Although the Chevy VOLT, TOYOTA RAV 4 EV, Tango, and Tesla may be too large and expensive for retires like myself; however, other options should be made available to purchase or import more economical EVs.

My reasons for an EV:

o Would meet my day-to-day travel requirements.

o Less expensive to purchase, maintain & fuel than the existing vehicles.

o Possibly safer – reducing the risk of fires & explosions when accidents happen.

o Lower the demand for gasoline; that is the only way we will lower prices.

o Contribute less to the destruction of the environment.

o Conserve fossil fuels for future generations.

o Decrease our demand and dependency on foreign oil.

o Prevent sending more of our young men and women to the Middle East.

o Expeditious promote development of alternative electric energy technologies.

o Easier to monitor & regulate electric energy pollution than that of gasoline.

Ø Similar incentives offered to Europeans could be offered to EV owners here.

· Economical licensing and parking fees.

· Economical Insurance cost.

· Access to VAT lanes and other benefits.

Although the Chevy VOLT, TOYOTA RAV 4 EV, Tango, and Tesla may be too large and expensive for retires like myself; however, other options should be made available to purchase or import more economical EVs.

I suspect the Oil Industry and those who benefit from it like governments and auto manufacturers regardless of their claims of being concerned about the environment would ever promote EVs for North America. These have been produced on a test basis in the past, vehicles like the Ford TH!NK, Citroen Berlingo, or the Renault Kangoo which were removed and destroyed. Sadly we are lagging behind California and countries where the use of EVs is being promoted.

The promotion of electric car technology by government policies in Canada and the United States would convince auto manufactures to produce vehicles that reduce Global Warming. However, electric car technology that could ‘mass-produce’ reasonable priced urban transit vehicles, reportedly be suppressed in favour of the objectives of commercial for profit interests of technologies that continue to deteriorate our social and environmental way of life. Maybe when the average North American citizen’s living standards have been reduced to that of 3rd world countries, we will make a better effort.

Amazingly Europeans and some 3rd world countries reported make and sell urban EVs for less than the cheapest North American subcompact. I would like to know the availability and retail costs of EVs in other countries? Also what incentives are offered to encourage people to purchase these EVs?

I did consider purchasing a SMART two years ago when they were introduced here in Canada, as they were appealing, easily accessibility, compact, economical and used less fuel. However, I have recently learned Diamond-Chrysler plan to lease about 200 Smart cars that will be solely electric in England in November 2007. This is similar to what Ford did with its TH!NK in 1999 in Norway. I will opt to wait for these to be offered here keeping my present car on he road. I have volunteered to test an Electric Smart Car but doubt they would bring one into Canada even as proto-type to test its marketability here. They also are testing an A-Class Electric Vehicle that would meet the urban transportation requirements of most people. I would be willing to test that prototype here as well.

Some information I was able to access:

http://www.azuredynamics.com/about_azure.htm

http://www.azuredynamics.com/commercial_fleet.htm

http://getkurrent.com/whykurrent.html

http://www.commutercars.com/

http://www.itiselectric.com/

http://www.acpropulsion.com/ebox/pricing.htm

Note the conversion cost is such that only the very wealthy could afford it. I suspect this is to prevent the conversion being available to the average consumer.

http://www.chevrolet.com/electriccar/

I am sure Chevy will kill this concept car before producing for reasonable cost to the general public.

http://www.phoenixmotorcars.com/index.html

http://www.myersmotors.com/

http://www.autospectator.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8625

http://jalopnik.com/cars/mitsubishi/mitsubishis-latest-miev-conceptev-urban-capsule-157526.php

http://jalopnik.com/cars/news/mitsubishi-to-test-i+based-electric-car-206715.php

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2006/07/electric-powered-mini-qed-concept-with.html

http://www.elbilnorge.no/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=7&bakgrunn=english

http://southcoastauto.us/

http://www.evuk.co.uk/hotwires/jim/art23.html

http://www.goingreen.co.uk/store/content/gwiz/

http://www.goingreen.co.uk/store/content/gwiz/

http://milesautomotive.com/aboutus_news.php

http://www.revanorge.no/

http://www.zenncars.com/

http://www.zapworld.com/

http://getkurrent.com/whykurrent.html

I would be keen to see commentary regarding the feasibility of EVs as an environment friendly option for urban commuting in our major North American cities posted to your Blog.

Thanks, Michael Travaline

I believe there are two basic types people with all colors in between. I call them Artist and Engineers. There is value in both. The Artist doesn’t know how to do anything and the Engineer doesn’t know right from wrong. The Artist says this is happening and then that is happening and he says stop that because it is BAD. The Engineer says, Stop That – We can’t do that; there is NO other way and it is required. Now you have to ask; who it right? To me the answer is time.

In must cases the Engineer is right because he understand what is needed to get thing done, but the artist may have correct position on the over all problem. The artist job is to just keep shouting, stop that it’s BADD. The engineer starts to question his belief and says, well we can’t just stop this, but we could change the way we are doing it from this to that.

This begins the process of change and even if the change is mostly what the artist wanted, he still continues to want more, which is not bad and the race will continue to the end of time. Me-I’m an Electrical Engineer and I what you to tell me what should be changed and it is my job to figure out how!!

My last point is, as my dad would say, we couldn’t solve all the problems for you guys. We needed to leave you something to do! So at my age of 61 I look forward to the next 10 to 15 years of helping people install solar systems in – on – and around their houses. I hope to be helping get as many Car Power Station built as I can; then you guys can figure out the rest of the story.

Tom McGreer – Green Works

I use a 1970’s mono tube radio to feed signal into and from my 2005 Sony minidisc digital recorder! (But I also hear where you’re coming from)

My point is basically that if you work backward from the 80% cuts from 1990 levels called for by the Union of Concerned Scientists, and take into account the lowest-hanging fruit phenomenon, by weighting those cuts to be heaviest in the first half of that period (up to 2025) and then again in the first half of that period (I’m saying the next decade) then its likely plausible to say that this means 60% cuts needed in roughly the next decade, which aligns with what Nicholas Stern said, in his review, that it all hangs on what we do in the next decade or two. (My calculations are weighted on the side of caution, based on the recent weather manifestations representing phenomena scientists were saying global warming would likely lead to the increased probability of occurrance of, but in their minds were still a long way off, not to be found here and now.)

I’m saying we need seriously consider ditching the SUV, unless all that trunk space is taken up with retrofit batteries, the ICE replaced with an armature-drive.

We didn’t march in the streets when the scientists were ignored by the government and the automakers, now maybe we’ll be walking them instead. Provides some time to reflect, and to envision and consider other ways out of this predicament.

I have some misinformation on the Phoenix Car and I was asked about Price for Phoenix Motors cars. I am still not getting official answers, but the good news is 75 are on order and they have 16 in Certification testing. Once Certified they are ready have fleet sales. Their thinking (and I think is the correct starting point) is for sales to Municipalities, Utilities, and other such fleets uses. The price could be around $42,000 for fleet orders. Take the link (provided by John at the end of the EEstor line) to read up on the Sale:

http://hybrids.autoblog.com/2007/01/14/phoenix-motors-takes-order-for-75-electritrucks

I need to correct some facts on the Phoenix SVT, I said it had 35 batteries. It has 28 batteries, which make the 35 KWH total, but the voltage is 336 Volts and not 420. They told me the complete battery assemble is about 1400 pounds (I did write that it down so my memory may not be correct). Altair generates the complete assemble and Phoenix installs that onto the car. The car comes in a box (or two) and is assembled at Phoenix’s site. They also will be coming out with a 7 passenger SUV at the end of this year. There are no details on this, but I am guessing there marketing ideas are for taxis.

As for Jp Warren’s CO2 issues, I look at this issue as you have to get started somewhere and that progress will happen faster then most people expect. As for the issue of what is on the road now; I also look at the changes in fuel sources for ICE engine cars, such as Biodiesel and Ethanol. As we go to self made fuels the carbon cycle should improve. Then there are the cost incentives, such as adding substantial tax to the ICE engine fuels. This should cost enough to get people to switch; then once there in an infrastructure and marketed alternatives (EV/Hydrogen and so on); then Government could buy out (could cost less then other solutions) the remaining ICE vehicles but for destruction and NOT for resale. This type of action could remote them. However, there are individuals who love the ICE cars and will fight to the end. (There are still people who think the tube amplifier is better then a transistor amplifier).

Jp, you seem to take the carbon problem as the big problem and it may be, but you can NOT start you journey at the end. It will take time and if the global warming issue seems to get worse or not (which some think); then more action can be taken. To provide you with additional thoughts, the real problem is Methane and Nitrate (from agriculture). These are the real known causes of global warm, especially Methane. This gas really holds the heat in. The Carbon cycle can be part of the problem, but Methane cycle is an inherently harder problem to solve. In 1977 a professor and the University of Illinois, explained that termites are the largest source of Methane and I add all living animals that uses plant live for food. I can see now the next thing that the environmentalist will want stopped is animals as food products, since the animals generate Methane as part of their food cycle.

One thing for sure, there are no easy solutions, but one thing also for sure, all cars will be electric drive some day, so the sooner we get started the better.

Tom McGreer Green Works

What will be the fate of the SUV’s roaring past my home this evening? Will they be publicly de-commissioned, taken out of service altogether? If not, will many of them be shipped to India or China, so that we can retain at least something from our investment, again allowing convenience to trump physics, again by shoving the problem somewhere else?

Right now it’s just a matter of time before one of the auto companies gets aggressive and produces one of these automobiles – and when the do, you can bet that the game will change in a hurry if the magical price point is met. I’m guessing thats the reason for the limited battery range too – thats the most expensive part. They mention the system being modular, so maybe you could just check the [x] extended battery option.

You would think that EEstor would make a supreme effort to get into the game, so that a car company would build their system around their “capacitor”, and yet none of the car companies ever mentiones EEstor. I assume they realize that EEstor will not have a system in the forseeable future, if ever.