SEVA EVUpdate Newsletter
January 1996
Contents: Presidents Message | Monthly Meeting Minutes | Monthly Board Minutes | Petro and Auto War Against ZEV | Notice: EV Workshop In January | Partial Speakers List for 1996 | EV News Bits | Upcomming EVents |
Presidents Message by Mark Bahlke
Well, here it is, the new year again. Happy New Year everyone!
I know I have lots to look forward to this year, I hope all of you are looking forward to 1996 being a great year, too.
Oh, yeah the news about the CARB mandate is not good, but I think we should all remember who we're up against in this battle. It will not be easy to totally change the way our transportation industry works. I will talk about what is going on in that arena another time, but I wanted to kick off the new year with a more upbeat theme.
To that end, I am working on what may turn into a series of articles which should illustrate some of the things we have to work with already, and what exactly we are up against, in the hopes of putting things into a new perspective.
So here it is, the first installment of what I am calling "The million number", or "Do the math!"
We are all bombarded by numbers in the form of statistics and percentages, price reductions, etc, all day long. Every day and night it's numbers numbers numbers. So in some ways the meaning of these numbers gets a little lost, or dilluted. I would like to find some numbers relating to what we do in SEVA, and restore their meaning if I can. What's a number that we know and understand which will usually get our attention? Big enough that we know it's big, and yet not too big to be unattainable. Something really impressive, like if you had that many of SOMETHING, you really have something.
Well, I suggest a million. A million bucks is alot of money, probably enough to live on in comfortable means for the rest of your life. If you had a million dollars today, and were careful, you could meet all of your survival needs for 30, 40, maybe 50 years or more.
Pretty good, I'd say. There are lots of millionaires around the country. People with SEVERAL millions. They are doing just fine thank you very much.
So a having million dollars is possible, even if it's not likely.
A billion dollars, though, that's hard to imagine. Yes, you can say it, but what does it really mean to have a billion dolars? There are billionaires, but what do they really have? Lots and lots of money tied up in corporations, stocks, bonds and lots of other stuff. So it's hard to see a billion dollars. But a million is something which you or I might possibly see in our lifetime. Well, if you made $50,000 per year, for 20 years, that's a million. Or $25,000 for 40 years works too.
But what does this all have to do with SEVA? Well, I'm not talking about us trying to collect a million dollars for anything, but if we could say at SEVA that we had a million SOMETHING, don't you think people would take a little more notice than if we just said, yeah, we have 120 members, we meet once a month, and we have a few vehicles we drive around Sacramento.
I think with a little creative thinking, and cooperation, SEVA could become a millionaire club as easily as anyone else, and maybe change the way that people look at SEVA, EV orginizations, and Electric Vehicles in general.
Isn't that what we're here for?
So, what do we have a million of? Well, nothing right now. But after putting together the EV project board at the end of last year, I realized that maybe we did have a million resource. We totalled up our EV miles driven in the last 3 years, and found that SEVA members had driven their vehicles over 120,000 miles (that number has continued to increase since the last total). We counted over 40 vehicles (there were more than 50 on the roster at one point), and found that the mileage total was much higher than anyone had imagined. I started thinking. We have roughly 120 members, with about 40 vehicles right now (we can just about put the entire membership in EVs, and drive them all around town!).
If we found another club similar to ours in California, with 30 or 40 more vehicles, and totalled up their miles, I am confident they would come up fairly similar to us. So that's another 120,000 miles, to total 240,000. If we found seven other EV groups in California, who all have and drive EVs, it would be possible to total up 1,000,000 miles. That's 8 EV groups including us, around 40 vehicles per group, for a total of 320 vehicles, and a membership of around 1,000 people. Just in California. A million miles, pollution free! I think that's something worth bragging about. Do the math on the avoided pollution from those miles, and you come out with SEVERAL millions of pounds of pollution NOT emitted into our air and water.
According to my copy of the EV association faq list which is a little dated, there are 14 EV groups in California. This number may have grown. At last report, the DMV had released numbers to someone that showed over 3,000 EVs registered in California. It's easy to see that we are already over the million mile mark. Probably close to a million miles per year. In California alone! And they wonder if EVs really work in the real world.
Well, that's more than enough for now. Next month, I'll look into the millions of benefits that EVs produce, and more ways that SEVA can be a millionaire club.
See you later!
By the way, it's getting down to the wire. REMEMBER TO VOTE in SEVAs Election!! Vote early, vote often, and VOTE FOR ME! We need your support.
Monthly Meeting Minutes by Bill Dean
The meeting, in the new SMUD customer service building, was opened at 1015am by V.P. Tim Loree. He announced the CARB meeting on Dec.14. Steve Smith passed around photos of oilspots. Mike Simpson, Rick Prestell, and Bill Dean reported on the Volvo Environmental Concept Truck. Tim introduced the speaker, Dan Sullivan of Electric Sports Racing.
Dan got the idea for an electric race car in1989. He designed one and got it running byDec. 1993. The Sports Car Club of America(SCCA) is trying to fit EVs into their racingclasses. His car, ESR1, has about half theendurance needed for the entire 25-minuterace.
If racers can get 5 EVs, they can have their own race. Race tracks limit the number of hours of racing, because of noise. If there are EV races, they would not count against the time constraints.
Dan is working with SCCA to design the specs for a class of racers. Proposed rules provide for a spec chassis but flexibility ofcontroller-motor combinations. The purpose is to keep costs under control and make cars nearly identical, so that the outcome depends on driver skill and not car muscle. The cost of a safe purpose-built EV race car would be approx. $25K. And with sealed batteries, they are safer to clean up than gas-powered cars after a crash.
Dan showed a video of the ESR1 in action and brief interviews with partners Mark Sullivan and Mike Brown.
Dan said that he designed the car to respond like a gas-powered racer, to attract the greatest number of drivers. He spins up the 100Hp motor before starting in first or second gear, to get the RPMs up, to keep current down and to extend range. The regenerative breaking feels just like engine breaking when coasting and saves the brakes.
Dan reported that the motor is an advanced 9" DC. AC drive is too expensive and the controller is too big. The biggest limitation is battery life. There are two banks of batteries, both wired for 144V. The 550A Curtis controller is adjusted for fast acceleration. The batteries charge in 1-3 hours, so the car can run 3 races in a day. The 38A-hr Genesis starved-electrolyte batteries, each weighing 39lb, do not leak acid.
Tim opened the meeting for announcements. Bill reminded members to mail in ballots or bring them to the January meeting. Tony Cygan mentioned that he mailed out 145 copies of the newsletter. The group applauded Tony for getting elected to the national EAA board. Ruth MacDougall announced the programs lined up from January all the way through August.
Arthur Cartwright had a reminder about the Clean Air Commute awards, and an announcement that military personnel cars will soon have to comply with state smog standards. Steve Smith reported on the financial health of SEVA, pleased that members are renewing. Dick Park said that the library might find a new home in Ruth's office. Bill Fairbairn is going toWashington for a DOE EV-Ready meeting.
The meeting was adjourned at 1150am.
Monthly Board Minutes by Bill Dean
NOTICE: There was no SEVA Board Meeting for December due to the holiday's and the board members busy schedules.
Petro and Auto War Against ZEV by Clare Bell
California's Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program is being heavily attacked by the oil and auto industries. As the editor of an electric car newsletter, I have watched the assault from the front lines. It is vicious, unprincipled and dirty, funded by obscene amounts of corporate cash ($29 M). Here are some examples:
Making use of false front groups, such as Californians Against Hidden Taxes (CAHT), the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) and its PR firm are waging war against electric cars on every possible front. Why? The simple answer is money. Every electric car on the road means less gasoline sold, less petro profit.
Through CAHT, one of WSPA's statewide media campaigns, WSPA has taken potshots at electric car safety. A Reno-based organization calling itself the National Institute for Emergency Vehicle Safety has successfully published numerous op-eds full of misinformation. This is intended to agitate the uninformed and easily-alarmed into pressuring the governor to override the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and scrap the Zero Emission Vehicle program.
The American Automobile Manufacturer's Association is also working to torpedo ZEVs with slick and annoying radio commercials. Literally tons of money has been poured into this campaign. Opponents know that CARB has remained committed to the ZEV program. They are trying to generate enough grassroots" pressure on Governor Wilson to override the Board and junk ZEV.
The oil and auto industries do not give a damn about California's air. As long as California consumers have strength and breath enough to totter into showrooms and gas stations to buy their products, they will fight ZEV as they fought seat belts, air bags, catalytic converters and cleaner gasoline.
Shouldn't the oil and auto industries, like the tobacco industry, be held accountable for poisoning the air Californians breathe? Shouldn't they be forced to admit that they shuffle off the true costs of environmental and societal damage while eagerly sucking up subsidies and tax breaks? Federal oil subsidies since the 1930s are in the TRILLIONS of dollars.
Who pays for roads, bridges, and other automotive infrastructure? Certainly not the car companies. Gas taxes contribute only a small part of the direct cost and none of the indirect costs, such as environmmental degradation, health care costs due to air pollution and safety and emergency response. If the negative effects of gasoline-powered cars were truly reflected in product pricing, gas would cost $5 a gallon!
That is the truth about the attack on electric cars. It's not because of legitimate concerns about safety or practicality. Electric cars are safe ( a well-built and well-designed electric is probably safer than most gas cars). They are practical for 80-90% of California's driving needs ( as shown by numerous studies and the experiences of many pioneering California commuters who have driven electrics regularly for years). They are energy-efficient (even including the generation and transmission of power to charge batteries, Electric cars come out ahead of the gas car, which throws away all but 15% of its fuel energy as heat) and effective in reducing vehicle emissions.
The technology is ready. So why don't we have it now? Because electric cars DON'T burn petroleum.
If you really want to know about EVs, ask the people who drive them and believe in them; the members of the Electric Auto Association, 1-800-537-2882. I'm one.
Editors Note:
Clare is the editor of the National EAA's newsletter, Current EVents.
Those of you who are not members of the National EAA should extend your membership into that organization.
Cost is $35 per year and includes membership in SEVA.
Notice: EV Workshop In January
On Saturday, January 27th learn how to convert your own EV !
This all day workshop will be conducted by Mike Brown and Shari Prange of ElectroAutomotive.
See the Special Flyer for more information.
Partial Speakers List for 1996
SEVAs Speaker Calendar For The 1st Half Of 1996
Sat. Jan. 27 Mike Brown of ElectroAutomotive - All day Workshop
on Converting an Electric Vehicle - $45 ***
Sat. Feb. 10 Mike Brown of ElectroAutomotive - EVs and Safety
Sat. March 9 Dennis Kremer of SMUD - on his Purpose Built EV Project
Sat. April 13 Craig McCann of Pro-EV - on GE drivetrains
Sat. May 11 Clean Air Commute to Davis ***
Sat. June 8 Mickey Oros of EVI - on EV Charging Stations & chargers
Sat. July 13 MaryAnn Walpert of Pacific Solar - on the Phoenix EV Race
*** Special EVents
EV News Bits
CARB Begins Capitulation to Oil and Auto Industries
(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Dec. 21, 1995--In a move believed to have been directed by Governor Wilson, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) today for the first time in history backed down from one of its own ground-breaking clean air regulations.
Responding to a multi-million dollar oil and auto campaign, the Air Board staff presented a proposal to scuttle the 1998 2% Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) requirement. The year 2003 requirement for 10% would stand.
`We have seen no scientific or technical reason to delay,` said Tim Carmichael of the Coalition for Clean Air. `The agency responsible for world wide adoption of catalytic converters, unleaded gasoline and reformulated gasoline has never before buckled to politicalpressure.`
The CARB staff proposal, presented in out-line form and subject to revision until March of 1996, calls for a demonstration project in Sacramento and Los Angeles. This would require only 3,750 ZEVs be available between 1998 and 2000 versus 60,000 under the original proposal.
`This is inconsistent with the conclusions of the independent battery panel that called for strong requirements beginning with the year 2000 in order to maintain research and investment,` said analyst Roland Hwang of the Union of Concerned Scientists.
`This proposal represents the next step in the Governor's attempt to dismantle California's clean air plan. He is selling out the environment, high-tech business and consumers to support his generous patrons in the oil industry,` said Melissa Kaznitz of CALPIRG.
Sonia Hamel, the director of air policy for the state of Massachusetts, told reporters at today's meeting that Massachusett's Governor William Weld is `very disappointed.` Massachusetts and NewYork both are bound to follow California's ZEV program. Hamel went onto point out that the abrupt 10% requirement in 2003 is not a `smartmarket launch.`
`From zero to 10% is a giant leap,` said Jamie Phillips of the Planning and Conservation League. `It requires a leap of faith in the car companies -- in whom we have little faith'.
Poll Results Show Massive Support for Environmental Protection
From the Sierra Club HotLine:
Once again the results of a national poll show that the majority of Americans strongly support protecting the environment and human health. A poll conducted by The Harris Poll November 2-6, 1995 surveyed 1,007 adults nationwide and found the following results:
"Twenty-five years after its founding, do you think the federal government's Environmental Protection Agency is needed more today, is needed equally, or needed less than when it was founded?"
All Rep. Dem. Ind.
Needed More 56% 46% 60% 58%
Needed Equally 30 30 32 29
Needed Less 13 24 8 12
Not Sure 1 -- 1 1
"How Much Confidence do you have in the ability of [see below] to protect the environment: a great deal of confidence, only some confidence, or hardly any confidence?"
Great Some Hardly Not
Deal Any Sure
"Environmental groups like
the Sierra Club and the
Audubon Society" 33% 51% 13% 2%
"The US Environmental
Protection Agency" 22 66 11 1
"Vice President Gore" 18 56 24 1
"President Clinton" 16 64 19 1
"Business" 7 46 45 2
"The Republican controlled
Congress" 7 55 36 2
"Sometimes there are arguments between people who want to protect their jobs - in industry or in logging, for example- and those that want to protect the environment. In general, do you feel that government policy tends to favor jobs too much, favor the environment too much, or has it got the balance just right?"
All Rep. Dem. Ind.
Favors jobs too much 35% 35% 36% 36%
Favors the environment too much 20 28 15 19
Balance just right 42 35 46 42
Not sure 3 3 3 4
Upcomming EVents
SEVA Activities:
o General Meeting, Saturday, January 13th at 10am. SEVA ELECTIONS
o Board Meeting, Monday, January 15th at 7pm.
o EV Conversion Workshop, Saturday, January 27th at 9am.
o General Meeting, Saturday, February 10th at 10am.
o Board Meeting, Monday, February 12th at 7pm.
o General Meeting, Saturday, March 9th at 10am.
o Board Meeting, Monday, March 11th at 7pm.
Bay Area/Modesto EAA Activities:
o EAA Annual Meeting and Symposium, Saturday, February 10th.
National/International EV Activities
o Phoenix APS Electrics, March 1-3, 1996.