Neighborhood Electric Vehicles

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Comment by Brian S. Siegel on October 29, 2009 at 9:10am

Congratulations on your odyssey, and your excellent descriptions. I can only wish that it were a little less like the stories we've heard about the early days of the horseless carriage ("see..it's not so bad if you do a little planning") and a little more like our family's trips to Notre Dame have been ("pretty boring until we got there"). And it would be, if only your Honda were bi-fueled. Then there'd quickly be CNG refueling stations because the operators could make a good profit compared to gasoline.
My point here is that we may be mistaken in asking the government to save us. Why don't we just do it ourselves, like Americans used to? If it weren't for the tax credits that only apply to dedicated vehicles, your Honda would probably be bi-fueled and much more usable for everyone. And much as I applaud Boone's $62 million, you have to wonder if some could have been better spent in getting EPA approval on some CNG "test groups" (engine/platform combinations) at less than $100 K each. I could then put a lot of people back to work at the local, recently closed, Chevy/Buick shop (job creation). Owners would save at least half on future fuel (cost reduction). And we'd even cut CO2 emissions by 20% (global warming). All without the millions and billions spent on lobbyists and pie-in-the-sky proposals. Maybe we'd even approach the point where we could cut our military sacrifices that many feel are really due to our oil needs.

Comment by Chris Schneider on October 27, 2009 at 7:45pm

When was the last time you drove 795 miles in 1 day? To top that feat, I drove 795 miles in 1 day on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
I enjoy these rare opportunites to go to a public refueling system. It gives me a chance to see & experience new locations with new or different CNG refueling equipment. It also gives me a chance to accurately measure my fuel efficiency and the results were astounding.
Let's start this story in La Crosse, Wi with an 8 gallon tank full of CNG. Imagine driving 273.1 miles to the north side of O 'Hare Airport along Interstate 90 at 65 mph and refuel 5.429 gallons of gasoline equivalent (GG). A simple calculation 273.1/5.429=50.3 MPG! Astounding. And Ryan assisted me in the refueling process very professionally. But, since this is one of the few public refuleing systems in Chicagoland, I was charged $2.19 per GGE resulting in a charge of $11.88. Now, I know what you're thinking, how can you not be elated about driving 273.1 miles on $11.88. For instance, if your neighbor gets 48 mpg in their Toyota Prius, it would have cost them $15.30 or 29% more. But wait, this is just the 1st part of this astounding story.
Now, let's continue our journey east on I90 to my alma mater, Notre Dame to see none other than T. Boone Pickens! He engaged an audience of approximately 500 people about CNG as a transportation "bridge" to return to American fuel that is 50% more clean than diesel that we import from our enemies. He predicts that oil will reach $300 per barrel in 10 years. I get to shake his hand and give him a copy of our video, Journey to the Zone that is posted on my Pickens Plan page. It is a small example of our regional efforts that are dwarfed by the $62 million that he has spent inthe last 16 months across America.
Let's pop back into my 2006 Honda Civic GX (3rd generation of CNG Civics produced in America) and drive through the rain, road repair and speeds of downtown Chicago traffic to Racine. The rain and speeds reduce my mileage to 48.54 MPG but I refule for $1.109 for CNG! In total I have travelled 562.2 miles on $18.49 giving me an average of 30.4 MILES PER DOLLAR (MP$). Going back to your neighbors Prius getting 48 mpg, with gasoline at $2.69/ gallon, they would have gotten 17.84 MP$. I have completed my measured portion of the days adventure getting 70.4% better MP$ than a Prius. And that includes nearly half the trip calculations at fuel prices that are approximately double what you could refuel in your home with natural gas.
The third leg included more road construction, rain and finally fog but the Honda Civic GX slogged through 795 miles.
273.1 miles@50.3mpg@$1.109gge=$6.02
289.1 miles@48.54mpg@$2.109=$13.04
232.8 miles@48.54mpg@$1.109gge=$5.32
TOTAL 795 miles $24.38
If your vehicle gets 25 mpg, it would have cost you $85.54 to make the same trip. Saving $61.16 feels great but using clean American fuel is the part that T. Boone Pickens would appreciate for his grandchildren.

Comment by Eric Koch on October 21, 2009 at 7:57pm

Get reddy for the Natural Gas Fuel Cell to replace the batterys!!!!

Comment by Dave Clement on September 20, 2009 at 7:13pm

Tesla In Tucson This Weds!
For immediate release
Contact: Sheila Storm, (520) 792-1093
Colleen Crowninshield, (520) 792-1093
Coulomb Technologies will
energize Tesla in demo with electric
vehicle fast charge Level 2 J1772
Clean Cities’ demo event set for Sept. 23
A demonstration of a fast charge of an electric Tesla Roadster will be held Sept. 23 in El
Presidio Park following a meeting of the Tucson Regional Clean Cities Coalition.
The meeting begins at 2 p.m. at Pima Association of Governments, 177 N. Church Ave.,
5th floor conference room, with the presentation starting at approximately 3 p.m.
California-based Coulomb Technologies will demonstrate the Level 2 J1772 charging
of the Tesla using its ChargePoint Network Charging Station for plug-in electric
vehicles.
The demonstration is sponsored by Pima Association of Governments’ Clean Cities
Program, the City of Tucson, and Coulomb Technologies. The Tesla Roadster has a
charge range of 244 miles and goes from 0-60 in 3.9 seconds,
The PAG Regional Council signed a memorandum of understanding with Nissan North
America and Scottsdale-based ECOtality Inc. in March to help implement electric
vehicle infrastructure in the Tucson region in advance of the late 2010 deployment of
Nissan’s all-electric Leaf.
“We have made a commitment to Nissan and Ecotality to join together to end range
anxiety and make EV charging available to our community. This technology will play a
role in that commitment,” said Clean Cities Program Manager Colleen Crowninshield.
The J1772 is a standard that all future electric vehicles, including the Nissan Leaf and
GM Volt, will support to ensure a universal connection from the vehicle to the
charging station.
The Leaf is expected to have a 100-mile range before a recharge is needed. Consumers
will have charging units available in their homes or at businesses for commercial fleets.
However, charging units throughout the community will be made available for public
use.
In addition to the Nissan Leaf, the electric Chevy Volt also is expected to hit the market
in late 2010. “Providing assurance to consumers that they can quickly recharge their
batteries will be the key to buyers supporting this alternative vehicle technology,”
Crowninshield said.
“We especially wish to thank Tesla owners Eddie and Soo Chin Gloyne for providing
their vehicle for the demonstration and we thank Coulomb Technologies and the City
of Tucson for their assistance in showing the public how quickly electric vehicles can
be charged,” she said.

Comment by Eric Koch on July 28, 2009 at 7:44pm

Hey Chris,

there is a EV kit company that has a niche product you might want to check out for the motor works....the kit manufacturer can be contacted through:

http://www.bugev.net

this is a video production by one assembler/reseller...seemed like best over all presentation on the media links at bugev.....ok, so the main character is a smokin' doll cake too....anyway, top speed is 51 mph and range is 30 miles @ 30 mph for the Four 55 Ah AGM /advanced dc combo....

one guy loaded one with thunder sky LiPO's and this AC-12 kit

http://www.electricmotorsport.com/store/ems_ev_parts_motors_ac-induction.php

and got >100 miles @ 70 mph

anyway here's the vid and there are links to more on the site...i bet the HMW mech's would have a ball putin one of these together...and a fluorescent lime paint job with some pro air brush tweaks would surely fetch beyond that invested.

Comment by Chris Schneider on July 8, 2009 at 9:19pm

Patrick,
1 SAT 1 continues this month on July 11th at 1 pm!
Thanks for your interest,
Chris

Comment by Patrick Dickey on July 6, 2009 at 2:01pm

Will you be holding anymore 1Sat events in the near future? Up until recently, I haven't been able to attend any, and may venture up to Wisconsin for one if the timing is right.
Have a great day:)
Patrick.

Comment by Brian Oram on May 9, 2009 at 12:54pm

For the partners in Northeastern PA

I am working on an Energy / Environmental Solutions Expo in June 2009. I was hoping to have an exhibit table for the Pickens Plan, but I would need the following: someone to volunteer time at the table, materials for the table, and one of the district leaders to fill out an exhibitor form. I can get the fee waived. The event website is
http://www.pnesolutions.org
My email is bfenviro@ptd.net - I hope we could pull something together. If one of the District Leaders needs a form - just email me.

This will be a 16 county event with over 20 hours of educational opportunities.
We also have some exhibit space.
Thanks

Brian Oram

Comment by Dave Clement on March 31, 2009 at 1:42pm

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/137272

Please post some comments--this reporter is clueless.

Comment by Mike Anthony Fernald Sr. on March 2, 2009 at 3:41am

Dear Friends

I have a Plan

Im going to get a little personal about me with you.
I Just finished a Drywall & Paint Job and realized the awesome earning potential I have within my grasp If I had 10 or more people just like me we could increase profits 10 fold maybe more. Im not saying this to soloist anyone or sell anything this is just a possible solution to raise capital to advance our projects like Energy Bonds Green Jobs and promote the best of our best Ideas. For 30 years I have been meeting all my family needs within my means with just the help of my wife.
My thought is this lets all network with one another our jobs what we do best refering one another for work and taking 10% or what ever of the job refered and put 5% into a We the People Account & the other 5% to the one who refered the job.
Mr. Pickens has spent over 50 Million of his own Money, Tell me why we all can't pull together and do this. I think most of us here part of the 77 Million Baby Boomers, I have 10-15 years left in me to sucure our Grandkids Furture.

So what do you think ?
Am I Dreaming :o} Or can we or are we willing. The only Power the Government has over us is what We the people Give them.
I'm really afraid of what I'm seeing where they are going.

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