My journey from Gas to Electric
From the Electric Seat
10 Signs Your Next Car Won’t Be Electric
Apr 13th
Just read a good list of obstacles facing the new electric car market. Fortunately, not all those obstacles apply for those interested in converting existing cars to electric. 
Delta Highschool building an Electric Dragster
Mar 20th
A local Canadian highschool drag racing team is building an electric race truck from a Toyota pick-up:
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/03/canadian-schoolkids-build-a-diy-electric-drag-racer/#more-33348
Why Aren’t EVs Running On NiMH Batteries?
Aug 6th
Received this scandalous email from the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Society today and had to share. There are no footnotes or references to sources however its similar to what has been promoted on Who Killed the Electric Car: GM and Chevron which does have some source info.
—-
Published by VEVA,
The tale of GM’s attempted suppression of NiMH, and the hand-off to
Standard Oil, is so involved and convoluted, so hidden by secret
agreements and subsidiaries, split-off rights and so on, it’d take a
legion of lawyers to expose fully, even if the confidential documents and
settlement agreements were not hidden.
It’s true that GM in 1994 purchased the exclusive worldwide licensing
rights for NiMH and then vested these rights in a subsidiary “Joint
Venture” called GM-Ovonics, and also true that GM sold its interest in
GM-Ovonics plus shares in the parent company ECD (enough to guarantee
control of GM-Ovonics and the rights) to Texaco on Oct. 10, 2000.
Previously in 2000, ECD’s unit, Ovonics, was granted the unusual honour of
Japanese patent protection, setting the stage for the drama that followed.
Texaco vested the new assets in its unit “Texaco Technical Ventures”; but
on Oct. 16, 2000, Texaco and Chevron (Standard Oil of California)
announced their intent to merge. As we all know, this is not done
overnight; they were doing Due Diligence for months, or years, belieing
the 6-day gap separating GM from is co-conspirator Chevron.
After the merger was consummated, in 2001, the unit was renamed Chevron
Ovonics Battery Systems (“cobasys”) and a lawsuit was filed by the actual
patent holder, More >
A Tesla Roadster Story in Beautiful BC, Canada
Jul 8th
This is a fantastic story. Kudos to Vincent and Maggie Argiro for taking a big step in the right direction!
A Perfect Fit for Electric Vehicles
Mar 3rd
What vehicle takes short trips, starts and stops very often, and always knows how much range is required?
Answer: The Mail Delivery Truck.
Used in urban areas, at low speeds and for short and mapped distances, these vehicles are ideal for electric conversions, and the US Postal Service is starting another project, this time to revive it’s aging fleet. Bravo USPS!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/03/AR2010030304085.html
This is thinking outside the box!
Jan 13th
When manufacturing capabilities change, the answer to an age old question asked again can be quite different from what we’re already accustomed to.
This is a forward thinking design for off-roading allowing full range of motion for the wheels, absolutely amazing:
Hybrid Nissan Skyline GT-R Rumoured for 2013
Jan 4th
The almighty Nissan Skyline GT-R. A car that is very dear to me personally and professionally, as a hardcore Nissan enthusiast and automotive importer.
This car was banned from Racing because it was too good and won too many consecutive races. Now it’s seen the light and recognized the advantages available, and the next generation of GT-R is rumoured to be a hybrid. Still AWD, still turbo, but with an extra 160HP and energy recovery to boost fuel economy toward 30MPG. More >
Are Electric Vehicles Unsafe Because They Are Slient?
Dec 4th
I was reading a post by a fellow EV enthusiast who raised the concerns over EV safety and their lack of “noise”. Figured I would throw in my 2 cents.
I find the issue raised against the silent nature of electric cars to be genuinely humorous. For one, it’s a problem easily solved, and I wish we could say the same for war and pollution.
Second, it’s a common sense issue, if people aren’t paying attention, bad things will happen.
Anyone who’s driven a Mercedes, a Lexus, or a Bentley can attest that even Gas powered vehicles can be whisper quiet.
My Electric car is far from Silent, More >
Are Electric Cars Bad For The Economy?
Sep 1st
I’ve heard people say they are concerned that the advent of Electric Vehicles will crush the oil & gas companies, kill off the automotive service industry and put mechanics out of work. It’s time I address this issue and throw in my 2 cents.
Did the computer change things? Yes it did, but no one cried for the guys making typewriters.
What about cell phones? How many people still have multiple land-lines in their homes, if any home service at all?
Times change, and business that do not adapt are left behind and deserve to fail to make way for the next wave. But for some reason instead of helping to “build the new ship”, our governments have chosen to pour our money into the “sinking ship” we’re currently stuck on. More >