Is anybody out there?

Probably no one reads this anymore, only 11 followers, don't know how many happen on it by accident, only a very few even bother to comment. I know I haven't been really regular with my comments I guess I just don't want to waste anyones time with meaningless rambles.

I started this because I was extremely excited to be taking part in what I think is the Future of personal transportation.

Electricity!

Clean, efficient, responsible, easily renewable, readily available Electric Power.

I love automobiles! I am an Industrial Designer, I design and build Motion Picture Sets and Props.
Relatively well known for Special Effects miniature work on many major science fiction future thought projects, I've designed and built many things wind, pedal, gravity and engine powered (gasoline, steam, battery electric) as well as participated in the design of future Space travel.

The MINI E has proven to me we are ready for Battery Electric Automobiles.

The Active E, Nissan Leaf, Tesla roadster and Model S are the most exciting things to happen to transportation design in a 100 years.

They are actually reaching the marketplace. 100 years ago Battery Electrics were in competition with gasoline for the domination of transportation as a replacement for the difficult to maintain, unpredictable, underpowered, short range, polluting Horse.

Battery technology didn't progress as rapidly as the easier to produce and procure petrochemicals so oil won out and became the fuel of choice. As the Infrastructure filled in and gasoline stations replaced Livery Stables, the world rapidly and radically changed.

We now possess the Battery technology we didn't have 100 years ago, our Finite Fossil fuels are depleted, It's time for another radical change in the way we think about doing things.

If you are in the market for a new commuter vehicle, Please,
Go test drive a Volt, Leaf, or at least a Hybrid and by the end of this year there will be even more choices Ford Focus, etc, etc.

pluginamerica.org

Please consider a battery Electric or Hybrid vehicle and include it in your future plans, we can't afford not to!

Sure like the way my Electric Car smells!

Now the detractors like to say that it takes energy to make the Electricity you are using to charge your car and that energy has to be made somehow. For some reason they always equate making energy with burning oil.

Electricity CAN BE and IS made any number of ways.
Wind, Solar - Photovoltaics, Geothermal, Hydrologically and many more.
Storage is now accomplished better than ever before and improving all the time.

NEWS FLASH: We don't have to burn Finite Fossil fuels to produce electricity.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist or genius to figure that out.

I simply like the way my garage smells when I start up my Electric Car,
when I drive past joggers and bicyclists they smile,
Silently gliding on Electric power is a pleasure you will miss out on until you make the decision to
hang up the Gas nozzle and don't go there ever again.

I still go to the gas station occasionally to fill up my Diesel Truck and my 'other' Antique Dinosaur car BUT My Primary Use Vehicle is Electric and will be from now till forever!

Projects!

I have considered the Electric Mini E as a project I have taken on to help demonstrate the 'Viability' of the All Electric Car in Every Day use.

I have many 'Projects' (because I am a 3 Dimensional person) not necessarily all compatible in Philosophy.

A long term Project, begun when my brother acquired the car in 1963, is the total restoration of a 1956 Ford Thunderbird!

Stored by my brother in a Barn in Petaluma California since the 1980's, I was given the rolling carcass, accompanied by a multitude of parts in boxes and milk crates, in 2004. My sons and I drove my F250 Diesel North and with a rented flatbed trailer brought the Bird pieces home.

What a fun project for a father and his mid twenties sons!

Tearing down, stripping paint, removing the Motor for complete engine rebuild, familiarizing with parts in boxes, locating resources, we found that there were only 14 Bolts holding the body to the frame! A friend in Costa Mesa had a body 'Rotator' so we moved the car to his shop and pulled the body off the frame.

Complete rebuild of suspension and undercarriage as without the body it's relatively easy to run new (stainless steel) gas lines, brake lines, etc.

Adding Disc brakes to help stop the brute force produced by the Hot Rodded 292!

The car had been Hot Rodded in 1959, so we restored it as a piece of history, 

A California Hot Rod circa 1959-60.

After 5 years of off and on effort, lots of cash, the car is now finished, a perfect 1956 Ford Thunderbird: California Hot Rod.

OK, now that it's done, I love driving it!

But, who can afford to drive it?

Not Me!

In the first 200 miles, I filled the tank 3 times, 45 gallons!

A little more than 4 miles per gallon!

This car is the reason Electric Cars make sense! Electric car detractors like to talk about range anxiety!

RANGE ANXIETY! I get over 100 miles out of a tank on my Electric Car and less than 80 in the Bird!

I plug in at night while I sleep (something everyone has to do) and my Electric car is full in the morning.

The Bird, I have to find a Chevron station, as it won't even run on Arco or anything with gasohol in it.

By the way I've always hated Gassing up in Gas stations!

In 16 months I have driven 21,000 miles on Electricity, saved thousands of dollars in fuel not bought,

I have experienced the past and I have seen the future!

You ask why? Why did I even bother to restore the Bird? 

It IS a piece of history, it's gorgeous to look at, to drive, to ride in, it is a rolling, living, Work of ART.

The worst part of this is the way my garage now smells!

Electric Cars and Rain.

Just got back from a long drive in pouring rain in my ALL Electric Mini E.

Some people have some objection to this, I've had NO problems or fears of driving in the rain.

The Car still performs flawlessly rain or shine!

There are SO many little reasons people give for not trying an Electric car but it is my experience that the moment you get in and try one those dissipate and you are overwhelmed with the freedom of driving on pollution free, efficient, inexpensive and readily available Electricity!

Out in the early morning on a full charge, after an hour of driving errands I pull into the garage, plug in and sip cheep electricity (as it is still off peak until noon) refilling while I take care of home business then unplug my car at noon and with a full battery continue on with the day. This packs many more than the 120 miles I normally get on a full battery.

Many more miles than I can possibly use in a normal day.

Need to occasionally go much further than 120 miles, I use my other car (or rent one)!

Thats how I roll!

December, the end of TwentyTen!

Well, I'm back from Hungary.

It took a little longer than expected, you see Angelina Jolie decided to shoot her movie in the same castle we were using and she bumped us from October to November which put us into a different weather pattern and made shooting even colder and if-ier.

We lucked out though and had unusually great weather for November and finished in 30 days of shooting.

We had Russian VOLGA's, LADA's, belching gas and diesel fumes, all manor of vehicles supporting us.

I didn't touch a steering wheel for two months though and was driven or walked everywhere I needed to go.

Returning home I couldn't wait to see COOPER E and jump in for a drive!

I feel like I need to air the fumes of Eastern Europe out of my chest, it's amazing how much cleaner the air really is in California!

It seems the rollout of the New Electric Cars is picking at an amazing pace, just since I've been gone the Leaf has hit the road, so to the Chevy Volt (friends got theirs) Think City and more, it's really exciting, people will soon learn the fun and freedom of driving pollution free electric vehicles not tied to War Oil.

Well, Happy Holidays and Happy New Electric Year 2011, I'm back and will try to catch up on E-News.

Read This about Lithium Ion and Batteries!

I get a lot of questions about "Lithium Batteries, environmental effect, short supply, recycling, etc etc, Read the following link for a more informed view of where it's coming from, how much there is and how recyclable it is.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/08/life-cycle-analysis-lithium-ion-batteries-electric-cars.php?campaign=weekly_nl

Might have to leave the Mini E behind!

I've got a gig in Hungary for the month of October.
It's GOOD to have work - but NOT good to have to leave my little Electric car here!

A friend (a Writer) has asked me to Art Direct his movie, we will be shooting in a wonderful French Renaissance mansion, built in 1883 on a large wooded property about 40 km from Budapest.
Needless to say the property has been through a lot in the political turmoils of the last century and has picked up a wonderful patina of age and neglect that is perfect for this film.
The Manse will act as our scripts 'Castle' and provide the ambiance for the 'Vampire' story he has written.
Shooting the whole month of October and into the first weeks of November, we are hoping for some snow to enhance the final scenes.

I'll be examining what's happening in Hungary on the 'electric vehicle' front and will report if I find anything of interest.

My wife and son will have to put some miles on lil' Cooper E for me while I'm gone.

Meanwhile, Cooper E is performing perfectly, I just couldn't be happier, it IS the perfect run around, commute, go here, go there, short hops and longer vehicle for me!

Go try one (an Electric Car or Hybrid), give it some thought, keep a record of your daily mileage and you might be surprised how easily your commute or the majority of your running around fits within 100-120 miles.

Think about this - when day is done, you simply plug-in and charge while you sleep, on cheap off peak electricity, when you awake, your tank is full, you've spent less than $3 for electricity, unplug and go do stuff!

My tank (battery) is simply always FULL!

See you in November,
(if the movie turns out good I may tell you it's name, otherwise...well, see ya).