Who Killed the Electric Car?

[John R]

Excellent movie (http://www.sonyclassics.com/whokilledtheelectriccar/), we showed it on sunday to a packed house. Sony would only let it be played once. make an effort to see this one.

[Bob]

The electric car was killed when gas was about 1.00/gallon. Given that stock prices and CEO compensation are contingent on short term profitability vs. big picture, it's no suprise Detroit bet the future of their companies on SUVs. IDIOTS!!!!!! Big Oil has backed off prices recently, and I see no great push to alter the status quo. America will only be an energy efficient country if it's dragged kicking and screaming. Look no further than your Toyota dealer for the same corporate hypocrisy. The same company that offers the Prius also offers the RAV4 with a 269 horse power v6 engine. More please!

[kurt]

General Motors killed the electric streetcar (http://www.lovearth.net/gmdeliberatelydestroyed.htm)

[Bob]

General Motors also killed Oldsmobile, and will soon do the same to either Pontiac or Buick. Murderous folks.

[John R]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSBykAngDpY

[aquaticbiology]

the electric car is not forgotten, just being torn apart by greed

i hold the production trademark (*still* waiting on several patent disputes) on the 'evo' drivetrain - the next 'evolution' in automotive technology - featuring multiple large flexible solar panels on the hood, roof and trunk, large-capacity lithium batteries, rf charging systems, and multi-phase, multi-frequency motors on each wheel for both push and braking

the race is on!

vehicle gross weight, ulv (ultra-light-vehicle) safety systems, efficient electrical air conditioning designs, rf charging fcc licensing problems resolution, all are just down the road imoho

the real hold up is the patent dispute process and the damn lawyers

[John R]

the electric car is not forgotten, just being torn apart by greed

i hold the production trademark (*still* waiting on several patent disputes) on the 'evo' drivetrain - the next 'evolution' in automotive technology - featuring multiple large flexible solar panels on the hood, roof and trunk, large-capacity lithium batteries, rf charging systems, and multi-phase, multi-frequency motors on each wheel for both push and braking

the race is on!

vehicle gross weight, ulv (ultra-light-vehicle) safety systems, efficient electrical air conditioning designs, rf charging fcc licensing problems resolution, all are just down the road imoho

the real hold up is the patent dispute process and the damn lawyers


awesome, good luck. any more light you're "able" to shed on you vehicle would be great. pictures, prospectus, etc

[30A Skunkape]

I saw the promo for this documentary before the Al Gore movie. I don't claim to know alot about this stuff, but I think I have made an observation. i have noticed that car batteries (for mid and compact cars anyway) seem much smaller now than when I was younger. I can remember lugging around car batteries to power different things and they weighed a ton. Now, I have noticed when I have changed two recently the replacements seem like they should go into a golf cart they are so small. In fact, I put a new battery into a 1996 car and the seat where the battery is situated was enormous compared to the replacement. Interesting.

[John R]

I just found these from my mountainfilm trip. they were placed on cars during the movie.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e53/rosenrosen15/MountainFilm%2006/violationf.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e53/rosenrosen15/MountainFilm%2006/violationb.jpg

[Bob]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/07/25/paul.commentary/index.html a cnn.com article

[Biff]

Here is an interesting document on the H2o car!!!!!!!!

http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/354/C8115/

[John R]

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/07/what_electric_c.php#perma

What EV Cars are available in the US?

There's a total of two electric cars available for sale in the U.S — the NmG from Myers Motors and the Xebra from Zap!. The NmG (No More Gas) Electric Vehicle is a part car, part motorcycle. It's highway-legal and can hit 70 mph and costs less than $25,000. The Zap! Xebra is a similar electric car, just introduced this summer. The price is under $10,000. Good for going around town with a 40-50 mile range, and quick enough at 40-50 mph.

Beyond those two cars, there are quite a few electric cars in the pipeline: the high-performance Tesla Roadster and the equally powerful Wrigtspeed X1. There's also a couple of commuter electric cars in the pipeline: the Tango and the Think car.

The Tango, is a novel EV offered by Seattle-based Commuter Cars Corp. The Tango seats two people -- one behind the other, like on a motorcycle -- and the super-slim, battery-driven vehicle that results is designed to slip in and out of traffic and parking spaces in ways conventional cars can't. Tango's most affordable model is priced at $18,700, but don't hold your breath: According to the company's Web site: "This car has not been designed yet as it will require a team of engineers, tens of millions of dollars, and at least 18 months to meet all of the safety requirements."

And then there's the Th!nk. This nifty little EV, developed by a Norwegian design team, was sold as the CityBee in Europe and the Citi in the U.S., before being purchased by Ford in 1999. Ford leased just over 1,000 of them throughout Europe and the U.S., comprising the world's largest EV fleet. But in 2004, much to the chagrin of environmentalists and others, Ford sold Th!nk to a European firm, which went bankrupt early this year. The company's remnants were purchased in March by a group of Norwegian investors that is looking to introduce the vehicle back into the U.S. market.

[John R]

http://www.gotoreviews.com/archives/cars/the-nmg-no-more-gas-electric-car.html#more

Here's an electric vehicle that's actually available in the U.S. right now. It's part car, part motorcycle, and it's called the NmG (No more Gas) vehicle. The NmG is made by Myers Motors, a privately owned company in Ohio. It's the only all-electric, highway-legal vehicle that can hit 70 mph and costs less than $25,000, said Dana Myers, founder and president of Myers Motors. The NmG is a fully enclosed for all weather driving, single passenger vehicle with two front wheels and a single drive wheel in the rear. Charging takes four to six hours. It costs about 2 cents a mile for the electricity used to charge the batteries.

Most people drive fewer than 12 miles to work, so the NmG can be useful for commuters. It also can be driven in a high-occupancy-vehicle lane.

While it drives like a car with a low center of gravity, the NmG is considered by the U.S. Department of Transportation to be a motorcycle. Myers calls it a PEV, or Personal Electric Vehicle, since it transports only the driver and the labels “car” and “motorcycle” do not fit perfectly.

Meyers commented that shrinking oil supplies and high gas prices, along with public concerns about global warming, will contribute to his eye-catching car's success.

A down payment reservation is $1,000, balance of purchase price is $23,900. Order information can be found on the web here.

Myers said he is trying to drop the price of his vehicles below $20,000.

Myers has sold 10 or 11 NmGs to customers in Columbus and Cleveland, Wisconsin, Florida, California and New York.

Here's a FAQ page on the car. See also this news story about the making of the car at Ohio.Com.

[Unplugged]

I just found these from my mountainfilm trip. they were placed on cars during the movie.Good info on the 'tickets' - wrong way to deliver the message... :nono1:

[jimmyp5]

there's a Think based, or at least often seen, in WaterColor .... looks very cool. it's an NEV, like the GEM car, not for roads posted over 35 mph. lots of press lately on the Tesla roadster, not just electric but high performance to boot

[John R]

Good info on the 'tickets' - wrong way to deliver the message... :nono1:

should have stated that they were slid beneath the wiper blades, no problem. anyone who came to mtnfilm probably had no problem with it, almost like a lagniappe. :cool: