Some new developments about green technology in Oregon.
(SALEM, Ore.) - We have talked about the development of the electric car movement for years here at Salem-News.com. Now, with the price of gasoline accelerating like a rocket, it seems like the business timing of Larry Dye's Electric Wheels in Salem could not be in better sync with our economy.
The gas prices according to the experts and trends, will not improve any time soon. People are looking seriously at alternative transportation for the first time. In this article I will discuss the current status and some key information that may leave you wanting to explore the idea of owning your own electric car.
There are many questions about electric powered vehicles, and those who read our stories, see the videos and take the time to visit Larry's dealership in Salem, learn that the cars are more viable than they initially believed. There is always more to learn, especially at a time when technology is having an impact so large and so quickly, that most of us are not even aware of it yet.
The bottom line is that if you live and work in town, then you can drive an electric car that costs less than ten thousand dollars brand new, and never have to put a drop of gasoline in it. The cost savings under ideal circumstances can hardly be overestimated. The cars at Electric Wheels come in three wheeled design and those are actually licensed as motorcycles, and the new model sold by Electric Wheels, the Revolution, a standard four wheeled car.
These have all of the regular features of a gasoline car for the most part. The Revolution is Chinese, but Suzuki has an interest in the company and as a result the car has the Suzuki emblem emblazoned on the wheels and on the steering wheel. This adds a touch of familiarity to the car from the makers of the popular Samurai. The Revolution seriously resembles the Mercedes Benz Smart Car. The thing is, the Smart car costs several times what this car costs; and it is not electric. The oil-based fuel technology of the MBZ allows it to travel at freeway speeds, you get what you pay for, but the car still requires traditional fuel to operate.
Certain hybrid cars have gained significant popularity in the United States. There are several now, but the premier hybrid car is the Toyota Prius, and I can report to you that they do deliver an honest 50 miles per gallon, based on the experience of my brother, Kenneth King in Sacramento, California, who has owned and operated a Prius for two years with his wife Susan, they can't say enough good things about it.
One of the major factors in the development of the electric auto is the ever present battery system. Larry Dye is working with new technology lithium ion batteries that are incredibly powerful and he has been selected to provide the batteries that will power the conversion of Neal Young's late 50's Lincoln Continental to hybrid power. CNN reports that the crew working on the lincvolt.com project expects to see the oversized car achieve an honest 100 mpg.
My first hint of the vast difference the new batteries represent was revealed at a hobby shop where enthusiasts buy radio controlled airplanes and accessories. I learned that day in 2004 that the new lithium ion batteries in electric R/C planes had twice the life and used a third the weight and space of the type of batteries they replaced.
Now imagine that same advantage for electric cars. We have had different ones built but not widely distributed over the years that worked very well. We even had them on our nation's roads close to a century ago, but the new battery technology means the power is way up, and the weight and size are way down.
So where does that leave us? If our needs are addressed by a local commuter car with a top speed limited by law, then we can shop for a brand new, inexpensive car at Electric Wheels. If you want a freeway speed electric car, you are shopping somewhere else and you are paying big money if you can find one at all.
One example that does exist is shown in the main picture. The Tesla Roadster is beautiful but almost experimental at this point with a price tag just under 100k.
Another car, AC Propulsion's tzero roadster, does 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds on only 200 horsepower. In general terms, electric car horsepower is measured differently, and what they are rated for and capable of are different matters. The California based company that makes the tzero says it is on a par with Corvettes, Porsche 911s--and even a Ferrari F355, in terms of performance.
The most interesting thing I learned about it is that the car averaged 100 miles on a charge with traditional lead-acid batteries, and it now goes 280-300 miles on a charge. If you romp on it it will reduce the range by 20%, which sounds more than reasonable.
The problem is that the U.S. Department of Transportation has very stringent crash test requirements and companies with new cars have to produce several for the government to smash up in various ways to determine their ability to survive a crash. Perhaps that isn't a problem, the extensive tesying keeps more people alive they say, but to the small entrepreneur it makes the possibility of success a very expensive notion.
In the earlier part of the 20th Century, car manufacturers sprang up all over the country. Where today there are three major manufacturers in the United States, in the 1920's there were hundreds at varying times. They made some great cars too for the limited technology that then existed, and some were electric if you didn't know that.
My father, the late Charles King, remembered that in the 1930's, one large delivery company in Los Angeles operated all electric trucks. They went slow but were on the road for years from what he recalled.
Because of all of those conversations over the years about electric cars with my father, my interest always remained strong. We had several discussions about the idea of converting gas cars to electric. He thought it was the greatest idea in the world; I am increasingly understanding why.
Local Electric Car Conversions
Any gas or diesel car can be converted to electric. The process among other things, removes the gas tank, the radiator, the oil and the grease which is never a bad thing. This means a cleaner working environment for the mechanic, which supports of the idea of taking a smog producing vehicle off the road and bringing it back as something different.
The idea is to take a car and remove the drivetrain and replace it with an AC electric motor, converter for power distribution, and equip it with the new batteries available in the U.S. exclusively through Larry Dye's dealership.
If anyone is interested in developing and/or purchasing a conventional electric car conversion through a partnership with Larry Dye and myself, please write to me, Tim King, at newsroom@salem-news.com to discuss the idea further and refine plans for an order which will be constructed at Electric Wheels in Salem.
Ideas on the table include some unique, developing solar technology applications. Anyone working with us would be the first on the block to reap the rewards of that technology when it becomes available.
The success of any project of this nature is based on its power to weight ratio. Large cars can be converted, but they will not yield the results that a smaller car will. We have a list of vehicles that can be used and any projects we sell that we generate will be cars that are refurbished with new paint and other items to assure their road worthiness. Converting a customer's existing car is an option as well.
Visit these Salem-News.com stories to learn more about Larry Dye's dealership Electric Wheels in Salem, Oregon:
Four Wheel Electric Car Revolutionizes Economical Driving
New Electric Car in Salem is a Real Buzz
Oregon Dealer Says There is No Killing the Electric Car in Salem
No It`s Not a Zebra, It`s a XEBRA Roaming The Streets of Salem
Converting Electric Cars for the Road in OregonSalem-News.com