Electric-car devotee swears off use of gasoline for a year

jonathanrohr · 03-25-2007, 10:09 AM

By Lee Reinsch
3/25/07
www.Greenbaypressgazette.com

Conservationist and electric-car driver Tracy Crawford is taking her quest for environmental kindness a few steps further: She's challenging herself to go a year without using a gasoline-fired vehicle.

Crawford recently won a nearly year-long struggle with local municipalities to get her electric car OK'd to drive around the Green Bay area.

"I'm not sure if I can pull this off. I'm determined to give it a good try, though," Crawford said.

Crawford, who also has a Toyota Prius hybrid and a moped, discovered electric cars a year ago and bought a DaimlerChrysler Global Electric Motorcar for less than $10,000.

Then she learned that Wisconsin law says such vehicles are OK to drive as long as each municipality in which they're driven permits them.

She fought for most of 2006 to convince local governments to permit her to drive her GEM.

She went before officials in the cities of Green Bay and De Pere and the villages of Ashwaubenon, Allouez, Bellevue and Howard, attending multiple meetings in each jurisdiction and following up with e-mails and phone calls to trustees.

She's celebrating her victory with a personal campaign to wean herself off (direct) electricity by converting to as many battery-operated household appliances as she can.

Crawford is so intent on going a year without gas that she's selling her Prius because at 50 mpg, it uses "too much" gasoline.

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/p...31/1207/GPGnews

john1701a · 03-25-2007, 11:44 AM

Using the same money to convert her Prius to a plug-in would have sent a far more powerful message, since it's something that would inspire others. Setting an example which others can follow is important. Driving an electric vehicle with a top speed of only 25 MPH isn't an option for most.

RonH · 03-25-2007, 12:11 PM

"She's celebrating her victory with a personal campaign to wean herself off electricity by converting to as many battery-operated household appliances as she can.

So far, she's got a battery-operated lantern, laptop computer and cordless mouse, clock with alarm, radio, cell phone, television, vacuum cleaner, and of course, her electric car. "

I don't get it. Where does she recharge the batteries? And if she is using non-rechargeable, does she think that has a smaller environmental footprint than being on the grid?

Godiva · 03-25-2007, 02:01 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(RonH @ Mar 25 2007, 12:11 PM) [snapback]411897[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

"She's celebrating her victory with a personal campaign to wean herself off electricity by converting to as many battery-operated household appliances as she can.

So far, she's got a battery-operated lantern, laptop computer and cordless mouse, clock with alarm, radio, cell phone, television, vacuum cleaner, and of course, her electric car. "

I don't get it. Where does she recharge the batteries? And if she is using non-rechargeable, does she think that has a smaller environmental footprint than being on the grid?
[/b]

If she's using rechargeable....does she produce enough electricity through photovoltaic or wind to recharge them? Or is her utility supplier completely green?

galaxee · 03-25-2007, 03:14 PM

hey guys, doesn't this sound like our very own tracysbeans?

tripp · 03-25-2007, 03:24 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Mar 25 2007, 02:14 PM) [snapback]411968[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

hey guys, doesn't this sound like our very own tracysbeans?

[/b]

I was just about to say the same thing, galaxee.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Mar 25 2007, 01:01 PM) [snapback]411947[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

If she's using rechargeable....does she produce enough electricity through photovoltaic or wind to recharge them? Or is her utility supplier completely green?
[/b]

It's pretty easy and fairly cheap to just recharge batteries. Real Goods and a variety of others sell small PV battery chargers for something like $100. NiMH are the best in terms of performance but a lot of appliances can't use them. You either have to replace the appliance or use rechargeable alkaline batteries.

As for the rest of the house, it's pretty unclear how she'd do it. It takes a lot of AA batteries to run a refrigerator.

She might be able to buy wind power from her utility. It's often sold in 100 kWh blocks so she could sign-up for something like that. Her utility wouldn't have to be 100% green for her to do that.

galaxee · 03-25-2007, 03:38 PM

y'know, we do see quite a few windmills up in eastern wisconsin on our way north. having only had my own electric bill in western WI through a different power utility than the one in NE WI, and since i was in college and we were extensively broke, we never looked into green power options.

i am sure they're available though.

03-25-2007, 10:09 AM	#1
jonathanrohr Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 82 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	By Lee Reinsch 3/25/07 www.Greenbaypressgazette.com Conservationist and electric-car driver Tracy Crawford is taking her quest for environmental kindness a few steps further: She's challenging herself to go a year without using a gasoline-fired vehicle. Crawford recently won a nearly year-long struggle with local municipalities to get her electric car OK'd to drive around the Green Bay area. "I'm not sure if I can pull this off. I'm determined to give it a good try, though," Crawford said. Crawford, who also has a Toyota Prius hybrid and a moped, discovered electric cars a year ago and bought a DaimlerChrysler Global Electric Motorcar for less than $10,000. Then she learned that Wisconsin law says such vehicles are OK to drive as long as each municipality in which they're driven permits them. She fought for most of 2006 to convince local governments to permit her to drive her GEM. She went before officials in the cities of Green Bay and De Pere and the villages of Ashwaubenon, Allouez, Bellevue and Howard, attending multiple meetings in each jurisdiction and following up with e-mails and phone calls to trustees. She's celebrating her victory with a personal campaign to wean herself off (direct) electricity by converting to as many battery-operated household appliances as she can. Crawford is so intent on going a year without gas that she's selling her Prius because at 50 mpg, it uses "too much" gasoline. http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/p...31/1207/GPGnews __________________ "We now know that global warming exsists because Al Gore's movie made money; the market has spoken" -Stephen Colbert

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03-25-2007, 11:44 AM	#2
john1701a Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,595 My Car: 2004 Prius Package: Pioneer #3 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 3	Using the same money to convert her Prius to a plug-in would have sent a far more powerful message, since it's something that would inspire others. Setting an example which others can follow is important. Driving an electric vehicle with a top speed of only 25 MPH isn't an option for most.

03-25-2007, 12:11 PM	#3
RonH Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 498 My Car: 2004 Prius Package: #6 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	"She's celebrating her victory with a personal campaign to wean herself off electricity by converting to as many battery-operated household appliances as she can. So far, she's got a battery-operated lantern, laptop computer and cordless mouse, clock with alarm, radio, cell phone, television, vacuum cleaner, and of course, her electric car. " I don't get it. Where does she recharge the batteries? And if she is using non-rechargeable, does she think that has a smaller environmental footprint than being on the grid?

03-25-2007, 03:14 PM	#5
galaxee running WOT until out of fuel Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: central NC/ western WI Posts: 8,927 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #5 Nominated 5 Times in 3 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 20	hey guys, doesn't this sound like our very own tracysbeans?

03-25-2007, 03:38 PM	#7
galaxee running WOT until out of fuel Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: central NC/ western WI Posts: 8,927 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #5 Nominated 5 Times in 3 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 20	y'know, we do see quite a few windmills up in eastern wisconsin on our way north. having only had my own electric bill in western WI through a different power utility than the one in NE WI, and since i was in college and we were extensively broke, we never looked into green power options. i am sure they're available though.