that he had to change.
Now, his solar-powered G runs quietly and efficiently, virtually
maintenance- and worry-free. Four powerful batteries sit behind
the drivers seat, where a 5 gallon gasoline tank, a radiator, a
fan and a 12 horsepower internal-combustion engine were
originally installed more than half a century ago.
Khosla doesnt miss the engine, its noise or its smell one bit.
He doesnt worry about running out of gas or its rising price,
either. After hours of peacefully planting or cultivating, Khosla
simply parks his tractor in the field, plugs it into a large,
portable solar panel and recharges his batteries free from
the sun.
I have never run out of juice, he says. I have never had a
problem. We couldnt farm without it. He liked his first
electrified G so much that he converted a second G to
solar-electric power. Khosla and his wife, Kathryn, use the Gs to
run their 13 acre Huguenot Street Farm in New Paltz, N.Y., about
60 miles north of New York City. This Community Supported
Agriculture farm serves 235 members and three large restaurants.
Khosla spent $1,325 converting each tractor. Costs of the solar
panel, mounting frames, etc., were about $2,200. The project was
funded by a $7,000 grant from the U.S. Department of
Agricultures Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
program,which included production of an instruction manual.
(Step-by-step instructions for converting an Allis-Chalmers G to
electric power appear on Khosla's Web site. Mother)
The electric G is still cheaper than a new cultivating tractor,
Khosla says. And it just feels so cool not to have to plug the
tractors into a grid electrical outlet. We also have converter
that allows us to power the whole house and our walk-in cooler
off the tractor batteries, which were charged off the sun. Thats
literally cool!
>From a marketing perspective, saying we run the farm on electric
tractors is good, but saying we run it on solar-electric tractors
... well, that just takes the farm right over the top!
Candidates for Conversion
The Farmall Cub, Allis-Chalmers Model G and John Deere L tractors
are well suited to electric conversion. They were built from the
late 1930s to early 1960s, specifically to replace teams of
horses on small farms. The roughly 10 horsepower size of each
tractor is perfect for conversion to electric power,
solar-electric enthusiast John Howe says. Its big enough to be
useful, yet small enough to be manageable.
Theres just one big problem with those little old tractors
supply. Altogether, only about 250,000 were built. Only 29,970
Allis Gs were made, between 1948 and 1955, and the Deere L is
even more scarce: Only 12,500 were produced, between 1937 and
1946. Each model is highly collectible. Restored or just in good
condition, they sell at auction for $5,000 to $6,500. The
occasional bargain turns up: Ron Khosla, a market farmer in New
Paltz, N.Y., bought two Allis Gs for the unbelievable price of
$1,000 each, and one actually had a working engine. Cubs are much
more plentiful and affordable. More than 200,000 Cubs were made,
between 1947 and 1964, and auction prices of $1,000 to $1,500 are
common.
A great source of information about antique farm equipment is
www.FarmCollector.com, which includes an online collectors show
directory
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
' ____
~/__|o\__
'@----- @'---(=
. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor, RE & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
____________________________________________________________________________________
Bored stiff? Loosen up...
Download and play hundreds of games for free on Yahoo! Games.
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--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Heckeroth built 12 EVs & converted 6 tractors)-LONG
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Livestock-and-Farming/2006-08-01/Solar-electric-Mowers-Tractors.aspx
Solar-electric Mowers & Tractors
Issue #217 August/September 2006
By George DeVault and Charles Higginson
Imagine a lawn mower that whirs instead of roars. Imagine a
tiller powered entirely by sunlight. Imagine a tractor that
doesnt spew exhaust. These arent idle dreams such machines
exist today. And every year, a few new electric and
solar-electric implements reach the market. Meanwhile,
adventurous inventors, far-thinking tinkerers and
electric-vehicle enthusiasts do it themselves, using 21st century
technology to convert existing mowers, tractors and other
implements to solar-electric power. Theyre handling chores and
putting food on the table, even as oil wells are drying up.
Solar-electric implements offer sustainability and freedom from
fossil fuels, and electric tools, mowers and tractors are cleaner
and quieter than their gas-powered counterparts. That explains
why theyre showing up on a growing number of farms, market
gardens and lawns around the United States and Canada.
Several U.S. companies sell electric lawn mowers, some of them
cordless and rechargeable. One sells a small walk-behind tractor
and a lawn mower, both powered by solar panels, and is developing
a solar-powered electric tractor. Another company plans to
introduce electric lawn tractors in Europe later this year and
make do-it-yourself conversion kits available in North America
soon thereafter. Electric-powered tillers, garden carts and other
implements also have appeared on the market in recent years.
Solar-powered Farming
Steve Heckeroth, a renewable-energy pioneer, off-the-grid
homesteader in northern California and award-winning architect,
says switching to clean, renewable solar-electric power is one of
the best ways to solve our growing crises in energy and global
warming. And he walks his talk since 1993, hes built about a
dozen electric cars and converted six farm tractors to run on
rechargeable batteries and electric motors, rather than
conventional gas or diesel engines. When their solar panels are
fully charged, his best tractors can run a loader all day,
cultivate for about four hours or drive a rototiller for two
hours. The batteries recharge in about three hours.
Some of his tractors carry their own power source: a canopy of
solar panels suspended over the machine (see photo). The canopy
on those tractors generates less than a kilowatt, he says, but
for planting and harvesting, thats enough to run the tractor.
This is where the electric tractor can really shine. Heckeroth
says electric motors have several big advantages over
internal-combustion engines, especially for tractors. Gas engines
rarely achieve 20 percent efficiency, but electric motors often
approach 90 percent efficiency. Motors never waste fuel by
idling; they simply stop. Even if the batteries charge from the
conventional grid, an electric motor accounts for far less air
pollution than a gas engine (studies show reductions of at least
50 percent). But the clearest advantage of electric vehicles is
that they can be charged from nonpolluting, renewable sources,
thereby reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
The extra weight of batteries is a disadvantage in automobiles,
but it improves tractor performance by increasing traction. And
electric motors generate high torque at very low rpm, making them
more effective than gas or diesel engines for the low-speed,
high-power applications typical for tractors.
In addition, electric motors are constructed more simply than
engines and therefore are much easier to maintain. Using
industrial batteries, every component in the electric tractor
will operate with very little maintenance for 15 to 20 years,
Heckeroth says. Many electric forklifts have been in service for
50 years, while their gas counterparts last only five to 10
years. (See his article, The Case for Solar-powered Electric
Tractors, April/May 2002.)
In addition to converting tractors to run on batteries,
Heckeroths company, Homestead Enterprises, has built several
electric and solar-electric tractors from the ground up. In the
late 1990s, the company created electric prototypes for two major
tractor manufacturers, Ford-New Holland and Eifrig Ltd., but the
companies did not put them into production.
Despite the numerous advantages of electric power, no major
manufacturers have yet decided to lead the shift that now seems
inevitable as fossil fuels dwindle and costs climb.
Plow-power Pioneers
Nonetheless, Heckeroth is not alone in his conviction that the
future will be solar-electric. Major manufacturers lack of
vision hasnt stopped others who share his understanding of the
multiple benefits of electric tractors. For now, at least,
electric power seems most promising for use on small farms and
home gardens. Here is a quick look at the current
electric-implement market in North America:
Riding mowers. Canadian entrepreneur Brian Edmond routinely mows
two acres of grass using just 50 cents worth of electricity each
time. Edmonds electric lawn tractor uses 48-volt deep-cycle
batteries, permanently lubricated drive components and an
electronic automatic transmission (see photo).
I have been using it for two years now without any problem,
Edmond says. The first thing people say when they see this is,
Why isnt everybody making them?
His new company, Edmond Electric Co., is converting 20 horsepower
lawn and garden tractors to battery power. The electric lawn
tractors, complete with 42-inch mower decks and side discharge,
will go on sale in Europe later this year under the Lawn Boss
brand. If plans work out, they will reach North American markets
in 2007, for about $4,000 each. Edmond says he also hopes to sell
kits for converting conventional gasoline-powered lawn tractors
to electric power around the end of this year for $1,500 to
$2,000.
The kit should be very easy to assemble and should fit most 38-
and 42-inch twin-blade tractors of good quality, Edmond says.
Electric push lawn mowers. Black & Decker sells a cordless push
model for about $450, along with five corded mowers. Country Home
Products Neuton cordless mower recently became the countrys
bestseller, at about $400. Country Home Products also sells the
Neuton battery-powered garden cart, with two forward speeds and
reverse, 200 pound capacity and push-button controls.
Steve Gladstone, Neutons senior product manager, says the
company is developing a solar battery charger. The market is
strong now for battery-powered products, he says. The interest
is there, but battery-electric products cost a bit more than the
gas equivalents. The selling points are convenience and ease of
use, quiet operation, pollution reduction and low maintenance.
Several companies, including Brook-stone and Sunlawn, sell
battery-powered reel mowers, at prices ranging from $200 to $390
(See Cordless Electric Lawn Mowers, April/May 2005).
Solar-electric implements. Free Power Systems is developing a
solar-electric tractor. Owner Tom Lopez, a retired aerospace
engineer, says, This new product will use existing farm
attachments and will be useful for small farms, with batteries
recharged by solar panels attached to its canopy.
The company already sells two solar-powered devices. The Sun
Whisper lawn mower comes standard with a 19 inch blade and a rear
leaf bagger, and it recharges from a roof-mounted solar panel.
The company says it is ideal for lots up to one-third of an acre.
It sells for $675.
The Sun Horse is a 190-pound two-wheeled walk-behind tractor
not a tiller that plows, cultivates and plants with attachments
that mount on a quick-change tool bar. It draws electricity from
a solar panel mounted on its handlebar and looks something like a
tall, narrow mailbox on wheels. It is powerful enough for tough
jobs like plowing and cultivating, yet precise enough for seeding
and close weeding, Lopez says.
The basic Sun Horse with one solar panel costs $2,250. A complete
farming system with plow, four-row gang seeder, cultivators and
more costs about $4,800.
Electric towing. If you need to lug around heavy loads, two
companies make electric vehicles designed expressly to do that.
The Electric Ox, made in Ontario by Electric Tractor Corp., comes
in 36- and 48-volt versions. The company bills it as a towing
vehicle for indoor and outdoor situations. The Electric Ox MP is
designed for outdoor use with attachments to mow, tow, grade or
push snow. The company says the Ox can tow up to 8,000 pounds. An
optional AC inverter allows the 48-volt model to power standard
electric tools.
Gorilla Vehicles sells its Gorilla e-ATV in 24- and 36-volt
versions. Each can be configured for primary use off-road, on
turf, on paved surfaces or in close quarters like warehouses. The
e-ATVs can carry payloads of about 450 pounds and can tow up to
4,000 pounds on level ground.
Drill-drive tiller. Last year, Johnnys Selected Seeds introduced
the Tilther, a 15-inch-wide mini-tiller powered by a cordless
electric drill, developed by master four-season grower Eliot
Coleman. It costs $350.
Coleman says hes not finished inventing. He has a dream, and
some plans, for a go-kart-size electric vehicle that would be a
small mobile platform for seeding, cultivating and harvesting.
Weve been to the moon. Surely we can make better tools for
small farmers, he says. If I could find a bored retired
engineer with a good shop, Id share these plans.
Too Soon to Scale Up
Convincing major tractor makers to go electric is not a simple
task. Like the electric car, electric-powered tractors and garden
and yard implements have had an on-again, mostly off-again
history. General Electric sold the Elec-Trak lawn tractor in the
late 1960s and early 70s. John Deere sold the Electric 90 and
Electric 96 lawn tractor models in the 70s.
Quite a few of those old electric lawn tractors are still mowing
merrily along. In May 2006, a Deere Electric 96 in beautiful
working condition sold on eBay for $650.
Some electric tractor enthusiasts covet the 50-year-old
Allis-Chalmers G model. Its small size and rear-mounted engine
made it ideal for market-garden cultivation and make it ideal
now for conversion to electric power. (See Vintage Tractor Now
Runs on Sunlight.") The modern tractor most similar to the old
Allis G is the Saukville, which is manufactured in Wisconsin. A
20 horsepower gasoline-powered Saukville sells for about $15,000,
while the 26.5 horsepower diesel version costs about $18,600.
Implements are extra.
Saukville President Larry DeLeers has been following the growing
interest in electric tractors, but has no plans to move in that
direction. Electric tractors have potential, he says, but there
are just too many unanswered questions.
Investors are not rushing to the table with wads of cash,
DeLeers says. Is the market big enough to enable you
realistically to recover your investment costs in a reasonable
period of time? I would think one of the big companies would look
at this.
In fact, one of the worlds biggest equipment companies, John
Deere, is at least looking at alternatives. Deere already sells
electric versions of its Gator utility vehicles for about $8,300
and recently introduced a diesel-electric hybrid Gator for the
military. Deere is seriously exploring alternative power sources,
including electric motors.
We have multiple teams in our engineering centers working on
this, says Peter Finamore, manager of research and development
at John Deere Advanced Energy Systems in Charlotte, N.C. This is
a complex issue. There are no easy answers. We do not have
product plans in this area, but we are doing an awful lot of
research and development. Electric vehicles are difficult to
justify, because the cost of electric batteries and drives is
still quite high. But the cost is coming down. Meanwhile, of
course, fuel prices are going up.
Saukvilles DeLeers says, You need to determine the various
loads put on electric motors and how long the batteries can last
under extreme loads. You wouldnt want to be stopping every half
hour to charge the batteries.
Solar-electric devotee Heckeroth says such comments dont
consider the tremendous differences in efficiency: about 80
percent for batteries, 90 percent for electric motors and less
than 20 percent for gas and diesel engines. He points out that in
many huge vehicles, internal-combustion engines dont move the
vehicle directly but generate electricity, which powers electric
motors that actually do the work. People think electric vehicles
are wimpy little things, but the largest earth-moving machines
use engines to power electric wheel-motors, he says. Most
diesel locomotives are electric vehicles. Nuclear submarines are
electric vehicles.
The Little Cub that Can
In Waterford, Maine, retired mechanical engineer John G. Howe
plows, discs, rakes hay, tows up to 100 bales at a time and
even enters tractor pulls all with an antique International
Farmall Cub powered entirely by the sun (see photo).
A metal frame atop the old red tractor holds four photovoltaic
panels. They supply electricity to nine 12-volt batteries stored
in boxes on both sides of the tractor. The deep-cycle marine
batteries cost $60 each. They feed a 10 horsepower DC motor
mounted under the drivers seat. The motor, heavy lead-acid
batteries and 11-by-5-foot canopy all add lots of weight, which
is exactly what a tractor needs for good traction, Howe says. He
spent more than $5,000 converting his Cub to electric power, not
counting the cost of the tractor. He says the power plant is more
than ample.
It definitely works! Howe says. That little bugger has more
power than the tractor can handle. I limit the power to 100 amps
maximum so I dont rip the gears out of the old tractor.
Howe lectures and writes prolifically about alternative energy
and the declining oil supply. He also takes his solar-electric
Cub to rural fairs around Maine, and he says it attracts an
audience that he can tune into his main concerns. Its knee-deep
in people all day long, Howe says. They love it. We use it to
promote the energy cause.
>From lugging logs around his woodlot with a log chain and towing
his wifes Volvo, Howe already knew that his electric Cub was a
pulling fool. But, out of curiosity, he entered it in a
load-pulling contest at a fair last year. I used second gear,
let some air out of the tires and raised the hydraulics, he
says. The front end came up. I couldnt steer. After 40 or 50
feet, I started to head for a wall. I had to shut it down. I got
a standing ovation when I drove out of there.
The Solar-electric Future
As the experiences of Heckeroth, Howe and others show, todays
technology plus a little amateur ingenuity can convert a
standard gas-powered tractor into a quiet, emission-free,
solar-powered electric tractor.
Today, solar-electric mowers and tractors are several things,
depending on scale and point of view: do-it-yourself projects,
on-the-shelf products, development projects or promising
prototypes. Stay tuned as improved solar collectors and
electric drives become available, and oil becomes ever more
expensive, we predict that clean, sustainable solar-electric
power will drive increasing numbers of machines everywhere.
Vintage Tractor Now Runs on Sunlight
It never fails. Whenever Ron Khosla turns on his tractor, nothing
happens. No grinding starter, no plume of blue-black smoke from
an exhaust pipe, no clattering engine. Thats because Khoslas
tractor doesnt have a starter, an exhaust pipe or an engine.
Khoslas antique Allis-Chalmers Model G tractor used to have all
that, of course, as well as a radiator that could boil over in
summer or freeze in winter, a cantankerous carburetor that could
leak gasoline, a fan belt that could break, and motor oil and
various filters that he had to change.
Now, his solar-powered G runs quietly and efficiently, virtually
maintenance- and worry-free. Four powerful batteries sit behind
the drivers seat, where a 5 gallon gasoline tank, a radiator, a
fan and a 12 horsepower internal-combustion engine were
originally installed more than half a century ago.
Khosla doesnt miss the engine, its noise or its smell one bit.
He doesnt worry about running out of gas or its rising price,
either. After hours of peacefully planting or cultivating, Khosla
simply parks his tractor in the field, plugs it into a large,
portable solar panel and recharges his batteries free from
the sun.
I have never run out of juice, he says. I have never had a
problem. We couldnt farm without it. He liked his first
electrified G so much that he converted a second G to
solar-electric power. Khosla and his wife, Kathryn, use the Gs to
run their 13 acre Huguenot Street Farm in New Paltz, N.Y., about
60 miles north of New York City. This Community Supported
Agriculture farm serves 235 members and three large restaurants.
Khosla spent $1,325 converting each tractor. Costs of the solar
panel, mounting frames, etc., were about $2,200. The project was
funded by a $7,000 grant from the U.S. Department of
Agricultures Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
program,which included production of an instruction manual.
(Step-by-step instructions for converting an Allis-Chalmers G to
electric power appear on Khosla's Web site. Mother)
The electric G is still cheaper than a new cultivating tractor,
Khosla says. And it just feels so cool not to have to plug the
tractors into a grid electrical outlet. We also have converter
that allows us to power the whole house and our walk-in cooler
off the tractor batteries, which were charged off the sun. Thats
literally cool!
>From a marketing perspective, saying we run the farm on electric
tractors is good, but saying we run it on solar-electric tractors
... well, that just takes the farm right over the top!
Candidates for Conversion
The Farmall Cub, Allis-Chalmers Model G and John Deere L tractors
are well suited to electric conversion. They were built from the
late 1930s to early 1960s, specifically to replace teams of
horses on small farms. The roughly 10 horsepower size of each
tractor is perfect for conversion to electric power,
solar-electric enthusiast John Howe says. Its big enough to be
useful, yet small enough to be manageable.
Theres just one big problem with those little old tractors
supply. Altogether, only about 250,000 were built. Only 29,970
Allis Gs were made, between 1948 and 1955, and the Deere L is
even more scarce: Only 12,500 were produced, between 1937 and
1946. Each model is highly collectible. Restored or just in good
condition, they sell at auction for $5,000 to $6,500. The
occasional bargain turns up: Ron Khosla, a market farmer in New
Paltz, N.Y., bought two Allis Gs for the unbelievable price of
$1,000 each, and one actually had a working engine. Cubs are much
more plentiful and affordable. More than 200,000 Cubs were made,
between 1947 and 1964, and auction prices of $1,000 to $1,500 are
common.
A great source of information about antique farm equipment is
www.FarmCollector.com, which includes an online collectors show
directory
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
' ____
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EVLN(Power-tool market: largest hi-power Li-ion battery buyer)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.forbes.com/finance/2007/03/06/nanotech-a123-motorola-pf-guru-in_jw_0306soapbox_inl.html
Nano-Batteries That Keep On Going
Josh Wolfe, Forbes/Wolfe Nanotech Report 03.06.08, 4:30 PM ET
A123 Systems is no stranger to readers of the Forbes /Wolfe
Nanotech Report, where, most recently, it topped our list of
potential initial public offering prospects. The company is still
keeping a tight lid on its potential as a new issue this year,
but its steady flow of revenues, top-shelf investors and
expanding market opportunities demand even closer attention.
[Nano 101: An Insiders Guide to the World of Nanotechnology
http://www.newsletters.forbes.com/servlet/ControllerServlet?Action=DisplayPage&Locale=en_US&id=ProductDetailsPage&SiteID=es_764&productID=53889200&pgm=4637100
]
Launched in 2001, A123 leveraged research initiated at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology to commercially develop
lithium-ion batteries that incorporate nanotechnology in the
electrodes. The result is a new generation of batteries that
deliver up to 10 times longer cycle life, five times more power
and dramatically faster charge times over conventional high-power
battery technology. These claims--validated by independent
testing at commercial and government research labs--are
impressive enough. But a little over a year ago, A123 also gained
some validation in the marketplace when Black & Decker selected
its batteries to power a new generation of power tools. The new
line of tools are more powerful, longer-lasting and
faster-charging.
In fact, the power-tool market is currently the largest buyer of
high-power Li-ion batteries, and Black & Decker represents 67% of
the U.S. market, with an overall battery expenditure of $750
million. Admittedly, most of that money goes toward more
conventional Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd) technology, but Li-ion
batteries continue to expand their share.
Special Offer: The threat of global terrorism continues to rise,
but nanotechnology could be the U.S. Department of Defense's
secret weapon to thwart evildoers. To find out which nanotech
companies stand to profit, click here to download a Special
Report: How Nanotech Will Help Win the War Against Terror.
Furthermore, the power-tool market may be only the tip of the
iceberg for A123's advanced battery technology. Cellphone maker
Motorola is among the start-up's earliest backers and is the
world's second-largest buyer of Li-ion batteries. In Feburary
2006, Motorola joined other high-profile investors such as
General Electric and Qualcomm to provide A123 with $30 million in
its third round of private-equity funding. The round raised
A123's total investment to date to $62 million. The company said
it plans to use that money to expand manufacturing capacity and
accelerate development of batteries for the hybrid electric
vehicle market.
Interest--and additional funding--from the automotive quarters
wasn't far behind. In December, the U.S. Advanced Battery
Consortium, a group that includes DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor and
General Motors, awarded A123 Systems a 36-month, $15 million
contract. The contract will fund development of a lower-cost
lithium-ion phosphate battery technology with enhanced power,
lifetime and durability for hybrid-electric vehicle
applications.
Also, earlier this month, GM awarded contracts for undisclosed
sums to Johnson Controls and Cobasys to develop Li-ion batteries
for its upcoming Saturn Vue Green Line hybrid. Cobasys said it
will work with A123 Systems to develop the battery technology.
Excerpted from a recent issue of Forbes/Wolfe Nanotech Report.
Send comments and questions to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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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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