Interests
Multiple EV owner
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replaced a 13mpg Sequoia with a 26mpg Lexus hybrid, and replaced a 16mpg Mercedes with a 50mpg Prius, that has further been replaced by an all electric Nissan Leaf in 2012.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 oil, and the two hybrids merely sip fuel. Our gasoline bill dropped from $5K in 2010 to $3K in 2011. We expect our gasoline bill to be just $1500 in 2012, since only the Lexus will be burning gas. Know anyone interested in a 2010 Prius V that has been babied since birth? 50mpg average!
We added solar panels in 2009 that dropped our electric bill substantially by reducing net electricity usage from Tier 5 to Tier 2. Adding timers, shifting usage to non-peak hours, and replacing the old pool pump with a variable speed pump, reduced our PG&E bill from $2500 in 2010 to $1600 in 2011 (36% further reduction).
After driving nearly 2,000 miles in the Leaf, I’ve been able to compare electricity and gasoline costs. My electric bill increased only $40. In comparison, the same 2,000 miles driven at today’s gas prices would cost $150 in the Prius, or $576 in the Sequoia. WOW!
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 – Volt, Toyota, would you pay 2-3x the price for a PHEV?
- June 9, 2009 Podcast - Government Motors, Zip Cars, Saturn post-mortem
- October 20, 2009 Podcast - EVs in developing nations (like Alaska)
- May 2, 2010 Podcast - How do you pitch an electric car to the buying public? Darell, the EVNut A really genuine guy and first-hand EV expert.
- Gav, the KiwiEV Proof that you, me, and a wrench can replace oil with electric. If you are seriously interested in converting to an EV, buy Gav’s e-book. It is the best available with lots of video.
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 Pontiac motor in the early 70′s. It didn’t look too bad with some cosmetic help, but the outer skin and interior were pretty well shot. I also regret giving up my prized 1973 BMW 3.0 CS and my 1974 Jaguar XKE V-12 with 6-pack Webers. These cars made the down payment on a house that lost tons of money. In retrospect, I would have done better keeping the cars.
An EV Owner
Ranger EV "Alternativ"
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 new battery pack was installed. I stuck with Lead Acid batteries for the first try. Lithium iron phosphate batteries prices dropped by HALF last year. With new factories coming on line in 2011, supply should surpass demand, leading to still lower prices next year.
The original Ranger came with 39 x 8 volt batteries that are now manufacturer discontinued. I replaced 39×8 volt batteries with 26×12 volt batteries. The Ranger’s computer was smarter than I thought. It wants to see 39 batteries with each at the right voltage. You can fool the computer by inserting resistor packs that show the computer what it wants to see. I bought someone else’s resistor packs, which are failing regularly. I bought much higher precision resistors and devised a wiring scheme with 90% fewer solder joints and splices.
If you are thinking of buying a Ranger EV be sure to look up Lanny Thomason in Eugene, Oregon. He knows as much about these EVs as the engineers that designed them. He certainly knows more than any Ford dealer, as most are no longer authorized to service the EV.
A little tidbit on battery technology: Lead Acid batteries have been safe and reliable in automotive applications for over a century. Their chemistry is very forgiving with only rudimentary charging control. Lead acid batteries can be quickly recharged with high amperage and balanced with a slower trickle charge. Plus, the charging process is self-limiting – once the battery is charged, charging slows down and stops with minimal hydrogen gassing (dangerous and explosive). Overcharging Lithium ion batteries, like the ones used in older laptops and cellphones, cause thermal runaway, leading to explosions and fires, not to mention heavy metal pollution that harms the environment.
That is why I am looking at Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries, which don’t explode or burn. (note the distinction between Lithium Ion and Lithium Iron Phosphate) Lithium batteries need an advanced battery management system to prevent overcharging and make them last years rather than months. Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries are also described as environmentally safe. A Chinese battery manufacturer recently drank the electrolyte fluid in a LiFeP04 battery and lived to describe the taste. Needless to say, these batteries batteries will also be recycled to inexpensively recover their active ingredients, but reportedly the chemicals used in these batteries degrade without ruining the ground water or causing heavy metal pollution.
Youth Sports
Basketball is my favorite sport. I serve as the Basketball Commissioner for our local recreation league, and coach at both rec and CYO levels. I also serve as Vice President of Marketing for LMYA Sports. Depending on the season, you can find me coaching soccer, baseball, basketball, softball, or volleyball. During the summer, most of my weekends are spent organizing one of the largest and longest running County Swim Championships in the United States.
Non-Profit Board of Directors
As Chief Operating Officer of Auksuciai Foundation, I am responsible for the financial operations of a research farm in Lithuania. The exemplary Board of Directors boasts a collection of scholars, farming experts, and business leaders who devote their time to training Lithuanian farmers in environmentally sound organic planting and agricultural practices.
I also experiment with hydroponics and aeroponics to demonstrate the ability to grow nutritious vegetables during winter months in otherwise harsh growing environments. We successfully grew 16 Zucchini plants in the garage over the winter months. We just started a spring crop of spinach from seed. Updates to follow.
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 efficient hybrid drivetrain. A pre-production prototype crossover SUV ran 40 miles in all-electric mode, and maintained 40 mpg while in range-extended mode. How many SUVs on the road today achieve 40mpg??? For that matter, how many economy cars sold in the US achieve 40mpg average? The number of models can be counted on one hand, and none are manufactured in the US. More details on the Saturn acquisition offer can be found here.