So...this is how it all started

So...this is how it all started. I was in the right place, at the right time. 

The then Director of Recycling and Waste could not meet her obligation to attend the Clean Cities Coalition conference for which UNC Charlotte is a stakeholder, and I was asked by the AVC of UNC Charlotte FM to sit in the representative chair. I had already been asking that my Construction Department be considered for Battery Electric vehicles, as the golf carts were atrocious; fuming up the cabs; belching out smokey exhaust; noisy as hell, and worthless for anything but hauling your butt around with a 5 gallon bucket of tools. But I think it was also because I bragged about my home (California) where many Universities were already way ahead removing gas carts, and buying electrics. I think he wanted to punish me or shut me up.

At that meeting, I met a great man; at least from my perspective; Mr. John R. Dabels, (http://www.evpowersystems.com/management/management.htm) whose history at GM was tied to the EV-1 and other excellent electric projects. Over the years our friendship grew; my education about how NEV (Neighborhood Electric Vehicles) worked; I found out what they couldn't do; and what I could expect as the future unfolded (not much).

It was a harsh lesson. The push back on Electric power was immense; from Mechanics; to procurement; to Motor Fleet; to the perception across Campus that batteries don't work. They all tried many other vendors and vehicles. We all learned about battery limitations, weight limitations, road grade incline challenges, off road worthiness and on and on.  But I was dogmatic. I went ahead and committed to building my Shop fleet with GEM, and it didn't fail me.

About 2008, one of the senior mechanics and I were talking about 15 passenger shuttle issues with charging, and he reached out, shook my hand, apologizing for being so negative and arbitrary regarding my enthusiasm and commitment for the GEM (http://www.polaris.com/en-us/gem-electric-car/Pages/Home.aspx) and other viable Electric Vehicles. He was finally an NEV supporter!  Why? Lower preventative services, no fuel, no fuel related services, no brake issues (motor slows vehicle down), no oil, air, and transmission filters and services. When we decided that sealed batteries were the ticket, the battery charge level issues dropped dramatically. When they came into the shop for a 'mileage' review, there wasn't much to review. Just make sure the bolts were tight, and the batteries were staying strong.

But the GEM (Global Electric Motorcar) was not nirvana, nor a panacea for meeting our Clean Energy footprint and Emissions reduction requires. Even though I modified several units for my then Construction Department, there were severe limits to what it could haul; especially up our many hilly roads and pedestrian ways. 

All right…lets get started.

All right…lets get started.

What is an LSV NEV or EV?

Wikipedia sums it up nicely –

“A Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) is a U.S. denomination for battery electric vehicles that are legally limited to roads with posted speed limits as high as 45 miles per hour (72 km/h) depending on the particular laws of the state, usually are built to have a top speed of 30 miles per hour (48 km/h), and have a maximum loaded weight of 3,000 lb (1,400 kg).^[1] NEVs fall under the United States Department of Transportation classification for low-speed vehicles.^[2]

A low-speed vehicle (LSV) is a legal class of 4-wheel vehicles that have a maximum capable speed typically around 25 mph (40 km/h), and have a minimum capable speed (typically 20 mph (32 km/h)) that allows them to travel on public roads not accessible to all golf carts or neighborhood electric vehicles (NEV). The vehicles operate under very similar restrictions to but without the specification of battery electric power.^{[citation needed]} See the NEV article for general vehicle requirements.”

For the purposes of this blog, LSV vehicles are the subject, and content will reflect on vehicle types used for infrastructural purposes under the entitled LSV description for delivery of supplies, products, textiles, goods, and people within a limited distance or range, with expected battery distance of approximately 30 miles before recharging is required.

Putting thoughts to print is hard.

The purpose of this blog, is to allow me to put to print my thoughts and ideas regarding current technologies and designs related to a little reviewed area of clean Battery Electric driven transportation - Low Speed Vehicles - and the future possibilities of operational footprints and performance expectations.

It seems that in America at least, we will accept less than expected if the overall perception or result is a step toward a greener operations footprint, or at least the perception of that.

Apple polishing aside, Global Electric Motorcar, who was recently acquired by Polaris, was the first serious manufacturer to start making an acceptable LSV (Low Speed Vehicle) EV (Electric Vehicle) that could somewhat service the consuming public. 

Many Golf Cart makers attempted to follow suit to not lose market share, and tried to emulate the  LSV design guidelines, but failed in my opinion as all you got was a golf cart that went faster. Hell, I can do that going down a hill. 

Along with that, we started receiving an influx of inferior Asian overseas LSV configurations that in my personal experience were an entire waste, of money and time, spent repairing and living with the inadequate performance of poor or rushed design and manufacturing to fill the American demand for cleaner vehicles. I see it as an attempt to capitalize on readily available government cash set aside for greener fleet operations. Since it is a small market, many are not aware of what is a good or poor product, thus we all bought or are buying poor products.

I have consistently remarked on what could be done to make a better 'wheel' or vehicle to several colleagues in my frustration over seeing a great niche market being abused; explaining the visualized use of COTS component in integration design and mobility (Commercial Off The Shelf). I have hesitated to be more public until recently, set off by seeing yet more unworthy vehicles being imported into the US marketplace. I know full and well what they will be saying a few months down the road, and many of those words will be four letter in structure and meaning as were mine. 

At the urging and support of respected friends and family; several coming from Automotive backgrounds, I have decided to 'man up' and start putting down my thoughts, comments, and within reason, design ideas that I have taken steps to secure for future business, and accept the criticism or support it elicits.

In the next several weeks, I will attempt to articulate the experiences (and post links, websites, pictures and articles) that possessed me to start this blog and espouse my personal ideas on what can be done to offset this error of procurement and expectation in hopes of turning what I see as a nasty Red Tide.  

Why? It is in hopes that American Manufacturing  and consumers will step up and look long term at a marketplace that will do nothing but continue to expand into many areas of localized transportation. Vehicles that had not been considered or rudely dismissed. 

I hope to cajole or by consumer pressure, force companies to rethink, recommit, and build/design products with longevity, platform expansion, performance and quality, along with future technology adaptation, all without price tags that exceed production automobiles when the current LSV product lines are worth far less in value of the overall assembly (not performance), and especially when they cannot be legally operated on the vast majority of American roadways.

I hope I am worthy of the written task, and that you will appreciate the motivation, and the true desire to see Americans rise to the top in many areas of Cleaner and Greener transportation. 

I will attempt not to drag down any vehicle in particular. But at the same time, I will point out the shortcomings of such in attempts to reveal a positive alternative design application that can facilitate new vehicle design as well as retro-fit/upgrade less worthy products.

Hey - we all enjoy the freedom of wheels. Let's make more of it by doing it right.

So - Do we D.A.R.E.?