EV Manufacturers / Dealers

What state are they in? Some states are now uping the speed on the Neighborhood electric vehicles.

An Xebra would be good for them. Their is a REAL active Xebra yahoo group with a GREAT bunch of guys and girls.

I have a Gem currently which is a Neighbor hood electric vehicle. I LOVE IT! I have a truck version and I couldn't live without it. I haul all sorts of stuff in it. It's a cheap way to have a 2nd vehicle. (and a truck since I always like having a truck and missed one when I got my Prius) I practically drive it for free. My electric bill hasn't even went up. I pay ONLY $200 a year for full coverage insurance. So it's like I'm paying $200 a year to operate it. I worked my Gem like a dog. I'm always hauling something in it. I drive my Prius just a couple times a month. Why would I want to drive my Prius when I can drive a nice, quiet truck that offers me lots of room to haul stuff.

I LOVE driving electric and reccomend it to anyone who is already going to have 2 vehicles. I found it a lot cheaper way to go then going and buying a $20K+ new truck and having a $30K Pruis and a $20K truck sitting in my warehouses.

Best thing I EVER did was go fully electric!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TonyPSchaefer @ Sep 9 2007, 02:47 PM) [snapback]509735[/snapback]</div>

Hi Tony

I have the combination which you describe - an '06 Prius and a Xebra PK (an EV pickup). In fact it works quite well. I use the Prius for trips over ten miles long one way. Less than that and I use the PK. Usually it takes a trip across the state to require a fill of the gas tank of the Prius.

I don't try to use the EV all of the time like Tracy. However, it works out to be much of the time anyway.

I find that the biggest lesson to me of this experience over the last five months is the appreciation that I have gained for my Prius. I realize just how much it does well and how uncomplaining it is while doing it. It is really amazing how close to an EV the Prius is in operation (both expense and function). And its level of sophistication is so far above any available EV in the foreseeable future, that it is a fantastic compromise which is hardly compromising at all.

If ulta-capacitors really take off and fly, maybe we will see EVs which compare to the service of ICE cars.
Until such a break through, the Prius or like cars remain the cream of the crop with short range EV back up.
Battery limitations (the cheap ones are HEAVY and the good ones are EXPENSIVE) limit what and EV can do.

The web site called ZapWorld has some interesting information. There will be some new vehicles competiing with this, but it is available now. The web group that Tracy was talking about is here: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Xebra_EV/messages

Oh, you might be interested that the real world range of my EV is 45 miles and my top speed is 45 miles per hour. This is better than a NEV but not a freeway vehicle. I don't block traffic on arterial streets. My EV is souped up from stock with larger batteries. I get tired of the "up to" statements. This is ACTUAL.

Allan

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tracysbeans @ Sep 9 2007, 04:00 PM) [snapback]509741[/snapback]</div>

Tracy hit the nail on the head: They'll need their stinker for those multi-lane highways. If the speed limit is 50 or more I would not take the Xebra. But for jaunts within their own part of town, the Xebra, especially if fitted out with the extra batteries that some dealers will install, is the perfect car.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Allannde @ Sep 9 2007, 05:06 PM) [snapback]509767[/snapback]</div>

I respectfully disagree with Allan on just one point: The Prius is nothing like an EV. The Prius gets all its energy from gasoline, which makes GW Bush and O. bin Laden very happy. My Xebra gets all its energy from the Bonneville dam. The Prius is a better-designed and better-constructed car, but no similarity to an EV.

His Xebra PK goes a bit faster than my Xebra SD, because he has bigger tires, which give him a higher effective gear ratio. My SD climbs hills better. We both get 45 miles of range, as we have the same batteries.

Like Tracy says, advise your friends to get a Xebra as their second car, for use when they don't need to go on the high-speed highways.

(Note: Tracy and I pronounce "Xebra" differently, leading to our differing use of the article.)

Nobody is presently building a full-speed family EV. But there are conversion kits. Battery prices mean that a long-range (c. 200 miles) EV will be very expensive today. Expect prices to fall as battery technology improves. I settled for the Xebra because I wanted to drive electric NOW. And I am 200% satisfied with it, in spite of a few blemishes.

 

Zenn Motors is another ev
here is their link
http://www.zenncars.com/

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priussoris @ Sep 9 2007, 08:43 PM) [snapback]509798[/snapback]</div>

The Zenn I'm sure would be to slow for them at 25mph. At this point only 2 states are allowing them to go any faster than that. So a Zenn would be in the Neighborhood electric category.

 

Next suggestion is ebay a Rav4 EV is listed 49k $$$$$$$$
or invest 15k and have a car converted using a warp9 electric series motor get a nice zilla controller smart zivan charger and batts plug r in kinda like get r done

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priussoris @ Sep 9 2007, 07:00 PM) [snapback]509811[/snapback]</div>

What's the range and speed on one of those conversion cars?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priussoris @ Sep 9 2007, 07:00 PM) [snapback]509811[/snapback]</div>

What's the range and speed on one of those conversion cars?