Hi
In response to Charles' email, I wanted to present a counter idea to how
the charter for FLEAA works. I'm not suggesting a change but just a
different point of view.
I appreciate the integrity of the members for not taking a markup or
charge for their time in working with other members. If those are the
rule of the group I think they should be followed. My thought is the I
would really like to get some help to convert a vehicle to electric but
my time is limited. I know how difficult it is to get help on someones
free time, for instance I'm working with a charity for girls in Kenya on
a web site, free of charge because I'm good friend with one of the
founders and my connections with Kenya. And I wouldn't feel comfortable
asking for someones time, unless I could provide some momentary or other
way to help them. If there are individuals who provide these these types
of services, converting to electric, I think it would be important to
help them build their business. Unfortunately, most of the ways to help
a business is to do it financially, we do live in a world that money
makes things go around.
It seems to me,that to get the best help from the experts and make it a
win win situations for myself and the expert would be to cancel my
membership and see if I could hire these experts in planning and
implementing a conversion. I would feel more comfortable knowing I was
not being a burden on someones time (I have done the helping people with
computer stuff most of my life). I think it's important to help them to
grow there business or start one if they like doing this. If they want
to take the money and donate to the club or keep it to build there
business or something else, it wouldn't matter to me. It would allow me
to sleep at night know I did the right thing.
If I did cancel my membership, wouldn't mean I would stop donating money
for dues or for things like battery beach burnout or not going to
meetings. I would just be able to get started and know I would be able
to get assistance, if my time became an issue. For me right now time is
my biggest constraint.
I hope you don't mind hearing a different view point.
Greg
Charles Whalen wrote:
Hi Joseph and all,
There is nothing new about this. I have posted to the FLEAA on this subject
previously about these services and parts supplies & inventory. One
important thing I have mentioned in my previous posts on this subject but
did not mention in yesterday's post, which is worth pointing out, is that I
offer these parts and services as a FLEAA member, and in keeping with the
FLEAA's non-profit status, I do so without making any profit, without
charging any markup on the parts supplies and inventory, and without
charging anything for my time, services, and labor -- absolutely nothing!
(This is no different than, for instance, the National EAA, which offers,
through its Chairman Ron Freund's services, Avcon to 14-50 adaptor boxes, to
EAA members at the cost of materials, with no markup added and no
compensation to Ron for his time and labor in making up these boxes.) I
spent a good deal of my time servicing and troubleshooting a problem with
one South Florida-based RAV4-EV for a FLEAA member a few weeks ago, all on
my own time and without charge. It turned out that the problem was not with
the car but with the charger. The only immediate fix to get the car back on
the road again for its driver was for me to sell the owner a new inductive
charger from my inventory. The owner wanted to pay me more than I had paid
for the charger so that I could make something on it. I politely declined
his kind offer and insisted that I would only sell the charger at my cost
that I had paid for it, pointing out that I do this as a non-profit service
for FLEAA members, and that it is not my intention to make money off of
EVers.
Another point I would like to make is that in facilitating Prius plug-in
hybrid conversions with the government-certified A123/Hymotion kit, I
personally, the FLEAA as an organization, do not have any business or
financial relationship, investment, or interest in the companies involved in
that business. I/we simply provide information and referral services to
people in Florida who are interested in converting their Priuses to plug-in
hybrid. The A123/Hymotion kit is the only DOT/EPA/NHTSA certified kit that
is eligible for federal government rebates of up to $4,000, principally in
the form of federal tax credits, for individuals who convert their Priuses
to plug-in hybrids, under legislation that is currently pending in Congress.
My understanding is that the legislation, as it has been drafted, only
provides federal tax credits to plug-in hybrid conversion kits that have
been certified by the DOT, EPA, and NHTSA, and must be installed by
certified installers.
Charles Whalen
Florida EAA
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:25:11 -0400
From: "Joseph T. " <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: [FLEAA] BROWARD COUNTY NEW CHAMBER MEMBER DISCOUNT LIPTON
TOYOTA]
To: "david starky" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "FLEAA Mailing List"
<[email protected]>
Message-ID:
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
I never knew the FLEAA (specifically Charles Whalen) had such supplies
or sources for the Rav4 EV.
"We have facilitated the conversion of a number of Priuses to plug-in
hybrids using the DOT/EPA/NHTSA-certified A123/Hymotion PHEV
kit both by individuals, including some of our Florida EAA members,
and commercial and government fleet operators in Florida, and are
continuing to do so."
Charles, have the A123 kits been government certified yet?
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