Greetings everyone, and happy new year! We are recovering well from the passage of another holiday season, but we're still catching up. In reviewing 1994 in the last month as I do yearly, I found many things to encourage me that 1995 will be a great year. I am completing nearly a year as president of this fine orginization, which in itself makes me very proud. I have had great support from the board and you the membership, and I am grateful. Without getting on a soapbox, if I am elected again for 1995, I will do everything I can to see to it that the momentum started in 1994 is continued in the new year.
Well, I have seen many but not all of the renwalls coming in, which is great all by itself, but I am noticing that some of you are taking the time out to include comments, and news articles. I would like to be very clear about this: THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HELP AND INTEREST! It is gratifying to see the membership becoming more willing to express an opinion, make a suggestion, or forward some news. Please keep it up. We will do our best to provide a quick response to your requests.
I have talked to a few of the members in recent months, about various aspects of repairing, or refurbishing some of the non-working EVs in the club. I am getting a positive response overall, which is great. I am hoping to generate enough interest in this to get a few more EVs on the road in Sacramento. If you're thinking about getting an EV, or building a conversion, this would be one way to get some experience, and see what others have done. Give me a call if you're interested in one of these aspects. Naturally one of the greatest obstacles is cost. I am also pursuing finding low(er) cost alternatives to getting cars up and running. Also, it seems that the part of our database which keeps track of who has an EV is seriously out of date. We now do not have a very accurate count of EVs in SEVA. If you own an EV of any kind, working or not, please contact me either through the mail, or by phone, and let me know what you have.
I kicked off the new year by putting my EV up on ramps in the garage :-( for some fairly major rework. New battery racks up front, with room for 2 more batteries for - you guessed it - more power! A few other odds and ends which needed doing are being done at the same time, so I will have a fine runnin' vehicle in a couple more weeks.
We (the SEVA board) talked earlier in the year about possible club activities, one of which was participating in the Santa parade downtown on Thanksgiving weekend. Well, time passed, and we didn't get ready in time, but we did get good information about next year. In the mean time, one of our members from Roseville, David Robinson was in the Roseville Holiday parade THIS year. Dave's article on this was in last month's EV Update. Thanks for being there Dave! This year we'll have to coordinate efforts in both areas, and get coverage in both parades! This is why I would like to see us have more EVs in the club, looking their best, to show the public.
Lastly, I would like to thank all of you once again who renewed for another year, and welcome our new members. Thank you for your participation and support. Mark
Instead of meeting in Sacramento, SEVA had a field trip to U.C. Davis to visit Dr. David Swan's shop at the Institute for Transportation Studies. V.P. Tim Loree led the crowd from the parking lot to the Institute facility. David Swan and several graduate students greeted the visitors from SEVA.
Displays included a fuel cell, a Horizon battery, ultra-capacitors, an electric auto, and a load simulator. The fuel cell consists of graphite plates and membranes that convert hyrdogen and oxygen into water while producing 3 KW of power. The support system of wires, tubes, heat exchanger, circuit boards, and pumps dwarfs the small physical size of the fuel cell itself. The system pumps air and hydrogen into the fuel cell at a carefully controlled rate and extracts water at a rate to keep the moisture at the optimal level.
Ultra-capacitors are electrolytic capacitors that store large amounts of electric charge. Whereas a battery converts chemical energy to electrical energy, a capacitor literally stores electric charge. An ultra-capacitor is a capacitor designed to store a large amount of charge in a small volume. The ultra-capacitor on display, rated at 1500 Farads, is easily held in the hand. The electolyte is the key to high capacitance, but if subject to more than just a few volts, the electrolyte conducts, short-circuiting the capacitor. So the ultra-capacitor can only be used in circuits where it never experiences more than about 5 V. Ultra-capacitors are important because of their power density. They can release energy at higher rates than the same weight of battery.
The electric vehicle features a zinc-bromide battery. The 108 cells are in a tower configuration in the back seat of the car. The solution is pumped through polyethylene tubes to the top of the cells. During charging the zinc deposits on the plates and the bromine binds to a chemical in the solution to prevent bromine gas formation. The amount of energy, hence the range of the vehicle, depends on the amount of solution, not so much the size of the plates. A heat exchanger under the battery keeps the solution at the right temperature, exhausting the excess heat through a conventional radiator at the front of the car. The water in the radiator, though, only gets up to about 100 degrees F, much cooler than in a gasoline-powered vehicle.
Another feature is the Hughes 50 kW controller, a simplified version of the controller on the GM Impact. The controller takes DC power from the battery, chops it into AC, and sends it to the motor. The controller also receives AC from the motor during braking, and converts it to DC to return to the battery.
The load simulator is under construction, but should be completed by the end of December. The researchers can connect an electric motor to the simulator and learn how the motor operates under different circumstances.
The SEVA visitors enjoyed looking at and hearing about the displays. They had many informal conversations with David Swan, with the graduate students, and among themselves. Perhaps we will do this again some day soon.
The SEVA board met Monday, December 12 a 7pm to discuss club business.
First on the agenda was the Treasurer's report. Steve Smith passed out a one-page report noting a balance of $1654.13 and no outstanding debt. The report also listed the number of current non-paid members (36), as well as the number of paid members as of January 1, 1995 (94).
Mark Bahlke passed out copies of the bylaws of the National EAA. The other officers agreed to read them before the January board meeting.
The board is looking to participate in the 1995 Santa Parade. SEVA needs to mail in an application. Tim Loree will organize a small committee to notify EV owners of this event. About half a dozen EVs could be in the parade with a banner proclaiming "Our Gift to Sacramento Is Clean Air." Tim is on a committee to organize the spring EV rally. This event takes place around Clean Air Week or Earth Week.
The board set deadlines for turning in material for the newsletter. Tony Cygan must have it in hand by January 2 for the January edition, January 27 for the February edition, February 24 for the March edition, March 24 for the April edition, and April 28 for the May edition. This step will help Tony to continue to improve the newsletter.
Mark suggested that the field trip to McClellan take place on a Sunday in place of a regular Saturday meeting. The board discussed the merits of the proposal and is willing to try it. This will allow some of our members to attend who may not normally be able to make a Saturday meeting to participate in SEVA.
Tim will enter visitors into his copy of the database and produce labels for Tony. Tim will add another field to the database to distinguish between members and visitors. The board discussed how Tim can communicate the file to Steve.
Steve requested budgetary guidelines for the newsletter, which is the main expense of SEVA. A budget for 200 copies looks like $64 for postage and $40 to $96 for copying, per month. Occasionally Ruth McDougall will be able to arrange no cost copying at SMUD (thank you SMUD). SEVA has several alternatives for copying, but the least expensive ones are not always available. Steve's concern is that SEVA not spend more on the newsletter than it takes in on memberships. If this is happening, it is possible to shrink the number of pages in the newsletter during months in which SEVA has to resort to the more expensive means of copying. The board will keep an eye on costs, as well as looking into bulk rates for mailing.
The board meeting was adjourned at 9:15pm.
I just got back from vacation over the holiday's visiting with my reletives back in the Midwest. The suburbs of Chicago and the small towns of Wisconsin to be a bit more exact.
My dad got a new job recently, that of a car salesman at a GM dealer in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. He wanted his coworkers and boss to meet me and so I had to head over there with him. My dad had told these people that I was building an electric car and I didn't really know what to expect from them when I met them. As it turns out they were not real interested. I don't know if it was because they had not really thought about an electric car before or if it was because they had heard GM and the other auto manufacturers negitive publicity about electrics and so had disregarded them altogether.
I talked with one of the guys there who builds frames for race cars and told him of the race on the 1/4 mile oval track that Bob Sneivies and his race car Snow White had this past summer at the SEER event in Ukiha, CA. against a gas race car and he seemed a bit interested, but not ready to try something like that on his own.
It is quite a different story here in California though where because of the ZEV mandate there ends up being alot of press on the subject and even some EV's regularly being driven around towns and so the normal person on the street at least knows that something is going on. This is good, since when cars start showing up in the showrooms and on the street in 1998 they will not seem like such an oddity, while in places like Wisconsin that same car will get alot of looks and the driver will be thought to be someone with too much time on their hands.
Let's make sure that when we talk with our friends and relatives around the country that we make mention of our interest in electric vehicles. Discuss with them the positive aspects of owning an EV. Many of the people I talked to didn't really think about how many miles they drive on an average day and once I went over this with them they were able to see that an EV is not neccessarily out of the question. When my parents asked what I would do if I wanted to take a trip into the mountains I told them that I could rent a Cadillac for those times and would spend less money than I would in paying insurance and maintenance costs on a second car.
Talking about EV's this way we maybe will get them to thinking about them too, and when the electric cars start showing up in their dealers showrooms in the year 2000+, they might actually think about buying one. Maybe it'll even be purchased from my dad.
We would all like to see a future where our children are safe, happy and healthy, free from threats such as pollution, crime and other effects that result from a non-sustainable society.. We would all like to live in a world that offers something positive for us and our children, as well as to all children of the world. The next generation needs some sustainable answer as a focus.
I know that unless I do something to create this new and better future, it will only stay out there somewhere as a potential waiting to happen. A better future does not just magically appear. It depends on each of our actions. That illustrates the power we have. It illustrates the free will we have to either suffer with what we have or to create something better. Unless we cooperate, it will not happen either.
No one person has all the answers. No one person can move to an island and hope to keep him or herself safe from the worldwide calamity that is ahead if we continue on in the direction we are heading presently. There is no safe place left. We used to be able to run from our problems. That does not work anymore.
We are all vulnerable to earthquakes, tidal waves, radiation, nuclear explosions, earth subsidence, hurricanes, tornadoes, pollution of all kinds in food, air, water, soil, etc. If we do not make the whole world a safe place to live, we will be like the captain on the proverbial sinking ship with no life rafts and no rescue boat in sight. It is a terrible feeling. Everyone with any feelings, conscience and a brain is feeling it these days.
I vow to do my part. I urge you to do what you can. I am donating my time, energy and effort as much as possible to create a better future. I am dedicating my life to teaching others how to create this sustainable healthy future. The better future is possible, but only if we all do our part. I will start by giving a new looking Subaru Justy, to be converted to an electric or hybrid vehicle. I can also offer a computer, camera and video camera that can record the steps necessary to convert the vehicle. The results could serve as an educational tool for others who wish to do the same thing. Part of the proceeds could help fund the local EV group. I envision the information being used to make a CD Rom disc to be distributed worldwide.
The car will be used at public functions and as a demonstration vehicle with large stickers advertising that it is a special vehicle. Donations of parts could be arranged by offering to advertise the donator as a source of materials in the video, etc. to be distributed. This could be worth a lot of money to the donor. The car is to be donated to the Sustainable Health Institute, which is currently being incorporated. This organization will demonstrate sustainable choices. It will offer educational materials to the public about how to accomplish these sustainable answers. The car would be available to the public for inspection.
You may choose to add your special gift to a better world by supporting the creation of above specific electric car project. You may choose to help create the Sustainable Health Institute. What is needed to start? We would like to put this letter onto computer bulletin boards, networks, e-mail, locally and nationwide. Things that would help are donations of: time, expertise, car parts, sources of grants, addresses of potential companies that would support this, names and phone numbers of people to network with and anything else that comes to mind. If you would like to offer your gift to the world, contact Dr. Eric Straatsma PhD, PO BX 41, Greenwood, Ca. 95635. You can reach him during business hours at the Health Center-- (916) 889-9118. Thank you for doing your part. It would not be possible otherwise.
Sincerely creating a sustainable future, Dr. Eric Straatsma, Ph.D.
Editors note: I received this letter from Dr. Straatsma a few months ago and have just now had a chance to run it in the newsletter. I do not know the current status of Dr. Straatsma's plans, so if you are interested or want more information on his organization give him a call directly.
Some of the following news bits were pulled from the National EAA newsletter. They were compiled by Ruth M. Shipley from the Environmental Information Network
The New York Power Authority plans to buy up to 50 EVs that will be built by U.S. Electricar in a new plant in the Syracuse area. Some of the cars will be used as station cars to transport commuters to and from one or more railroad stations in Westchester during a 2-year project with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Five of the manufacturers selected for Phase 1 of EV America, the Electric utility-led program to speed the introduction of EVs into the marketplace, began vehicle testing in October in Phoenix, AZ. BAT International, Chrysler, Solectria, Unique Mobility and U.S.Electricar submitted 8 compact pickups, sedans and minivans for a 30-day evaluation.
The testing, funded by the Department of Energy, will be conducted by Electic Transportation Applications, supported by Failure Analysis Associates and managed by the Arizona Public Service. Vehicles will be evaluated on acceleration, braking, road handling and overall durability. Range and cold weather performance will be tested in an environmental dynamometer capable of dropping the temperature to 10 degrees F.
Electric Fuel Corp. President and CEO Yehuda Harats recently challenged claims that EVs are not practical in cold weather climates. Harats told attendees of the Sustainable Transportation Symposium in Providence, RI, that his company's zinc-air battery has been extensively tested at 0 degrees F. The independent German standards and testing institute TUV Bayern Sachsen locked a Mercedes Benz 180E van with its installed zinc-air battery in a climate chamber at 0 degrees F and then ran acceleration and capacity tests on a dynamometer. The vehicle was ready to run without and problems at 0 degrees F and subsequent tests could be performed "practically without any capacity losses."
Saft (Voldosta, GA) exibited its latest nickel cadmium battery, the STM 5-100 MRE, at the PAris Auto Show in October. The 6 volt, 100-ampere-hour battery was developed jointly with French carmakers PSA Peugeot Citroen and Renault, along with backing from France's Ministry of Industry.
The new "monoblock" battery features an efficient hydraulic cooling system integrated into the monoblock, lower maintenance requirements, 10% greater capacity compared to prototype batteries used in the vehicles now being tested, smaller volume and faster recharge capability. Manufactured on a new production line at Saft's Bordeaux factory, the battery will be shipped next year.
Ford is to test the Saft NiCad batteries as part of it's ongoing EV research and development program.
Suntera has been selected to produce EVs to be used as "station cars" for the National Station Car Association. These 2-person commuter vehicles are designed for suburbanites to use for travel between their starting and final destenations and mass transit stations. Demonstrations of an anticipated 100 station cars are scheduled are to begin before the end of the year in southern Florida, Long Island, northeastern Illinois, Sacramento, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
SEVA Activities --
o General Meeting with elections, Saturday Jan 14th at 10:00am
o Board Meeting, Monday Jan 16th at 7:00pm
o General Meeting, Saturday Feb 11th at 10:00am
o Board Meeting, Monday Feb 13th at 7:00pm
o General Meeting, Saturday Mar 11th at 10:00am
o Board Meeting, Monday Mar 13th at 7:00pm
o General Meeting, Saturday Apr 8th at 10:00am
o Board Meeting, Monday Apr 10th at 7:00pm
Bay Area & Modesto EAA Activities --
National EVents --
o APS/Phoenix 500, March 3-5, 1995.
o Tour de Sol, May 22-26, 1995.
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