"Actor and veteran electric car driver Ed Begley Jr. makes the case for an incredible (Truck) that he calls "the car of the future." Interesting VIDEO http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=c860...934330b.1249609 "While promoting the Phoenix Motorcars sport-utility truck, Begley acknowledged that electric vehicles have "lacked style," and that the aftermarket should embrace the segment. "We need SEMA. We need to work with all the aftermarket to give style to this vehicle," he said, noting that SEMA members have the "style, innovation and engineering" necessary to customize electric vehicles and hybrids." "SEMA Show 2006: Ed Begley Jr. promotes Phoenix SUT, encourages aftermarket involvement with EVs" http://www.autobloggreen.com/2006/10/31/ed...ermarket-invol/
Very interesting that as we all know in our hearts, we have the technology TODAY to severely curtail imported oil use, but it takes a patriot like Ed Bagley to lead us into the future. One point/issue that would be a great idea while marketing the new electric cars. Wouldn't it be great if the price of the car included solar panels from which the purchaser could not only produce enough electricity for the car but also power most of their house?
Wow. If they slap a few more air bags in their SUV, get the 250 mile range batteries and you have an electric family car with (IMO) no compromises. I really hope this comes to fruition.
I hope I read it wrong. I get the impression from the Phoenix web site ( http://66.218.37.153/index.htm ) that the buyer must be a California resident. This looks like a fabulous product! According to and e-mail I got from the company, they plan to start selling these cars in 2007.
This is very exciting. Remember Ed Begley in 'Who Killed the Electric Car', "They're not for everyone; they can only serve the needs of 90% of the population". Plug-in hybrids would be an interim step, with the only infrastructure needed - the dongle. Check out Plug-in Partners, and sign the petition to get these vehicles to market. (very interesting video on PHEVs at bottom of page) Many heavyweight companies are "plug in partners", and individuals can sign the petition to show their interest if PHEVs would come to market. "Plug-In Partners is a national grass-roots initiative to demonstrate to automakers that a market for flexible-fuel Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) exists today." http://pluginpartners.org/
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Allannde @ Nov 28 2006, 01:17 PM) [snapback]354852[/snapback]</div> That's my impression, that they will sell only in CA. Phoenix's investment materials imply that the main purpose here is to speculate on a future California market in clean air credits. The value of the CA credits, by their calculation, dwarfs the sale price of the car. They only get the credit if the car is registered in CA. My post #38 in this thread below summarizes what I found out about Phoenix. http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=26342&st=20 They appear to be using the best available Li-ion batteries, having entered into a business arrangement with Altairnano.
Ed Begley is right! These are the batteries that we have been waiting for. The only problem that I can see is the general American public is not willing to give up there ICE. It is my goal to get these batteries to convert a Prius to a PHEV. I want to show everyone what these batteries can do! 1.25 KWH per battery, 10 min. charge, last for 10 to 12 years, and I am not kidding you. This is not so much of a technical step forward as a gigantic leap forward. Probably too much for the general population to grasp, but we will show them. They can have all the car they want, fast as they want, big as they want, and still use clean energy to drive only themselves in their 14 foot wide, 20 foot long SUV eight miles to work and back each day without using any foreign oil.
Checked out one of these a while back at Moscone Center (San Francisco); it looked aggressive enough (inside and out) to actually win over SUV drivers, and if it does have enough range and power...WOW!!! I was really impressed. Having not paid as close attention to the US auto market as I once did, at first I thought it was either a new Honda or possibly an Isuzu; the styling was close enough to mainstream. Picked up a bunch of paperwork and meant to scan it for us (about the truck, as well as a fact sheet from the battery manufacturer), but of course I can't get the scanner to work! If anyone is interested, I can give it another try.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Jan 3 2007, 03:09 PM) [snapback]370274[/snapback]</div> I can't buy one because I'm not a Californian, but I'd love to see the specifications if that could be arranged. The battery sheet might be the stock Altairnano battery profile, which I've attached here as a .pdf. If these guys are even mostly right in what they say about their batteries, then for sure, these would do just fine.
I think they said that it would go on sale in California not just for Californian's. Could be wrong but I didn't see that. Wildkow
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wildkow @ Jan 3 2007, 12:13 AM) [snapback]369947[/snapback]</div> Uh.... can we do that? I am in too if we find enough SUCKERS. :lol:
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wildkow @ Jan 4 2007, 04:19 AM) [snapback]370629[/snapback]</div> This is very interesting. I'm living in MA and we would make a EV SUV our main car (we rarely do >100 miles/day) and use the prius as the number 2 car. I would be willing to buy the car in CA and have it transported here, question becomes what happens when it needs service repairs. I have high hopes that this car, tesla motors or other manufacturer will provide an EV sedan/wagon/SUW around 45K within the next 3-5 years. If they do I will buy one!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(chogan @ Jan 3 2007, 05:07 PM) [snapback]370353[/snapback]</div> Yep, that's the the one; thank you (scanner still won't work). I can't believe I'm about to write these words: I *really* want an electric car. Four years ago I was one of those folks who scoffed at Prii; two years ago the idea of an electric car seemed a bit idealistic (I mean, driving around with the equivalent of a gas tank that holds, like, two gallons...c'mon!) Now...well, there's something about electric power that seems so "right." I can only imagine that it's a bit similar to, back in the 1950's, flying in a jet airliner for the first time...and suddenly realizing how disruptive reciprocating engines really are.
