Green Energy News | July 27, 1997

July 27 1997 – Vol.2 No.17

ENERGIES... week of July 27, 1997

“ I SPENT 50 YEARS POLLUTING THE WORLD,” said Ford Mustang creator Lee Iacocca to a Denver Post reporter last week. “Now it’s time to do something cleaner and better,” he concluded referring to the formation of his new company, EV Global Motors. EV Global will target worldwide markets for electric bicycles, scooters and commuter cars.

In a joint venture with Unique Mobility of Golden, Colorado, Iacocca's firm will first market a battery-powered bicycle to be manufactured by Giant Bicycle of Taiwan. Unique will provide the battery, motor and other electric components. Unique has also developed the Ethos 3 EV commuter car with Italian car designer Pininfarina. The Global battery powered bicycle will be followed by a stylish scooter now under development.

AN INTERNATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE ROUND TABLE to collaborate on innovative and creative solutions to industry challenges for the 21st century was urged by Ken Baker, Vice President for Research and Development at General Motors, at the Global Automotive Management Council’s inaugural meeting in Erice, Italy.

Among the areas of collaboration would be the standardization of vehicle safety requirements and testing procedures, cooperative studies on the environment and global warming, enhancement of the global communication system to share engineering knowledge, and better awareness and adaptation to cultures in emerging markets.

“No one nation and one company can hope to meet customer and societal needs on its own,” said Baker.

BUILDING THE FLEET. Virginia Power has added 10 new Chevrolet S-10 Electric pickups to its EV fleet, bringing the total to 43. The purchase makes Virginia Power the first utility in the mid-Atlantic states to take delivery of the first factory-built electric pickup truck built in the U.S.

The S-10 Electric can haul 950 lbs of cargo, has an effective range of 40 miles in city driving and 60 miles at a constant 45 mph. The S-10 utilizes Delco Electronics’ MAGNE CHARGE (tm) inductive charging system which uses magnetic fields to induce a current to charge the EV’s batteries.

The S-10 Electric is offered only to fleets, so that fleet operators, such as Virginia Power, can closely monitor its performance and utility. Vehicles operated in fleets are often dispatched from a home base which could act as a charging facility for an EV.