[EVDL] National Drive Electric Week. Novato, CA

[Lawrence Rhodes via EV]

Electric vehicles of all sorts will be demonstrated..  
https://driveelectricweek.org/event.php?eventid=347 Lawrence Rhodes
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[EVDL] EVLN: Manzi charges his i3 EV with PVs making it truly green

[brucedp5 via EV]

http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20150908/PC05/150909774
National Drive Electric Week: Local man charges his electric vehicle with
solar panels
David Quick  Sep 8 2015

[image  
http://www.postandcourier.com/storyimage/CP/20150908/PC05/150909774/AR/0/AR-150909774.jpg
John Manzi, 70, of Folly Beach’s Little Oak Island, uses solar panels on the
roof of his house to charge his 2015 BMW i3, which has a range extender.

http://www.postandcourier.com/storyimage/CP/20150908/PC05/150909774/EP/1/1/EP-150909774.jpg
In July, John Manzi had 32 280-watt solar panels installed on the roof of
his Little Oak Island home. The panels not only generate electricity for his
3,000-square-foot home but for his new BMW i3 car. David Quick/Staff
]

If you go
WHAT: National Drive Electric Week — Charleston.
WHEN: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday [9/12]
WHERE: Local Works, 1600 Meeting St.
HOW MUCH: Free. Food trucks will be on hand for food purchases.
DETAILS: About 25 owners and operators of an array of electric vehicles will
be on hand to answer questions, and in some cases, provide test drives. Also
industry vendors for solar power and charging stations will be on hand.

MORE: driveelectricweek.org or the event’s facebook page.

FOLLY BEACH — Ever since electric vehicles hit the American market five
years ago, there’s been debate over whether “EVs” are truly green.

The arguments often fell along political lines and how the carbon footprint
of the cars was calculated. But generally the benefits depended on how the
power plant sources generated the electricity.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, plants using coal, which are
increasingly being phased out, meant an EV was still better than a
gasoline-powered vehicle but not as good as a hybrid.

Well, people like Folly Beach’s John Manzi appear to be ending the debate —
tipping the scales decidedly toward EVs being a clear, greener choice.

The 70-year-old is charging his new BMW i3 electric car, purchased in
January, with solar panels that were installed on his Little Oak Island
house in July.

Manzi, a retired college professor, aquaculturalist and developer, said he
and wife Judy have been looking to lessen their carbon footprint for years.

Teslas appealed to him but were too expensive. The luxury vehicles currently
start at $80,000.

Less expensive EVs, such as Nissan’s Leaf and Chevrolet’s Volt, were
available, but Manzi also admitted to suffering what many do when it comes
to electric cars: range anxiety.

“People suffer range anxiety. I don’t care what the range is — 150 miles or
300 miles. You’ll still have anxiety about will I get to that next charging
station or enough power to get home,” Manzi said.

But then BMW introduced its i3, which has the option of a “range extender” —
a two gallon, gas-powered generator for the battery.

Unlike a hybrid or the Volt, the generator is not attached to the drive
train and doesn’t kick in until the battery is nearly depleted. The extender
will provide him with about a 70-mile buffer.

For Manzi, the car also was within his price range of about $43,000, not
including a $7,500 federal income tax credit.

Another advantageous development took place.

The state passed a law about net metering making solar power for his house
more economically beneficial.

Manzi got estimates from three local solar companies, which he described as
all professional and thorough, to install photovoltaic panels and went with
Edgewater Energy Services.

He had 32 280-watt panels put on his roof, some on flatter portions and
others on pitched sections. The cost was about $30,000, but he’ll get about
$16,000 back in the form of federal and state tax credits.

With net metering, he anticipates the solar panels will pay for themselves
via energy savings within five years.

Over the course of a year, the system is expected provide 100 percent of his
energy needs for their 3,000-square-foot home and his electric car.

And he can monitor the energy production in real time with an app on his
tablet computer.

“It’s all come together this year,” said Manzi, noting his interests in
technology, reducing their carbon footprint and saving money.

Manzi is disappointed he won’t be able to make an event coming up on
Saturday.

Across the nation, electric car enthusiasts and environmental advocates will
come together for events related to National Drive Electric Week.

The promotion is presented by Plug In America, the Sierra Club and the
Electric Auto Association.

In Charleston, it will take place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Local
Works, 1600 Meeting St.

Nearly 25 local electric car owners and operators will be on hand with an
array of vehicles currently on the market for people to see or test drive.

Sharon Foxworthy, one of the organizers of the event, said the event also
will feature industry-related vendors providing information on solar panels,
charging stations and other related products.
[© 2015 The Post and Courier,]




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[EVDL] EVLN: Free PlugShare, Sungevity EVSE Offer4 SF-CA Bay Area Customers

[brucedp5 via EV]

http://www.plugincars.com/plugshare-and-sungevity-offer-free-charging-stations-bay-area-customers-130996.html
PlugShare and Sungevity Offer Free Charging Stations for Bay Area Customers
By Brad Berman · September 09, 2015

[image  
http://www.plugincars.com/sites/default/files/solar-panels-electric-car-620.jpg
Home Solar and an Electric Car
]

Electric vehicle drivers in the San Francisco Bay Area now have a new reason
to go solar. PlugShare and Sungevity teamed up to offer a free Level 2
residential charging station to all rooftop solar panel customers who drive
an EV. Eligible customers will receive a 7.2-kW GE WattStation charging
station—and free installation—when they opt to add rooftop solar to their
homes. The deal yields an average savings of about $2,100. Details about the
program are available at the PlugShare website [
http://www.plugshare.com/drivesolar/
].

The task of buying and installing an EV charging station and installation is
often an afterthought for many first-time EV buyers. As indicated by an
April 2015 report from the Department of Energy’s EV Project, these expenses
can wildly vary across different regions of the United States, with costs
during the early period of EV introduction running at $1,459 on average in
the San Francisco Bay Area. In most cases, installation costs from a trusted
electrician these days are considerably less—however, the free offer from
PlugShare and Sungevity entirely eliminates these concerns.

Though the deal is initially limited to Bay Area homeowners, the two
companies said they plan to roll it out to other markets. Sungevity is the
largest privately held solar energy provider in the United States, and
currently has operations in 14 states and the District of Columbia.
PlugShare is the most popular and highly rated charging station locator app,
displaying more than 30,000 charging sites to more than 120,000 plug-in
vehicle drivers across North America.

EVs and Solar: Perfect for Each Other
Electric vehicles and solar energy are a natural pairing. (See our guide to
combining solar panels with an electric car [
www.plugincars.com/combining-solar-panels-electric-car-130161.html
].) Both are clean technologies with relatively high upfront costs that are
offset by lower energy costs in the long run. Both hold strong appeal with
environmentalists and technology lovers.

Moreover, the best time to work on one home electrical project is when
you’re working on another one. The two technologies, EV charging and home
solar, can essentially be viewed as a single system. The installation can be
coordinated in a single project, eliminating the uncertainty that many new
EV drivers face. Any upgrades to panels, or other special considerations,
can be completed in unison, and therefore in a more cost-effective and
streamlined manner.

According to a 2014 PlugInsights survey, roughly 13 percent of plug-in
vehicle drivers also have a rooftop solar setup. That's a significant
correlation, considering that less than 1 percent of Americans have home
solar.

EVs are cleaner than conventional vehicles—regardless of the source of
energy. But solar power offers the capability to drive on 100 percent
emissions-free power.

In Colorado, three counties have banded together to encourage tandem solar
and EV use. Adams, Denver and Bolder counties offer discounts of up to 15
percent on solar installation as well as additional rebates for the Nissan
LEAF.

Sungevity offers free solar installation estimates over the phone without
the need to schedule an appointment for an onsite evaluation. Considering
the free, convenient process for getting a quote, homeowners who drive or
are considering driving a plug-in vehicle have nothing to lose from
exploring the options.
[© plugincars.com]




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http://www.pv-magazine.com/services/press-releases/details/beitrag/tata-power-solar-sets-up-solar-vehicle-charging-station-at-gujarat-sachivalaya_100020987/
Tata Power Solar sets up solar EVSE at Gujarat Sachivalaya

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099886_drive-electric-week-larger-than-ever-165-cities-3-countries-starting-sep-12
Drive Electric Week Larger Than Ever: 165 Cities, 3 Countries ...
http://images.thecarconnection.com/med/national-drive-electric-week-2014-gathering-in-new-britain-ct-photo-by-gian-metzger_100482446_m.jpg

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/lawnton-solar-business-owner-using-sun-power-to-offer-electric-car-drivers-free-fuel-at-his-showroom/story-e6frg6n6-1227512654733
Free L2 EVSE @Springers Solar Lawnton.au
+
EVLN: Manzi charges his i3 EV with solar panels making it truly green


{brucedp.150m.com}



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[EVDL] EVLN: Ally’s e-tricycles pick Joburg.za’s alleys clean

[brucedp5 via EV]

http://www.bdlive.co.za/business/innovation/2015/09/08/allys-tricycles-pick-joburgs-alleys-clean
Ally’s tricycles pick Joburg’s alleys clean
by Sue Grant-Marshall, September 08 2015

[image  
http://www.bdlive.co.za/incoming/2015/09/07/gezajozi-september-2015/ALTERNATES/crop_400x250/GezaJozi+September+2015
Joburg’s waste pickers are getting a leg-up with young entrepreneur Gabriel
Ally’s GezaJozi startup, which uses electric trikes to double their loads.
Picture: SEAN MCLEOD
]

GEZAJOZI, a recycling project helping waste-pickers to join the formal
economy and earn a decent wage, is the initiative of Gabriel Ally, a former
Johannesburg junior mayor.

While researching the feasibility of the project, he met a recycler whose
body was doubled over in a big municipal bin as he scrabbled determinedly,
emerging triumphant with a newspaper he carefully scrutinised.

Ally, 23, questioned the man in his fluent Zulu. It emerged that he was
looking for the employment section of a newspaper — he had his matric
certificate tucked into his pocket. He lived in an abandoned cemetery, had
dependants and needed a job.

This man is one of the many reasons why Ally, 2010 head boy of St David’s
Marist Inanda, launched his recycling initiative last year.


Today he has a fleet of [Electric] tricycles powered by pedalling and
batteries, each of which has a storage bin that carries up to 120kg of
waste. He rents a recycling depot in Johannesburg’s CBD and has sponsors,
backers and advertisers keen to support him.


Ally’s desire to help the army of people picking through other people’s
waste to feed their families began after he wrote his second-year exams for
his BComm in politics, philosophy and economics at the University of Cape
Town (UCT) and came home to Johannesburg, the city he loves.

"I was stunned to see the increase in trolley recyclers," he says.
"Everywhere I looked they were hauling their back-breaking loads along
crowded streets, enduring curses and hoots as they tried to earn a living in
our woefully underemployed society."

Ally’s entrepreneurial spirit — he comes from a family deeply imbued with it
— leapt to the fore. He had struggled to repress it but everything he had
learned yelled "business opportunity" at him.

When he started his studies he realised his university residence needed a
cleaning service — so he started one. He took the ID photographs required of
first-year students and organised an airport shuttle service for fellow
residents.

Ally wasn’t driven by financial need, he had an Allan Gray bursary following
a tough selection process in his matric year.

"I reasoned that I could always go back to studying by using online courses
from great universities such as Harvard and Columbia," he says. "I wanted to
learn about business first hand from life."

HE BEGAN rising at 3am, joining waste pickers on the streets as the sun rose
and chatting to them as he helped them with their messy work.

"My goals are to help trolley recyclers make more money by doubling their
loads," he says. "I want to bring them into the formal economy and I’m
really keen to save our environment."

In 2010 the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research estimated that
only 3% of SA’s urban population recycles its waste. The import of that
finding hits home when Ally points out: "If Joburg continues to use landfill
for 90% of its waste it will probably run out of space by 2030."


He is not a designer or engineer but he created a prototype tricycle in his
garage to help the recyclers transport their loads. Finally, he decided that
a 500W electrically assisted e-Trike was the way to go.

"It’s safer, better balanced than a bicycle and can carry a load of 120kg
over 40km," he says. During his research he discovered that some
waste-pickers manage to drag 50kg through the streets on their unstable
wooden platforms.

Ally and his sponsors procured trikes with disc brakes, lights, indicators
and hooters. Friends and relatives were advising him on his prototype when a
businessman saw a drawing of his home-made trike, "and rang me immediately.
Within five minutes of meeting, we were jotting down figures and I had
financial backing."


GezaJozi — Geza comes from the isiZulu ukugeza, to clean — which operates
mainly in Rosebank and Craighall, began by collecting household waste. Now
it has moved to office parks, to a printing outlet that discards a great
deal of paper and to Ally’s old school.

"Several office parks are now showing an interest in us. It makes economic
sense for them to do so as we’re a small, predominantly black-owned
business," Ally says.

"We’re contributing to the economy by creating jobs. Any assistance they
give us allocates them enterprise development points on their BEE
scorecard."

GezaJozi won’t deal with household waste for much longer, Ally says. "We’re
moving into the formal economy and we don’t want to compete unfairly with
the informal pickers."

After his local manufacturing capacity is fully developed, 

[EVDL] UPDATED: Silicon Valley EVs @DeAnza NDEW 10a-3p 9/19 Cupertino-CA

[brucedp5 via EV]

% Their updated rally page shows more of what will be at the EVent %

http://eaasv.org/rally/
43rd Annual Silicon Valley Electric Vehicle Rally & Drive Electric Week,
held at De Anza College, Cupertino, CA

[image  
http://eaasv.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/EVRalley_Poster2015-1.jpg
eaasv.org poster
]

Come celebrate the weekend of National Drive Electric Week with the nation’s
LARGEST electric vehicle event on Saturday, September 19th, 2015 from 10 AM
to 4 PM.

Features include:

Ride & Drive (Owners)
Tesla S, Tesla Roadster, Nissan LEAF, Toyota Rav4 EV, VW e-Golf, BMW i3,
custom EVs, +more

Fun & Educational for Kids
Electric Bath Tub Racers
Electric Bikes / Scooters (Test Track)

Features include:
Exhibitors
Pacific Gas & Electric
NRG
Center for Sustainable Energy
PlugShare
ChargePoint
Schneider Electric
Eco Green Auto Clean
Coast to Coast e-Mobility
Best Western Plus Villa Del Lago Inn
eMotorWerks – Charging Stations
Sungevity – Solar / Charging Stations
Silicon Segway

Fleet Partner
Green Fleets Group FLEET FOCUS

Custom Electric Vehicles on Display
Talks on Electric Vehicle Topics
EV Conversions
Sustainability

Raffle Give-away
Charging Stations
T-Shirts

Food Trucks
Waffle Amore
Barefoot Coffee
Mogo BBQ
Scoops Ice Cream


How to Get to the Rally (directions):
Heading North or South on 85, Exit at Stevens Creek, go East. (map)
http://eaasv.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/DeAnzaCollegeOverViewMap_Directions-e1409973650944.jpg

EVent located on the NE corner of the De Anza College campus:
21250 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino, CA 95014 (Map)
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=21250+Stevens+Creek+Blvd+95014


Media  Check out these videos:

https://youtu.be/Wqma3lHPM_o
2014 Guinness World Record

http://youtu.be/ip6Kh6dEHUo
2012 Plug-In Day


Social  Find us and interact before the event:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/eaasv/
https://twitter.com/EAASV
https://plus.google.com/b/110677355331046465292/+EaasvOrgSV/
[© 2015 EAASV]
...
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=plugshare.com+95014
Nearby EVSE




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[EVDL] bike battery with brains

[ken via EV]

 want to know about a bike battery with high desinty cells that came thru
about a week ago, it had gps and brians to let you know how many miles
left, blue tooth , etc. was apossed to piush bicycle 100 miles..

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Re: [EVDL] bike battery with brains

[EVDL Administrator via EV]

On 13 Sep 2015 at 2:41, ken via EV wrote:

>  want to know about a bike battery with high desinty cells that came thru
> about a week ago

The searchable EVDL archive is here :

http://www.evdl.org/archive/index.html

Hope you find what you're looking for!

David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA
EVDL Administrator

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[EVDL] EVent: Kauai PVs @Kukui Grove Center NDEW 10a-1p 9/19 Lihue-HI

[brucedp5 via EV]

http://thegardenisland.com/news/local/electric-drive/article_625e6180-6dc5-53d7-bfe8-2e594128458c.html
Gas-less cars celebrated, ready to ride during Sept. 19 event
September 12, 2015  Dennis Fujimoto

[images  / Dennis Fujimoto
http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/thegardenisland.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/23/c23e48e8-97b0-540a-b390-bde7fbc14a3b/55f3adcfaf1d4.image.jpg
Myra Deyden unplugs her electric car from one of the charging stations in
the Lihue Civic Center parking lot as her husband Paul watches after
accepting a National Drive Electric Week proclamation from Mayor Bernard
Carvalho Jr.

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/thegardenisland.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/0d/d0d57d30-5ad0-5007-93c4-ec40186b634a/55f3adcfc4018.image.jpg
Shelley Paik and Brooke Jacintho of the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative
Communications Dept. prepare to leave the Moikeha Building in the KIUC
electric vehicle after participating in the National Drive Electric Week
proclamation
]

LIHUE — Paul Deyden of Poipu installed photovoltaic panels to the charger of
his electric vehicle.

“What this means is the car is charged by the sun,” Deyden’s wife, Myra,
said. “This means we don’t pay that much to operate our electric vehicle.”

The Deydens have owned and operated their electric vehicle for about 18
months, and have nothing but praise for it.

“We live in the center of the island,” Paul said. “This means we can go
either way and have enough charge to go and come back home on a charge. It’s
a little harder on the Westside because of the limited number of charging
stations, but on the Eastside, we can go to Princeville, charge for two
hours at 50 cents an hour while having lunch, and have enough power to come
home.”

Drivers who have questions about owning and operating electric vehicles are
invited to the free National Drive Electric Week event at the Kukui Grove
Center from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 19.

Jon Kaaihue of Aloha Kia Kauai said they will have the electric Soul, which
was recently displayed at the Kauai County Farm Bureau Fair. The electric
Soul will be joined by other electric car offerings and will offer
ride-and-drive opportunities where drivers can learn about the clean-air
benefits and potential cost-savings of EVs.

“This is very exciting for us,” Myra, who is coordinating the Kauai Drive
Electric Week, said. “Even if you have never thought about owning an EV,
this is a great opportunity to learn more about them. We think EVs are a
great fit for Kauai.”
[© thegardenisland.com]
...
www.kukuigrovecenter.com/
Kukui Grove Center (shopping mall)
3-2600 Kaumualii Hwy, Lihue, HI 96766  (808) 245-7784




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Re: [EVDL] [SPAM?] Re: EVLN: After Leaf the lease, we're living the IL Tesla-S EV dream

[Mike Nickerson via EV]

Depends how and when you defined base model.  For a while, the base model was a 
70D that was all wheel drive.  Recently, Tesla changed their configuration to 
make the dual motor optional on the 70 kWh model.  That let them offer a lower 
cost option.

Mike


On September 12, 2015 8:03:04 PM MDT, Alan Arrison via EV  
wrote:
>I'm pretty sure a base model does not come with all wheel drive.
>
>
>On 9/12/2015 4:11 AM, brucedp5 via EV wrote:
>>
>>
>http://www.postindependent.com/opinion/18014132-113/letter-an-electric-dream
>> Letter: An electric dream
>> September 3, 2015 |
>>
>> My wife and I once thought that owning a Tesla was only a dream and
>that we
>> could never afford it. It was only after our lease ended on our
>all-electric
>> Nissan Leaf that we realized how much money we saved over those
>years. Zero
>> emissions, zero gas, practically zero maintenance (tires and
>windshield
>> wipers), and tax rebates saved us thousands over a traditional car.
>And we
>> loved driving it.
>>
>> We are a middle-class, regular family and we just bought a base model
>Tesla
>> Model S. It truly is a dream car and way more affordable than we had
>once
>> thought. We’re getting $14,000 back in taxes, never have to pay for
>gas,
>> take free family road trips and have the all-wheel drive needed for
>the
>> mountains.
>>
>> If you want more info on the reality of how much an electric vehicle
>really
>> costs, I’d be happy to respond to e-mails at craigfarnum hotmail.com.
>(And
>> no, I don’t work for a car company.)
>>   Craig Farnum
>>   Carbondale [IL]
>> [© postindependent.com]
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> For EVLN posts use:
>> http://evdl.org/evln/
>>
>>
>> {brucedp.150m.com}
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> View this message in context:
>http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-After-Leaf-the-lease-we-re-living-the-IL-Tesla-S-EV-dream-tp4677551.html
>> Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive
>at Nabble.com.
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>>
>
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[EVDL] EVLN: $7k Thelen's 1976 Honda Civic EV Project r:43mi ts:75mph

[brucedp5 via EV]

http://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue0914/A-Real-DIY-Project-Saint-Marys-employee-designs-his-own-electric-car.html
A Real DIY Project
By Diane Claytor  September 9th, 2015

[image  / Diane Claytor
http://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue0914/images/0914-02401.jpg
Carl Thelen points out the wiring under the hood

http://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue0914/images/0914-02402.jpg
The view of the back of Thelen's 1976 Honda Civic with 11 of its 15
batteries

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Thelen sits in his converted-to-electric 1976 Honda Civic
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Saint Mary's employee designs his own electric car

When Carl Thelen graduated from UC Berkeley almost 30 years ago, his family
gave him a graduation gift: their 10-year-old manual transmission Honda
Civic. He was thrilled. For the next 20 years, it was his daily mode of
transportation. "It was such a fun car to drive," said Thelen, who is the
director of instructional technology at Saint Mary's College. But then it
developed "the bad - and very expensive - habit of blowing head gaskets," he
noted. The car sat, unused, for several years. He couldn't find a
replacement engine. His auto mechanic tried rebuilding the engine, but the
head gaskets kept blowing. So Thelen, who said he was "fortunate enough to
go to school at a time when they still taught metal shop, wood shop and
electronics," came up with the bright idea to try converting his 1976 car,
which had 276,000 miles on it, to an electric vehicle. "I figured I had
learned all this stuff years earlier so I could do it," he said.

A self-described tinkerer, Thelen admits he had no idea where to begin. He
went to a local electric car club and learned that the Civic is an excellent
car to convert because it's small, lightweight and strong. He talked to
people, read books and slowly moved forward. Of course, like most projects,
this one took far longer and was considerably more involved than expected.
The "very part-time" conversion started in 2010; with the help of his
10-year-old daughter, it is now mostly completed. "At least it's finished
enough to be considered legal, with all the proper stickers," he proclaimed.

The car uses 15 eight volt lead acid golf cart batteries (a 120 volt
system): 11 in the back, four more in the front engine compartment; 120 volt
cables; and a 12 volt auxiliary battery that basically does the same thing
as the starter in a regular car. The engine and miscellaneous items were
removed and approximately 1,200 pounds of batteries and other items were
added. So this electric vehicle now weighs about 600 pounds more than its
pre-converted model. A can of "fix a flat" has replaced the spare tire "to
keep the weight down," he said. "The books I read said to have a fire
extinguisher on hand. I'm not sure why, but I have one." There is also a
circuit breaker that will shut everything down if something goes wrong.

While not thoroughly tested, when fully charged, the car has a range of
about 43 miles, depending on the number of stops, hills, speed, and
temperature, Thelen said. "I've calculated that I can go from home in San
Pablo, take my daughter to school, get to work and then, if my daughter got
sick, get back to her school and home again," he said. Of course, by then,
the battery would be "completely exhausted." There is a charging port - a
120-volt, grounded plug - where the gas tank opening used to be. And Thelen
knows - and has used - just about every parking spot on campus that's near
an outlet.

He fully charges the car at home every night; it takes about 15 hours. "So
I'm really not limited to 43 miles during the day," Thelen noted. "I just
have to be near an outlet and have the time to charge it. It's typically
fully charged again by the time I leave work. It really is the perfect
commuter car." Thelen also has a gas-driven car. "I drove it last week and
by the time I got home, it was pretty much 'sucking fumes.' I'm no longer
accustomed to looking at the gauge on a regular basis."

As for speed, Thelen said he's gotten up to 75 miles per hour. "But it's not
very happy going that fast. That speed really drains the battery. It's very
happy at 60 miles per hour. In first gear, it cruises along at 25 miles per
hour; in second gear, it's a happy camper at 40 miles per hour."

Before going for a quick ride, Thelen, a very animated speaker, described
all the sounds his passenger may hear. "There are going to be some strange
noises," he explained. "The doors creak, there will be a funny noise from
the vacuum pump, a clicking from the contactor (main switch), whirring from
the motor and squeaks and groans from the back." Every noise mentioned was,
indeed, heard.

The conversion likely cost between $5,000 to 7,000, Thelen said, "vastly
more than the car is worth." And he's really not sure how much time he's
spent on it over the past five years. But it doesn't matter. Thelen
explained that he did this because he wanted to challenge