My transformation from oil importer to electron exporter is almost complete. In 2011, we replaced a 13mpg Sequoia with a 26mpg Lexus hybrid, and replaced a 16mpg Mercedes with a 50mpg Prius, that has further been replaced by an all electric Nissan Leaf in 2012. Now both the Ranger and Leaf suck amps rather than …
Category Archive: EV
Oct 08
Driving Impressions – Nissan Leaf vs. Chevy Volt
The clear winner for me was the Leaf. Very roomy inside, lots of power. In contrast, the door height was too short on the Volt for easy ingress/egress (I’m 6’3”). I won’t even think of getting in the back seat as the roofline swoops down. The Volt’s batteries were only 400 pounds, but the Volt …
Oct 07
Alt Car Expo 2010
October 1, 2010 – Santa Monica, CA Alt Car Expo 2010 I had a chance to test drive the Chevy Equinox fuel cell, Chevy Volt, Mercedes B-class fuel cell, Nissan Leaf, and a Mini-E (Electric).
Jul 28
Plug In 2010
July 27, 1010 – San Jose, California Plug In 2010 Only a few vehicles on display. You can look, but can’t touch. Chevy and Nissan wouldn’t even pop the hoods on the Volt or Leaf, respectively. The biggest takeaway is that I counted seventeen (yes 17) different charging infrastructure companies most with only minor variations …
Jul 27
Plug In 2010
Just attended the Plug In 2010 conference on Monday and Tuesday. GM announced pricing and options for the Chevy Volt. Nissan announced Leaf options and lease payments.
Jul 01
Related Interests
Below are my favorite Electric Vehicle Web sites: AutoBlogGreen Bo and Ryan’s EVCastInformative and very entertaining site March 3, 2009 Podcast – Panel Discussion with Gint Federas, Sebastian Blanco (www.Autobloggreen.com), and Ian Clifford (www.www.zenncars.com) April 2, 2009 Podcast – Deep dive on GM Viability Plan, a breakthrough idea for Saturn May 26, 2009 Podcast - Panel Discussion …
Jun 12
Cordless Lawn Mower
I have never written a product review in my life, let alone post it on the internet, but after using the Worx WG780 Cordless Lawn Mower, I felt compelled to tell others about it. I bought a corded lawn mower a few years ago that couldn’t cut through short dry grass on a sunny day, …
Dec 31
Alternate Energy, Electric Vehicles (EV), Plug in Hybrids (PHEV)
Tinkering with cars is my favorite hobby – I can’t remember every car but I bought, fixed up, and sold but there were at least 50 sedans, convertibles, coupes, roadsters, and even a few diesels since college. My biggest regret is passing on Mae West’s pink Mercedes Benz 1950′s 300D 4 door convertible with a …
Oct 19
An EV Owner
I found this 1999 Ford Ranger EV with just 3,223 kilometers (2,000 miles). The lead acid battery pack was DOA. It turns out a previous owner crossed some wires that torched the contactor box, high and low voltage wiring harnesses, and even the charging system. All of the torched parts were replaced and an entirely …
May 02
Scaling up PHEV and EV manufacturing
My interest in electric propulsion motivated my team to make a bid to purchase the Saturn Motors Division from General Motors. Our plan included returning to plastic body panels to reduce weight, and replace gas motors with all electric drivetrains once batteries are more affordable. In the interim, we partnered with a company that developed a highly …
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