GM, Chevron and CARB killed the EV once and will try it again Lowering the cost of EVs End oil now with plug-in EV and solar PV We can end oil now Peak Oil: We need gas, oil TAXES to fund plug-in cars and solar rooftop power Lithium Lies: none of the current crop of Lithium cars equals what we had in 1997 What we need now: plug-in cars and solar power on rooftops Tesla-Toyota revives RAV4-EV, the most successful EV Plug-in cars are no strain on the grid, contrary to Toyota claim Chevron Oil and GM abused patent system to kill EV batteries Who really killed GM? GM did it! (new June 4, 2009) EV charging and solar power HELP the grid (pvevfact) California Air Resources Board failed, surrendered to GM crushing EV1 (carbfail) Sign up for more information about the Nissan LEAF Why GM self-destructed: Oily funds control GM (gmoil) GM misleads bloggers: an example and feedback(gmlies) What's the truth about the Volt, anyway? (volthoax) NiMH, standard EV battery, suppressed by Chevron-GM (nimhsup) Chevron bought control of NiMH from GM, then sued Toyota, which stopped EV production (chevron) Vigil Pics -- first set (vpics01) Vigil Pics -- second set (vpics02) LOG of the vigil as it occurred, day by day (vigilog) How a serial hybrid ("Extended Range EV") works (sshb) A simple serial hybrid can solve our energy crisis (500mpg) EV1 interactive history, read or add comments (ev1hist) Letter writing utility -- helps you compose letter Sign up to join campaign for Electric cars powered by rooftop solar Links to other Electric car resources (links.htm) ----OTHER ASSOCIATED WEB PAGES--- DrivingTheFuture.com resources(dtf.com) Electric can replace gas in cars(dtf/electcan.htm) Running a Toyota RAV4-EV on rooftop solar power (sealbeach.org)
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Log of the vigil as it unfolded

testAdded 02/02/2007 at 7:41 Day Dear Sirs, EV1 is road proven. Was it too good? Too much independance from big oil? GM, you make good engineered cars. Make EV1 the bridge to Hydrogen. Be like the Wiz Kids from the 50s! INNOVATE. Give EV1s to your retirees. Don't be so proud. I make mistakes all the time. Mike 20:49, Tue 05/03/2005 Mike Matthews [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day American Auto companies are not selling any hybrids or EV's. WHY? Ford has 1 hybrid the Escape, but is said to be a joke with 25 mpg average as compared to Toyota Prius with mileage of 50 to 60 mpg. The major stock holders and corporate leaders of foreign auto manufacturers like Toyota are most likely do not own oil wells and refineries and do not have ties to the oil industry, therefore when they produce electric cars it will not have a negative impact on their other businesses. On the other hand GM, Ford and Chrysler most likely have major stockholders and corporate officers that own or have huge stock holdings in oil and gas and refineries. If they start making electric autos that pass up the gas pumps then their oil related businesses won't make as much money. Profits on auto sales are a mere shadow as compared to the massive profits on oil and gas especially at $50 a barrel. If half the autos in the USA passed up the gas pump in an EV or hybrid their revenue will fall by leaps and bounds. Its all aboout power and copntrol. Toyota and V.W. auto companies are primed and ready to take the lead as American number 1 automakers as they rescue America from the tyranny of high OPEC oil prices, while American automakers set on the fence and watch their stock dwindle to junk status. GM stock has already been downgraded to near junk status as GM officers seem to be willing to sacrifice THE COMPANY RATHER THAN LET IT INTERFERE WITH THEIR OIL PROFITS. PATHETIC LACK OF CONCERN FOR THE AVERAGE AMERICAN AUTO BUYER WHO IS SICK OF PAYING $2.50 A GALLON FOR GASOLINE. 10:12, Sun 05/01/2005 ken thompson [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 71 Please help me distribute this Letter to the Editor by spotting articles of George Bush’s meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince and filling in the blanks before sending it. Thank you for your help. ----------------------------------------------------------You recently reported that President George W. Bush met with Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz of Saudi Arabia in an article titled _____________________ By ____________________ published _____________. I imagine that President Bush hopes to get the Saudis to produce more oil, which he believes would reduce oil prices. However, last week I read that Saudi Oil Minister Ali Naimi said that the Saudis could increase production capacity to 12.5 million barrels per day by 2009, up from the 9.5 million barrels produced today. These increases will have virtually no effect on the increasing demand for oil coming from countries such as China and India. As more and more economies emerge from third world status into the global economy their increased demand for oil will drive prices ever higher. Unlike the oil price rises of the late 1970s, which were an artificial creation of an OPEC embargo, this price rise is due to significant increases in real demand. Demand of this sort can only be solved in three ways, either a tremendous increase in output of oil by producer nations creates a surplus of oil, or consumer nations reduce their consumption thereby creating an over supply of oil, or that the United States look at possible substitutes or alternatives for oil to moderate demand by providing consumers choices or substitutes. The first approach is necessary; however, as we have heard from the Saudi Oil Minister, increases in production won’t be coming any time soon. There is also a good chance that by the time the extra oil capacity comes online the emerging economies will grow to soak up all of that capacity. The other option, to find substitutes, is also a long term solution; however, unlike finding more oil, substitutes will have a strong moderating effect on future oil prices because consumers can switch to a substitute if oil prices get too high. The two oil substitutes that need the fewest infrastructure changes for distribution are natural gas and electricity. Unfortunately natural gas prices have risen dramatically in resent weeks and the added demand created by shifting America’s motive power to natural gas will probably push prices up much higher. Electricity, on the other hand, has the added advantage of being produced from a variety of fuel sources such as natural gas, coal, nuclear, as well as renewable sources such as wind, solar and hydroelectric power. This variety keeps prices for fuels under control by distributing demand among a wider variety of fuel suppliers. Both electricity and natural gas can be used to provide choices to consumers and provide a moderating force on run-away oil prices. Some other reasons for using alternatives to oil are a lower impact on the environment and lowering our dependence on foreign sources of energy. Still, for strictly economic reasons, alternatives are now a necessary strategic response to preventing future economic hardships caused by oil price increases. 10:35, Wed 04/27/2005 Joseph Lado [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 69 15:31, Mon 04/25/2005 Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 69 Ted you state “GM's EV1 … is not a substitute for a gasoline powered vehicle. Range, payload, charging time, battery efficiency in cold climates -- all limit this vehicle to enthusiasts.” I agree with you, but how many enthusiasts does it take to make a market? There are an awful lot of electric vehicle enthusiasts. GM relegated the production of hybrids to the “only for enthusiasts” pile as well. Now, Toyota is set to sell over 1 million vehicles. Maybe the market for the EV1 wasn’t just electric car enthusiasts alone. Maybe the market is electric car enthusiast and environmentalist, maybe people who don’t want to contribute to terrorist nations, maybe people who worry about the health effects of exhaust has on their children, maybe people who prefer the lower hassle of not needing tune-ups and oil, maybe people who would prefer a vehicle that makes virtually no noise. If you ran the numbers like I ran the numbers, you would probably have come to understand that market forces have a great deal of variables. At some point somebody at GM has got to understand that markets exist and products are produced to serve them. There is an enormous demand for low polluting vehicles that meet the needs of consumers as the Prius has proved. All GM has to do is fill that demand. “GM did the best they could with this project.” No they didn’t. GM should have adopted the management philosophy of KAISEN, which means continuous improvement. The 1st permutation of the EV1 was a good start. Its 2nd with NiMH batteries was a big leap forward. At this point, however, GM stopped. It could have kept going and improving the EV1, but it didn’t. The 3rd permutation could have had improved regenerative breaking boosting the EV1’s range by 30% to 50%. Non-energy wasting redundant braking systems would have boosted ranges even higher. The 4th version could have utilized the new generation NiMHs. Panasonic just announced that its latest EV version NiMH batteries jumped 30% in energy density and dropping 30% of their weight, that after 5 years of continuous improvements. The 5th incarnation could have nano material batteries like those from Toshiba, allowing for quick charges as fast as filling a tank up with gasoline. The 6th manifestation could have had the new generation of motors like those available through New Generation Motors, WaveCrest Laboratories and TM4, which boast efficiency ratings in the 90% range with virtually no mechanical losses. Similar technology is being used by GM on its skateboard hydrogen prototype. As advancements were made, GM could have incorporated them into the EV1s design creating a link and a workable platform for its future hydrogen cars and the hydrogen economy. By now we could have seen ranges form the EV1 well into the 300 mile range, the threshold GM claims is where new alternative fuel technology needs to be to compete with gasoline cars. 14:31, Mon 04/25/2005 Joseph Lado [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 69 Are you guys set up to accept donations for an advertising campaign ?? not many otside of calif know aboout the EV1. WE use LTA media in Sacramento to do 30 minute radio spots on our health care products and get tons of customers. Radio is a cheap cost effective method to get out the word. You can take campaign contributions thru pay pal if you have an internet site. The nation need to know about the freedom car and you can bet they will help with tons of money as long as they had someone willing to stick out their neck and kick GM ass. . You can most likely get more advertising contributions than you can ever imagine...let me know if interested and will have someone contact you about radio ads..Good luck,tom 13:45, Mon 04/25/2005 tom sanderson [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 68 Actually, Ted, you must not be much of an EE, if you don't know the numbers. The EV1 goes 4 to 6 miles on each KWH of electric energy, the equivalent of 120 to 200 miles per gallon of gasoline -- without the gasoline! First, you need to understand that the EV1, like the rest of the current crop, was designed to go no more than 160 miles, because of the statistic that "80% of our gasoline is burned on round trips less than 80 miles from home". If longer range is desired, the EV1 could be fitted with a small (40 hp, 20 kW) engine-generator that would keep it at 80 mph for hours on the few occasions that you travel more than 100 miles (e.g., on a trip to S.F. or N.Y.; mostly, one travels to work, or around town). Slow charging overnight, also, was by design; Electric companies like more slow usage at night, and we get a special EV time-of-use rate in exchange for slow-charging. Whereas, there are EVs that get 300 mile range, if you want them, and we could make the serial hybrid go indefinitely, as described above; and we could (in fact I do) have fast-chargers that can eliminate the range issue entirely. Study the issue some, and come by for a test drive, if you would like, we're in Seal Beach, 562-430-2495 16:45, Sun 04/24/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 68 I am an electrical engineer with considerable experience in the automotive field and numerous patents. I've run the numbers on GM's EV1 and concluded the car is not a substitute for a gasoline powered vehicle. Range, payload, charging time, battery efficiency in cold climates -- all limit this vehicle to enthusiasts. GM did the best they could with this project. Hybrid autos need far less battery capacity, since they use the electric propulsion system for peak power demands such as starting off and acceleration, so do not suffer the weight and high cost of a battery pack capable of powering the vehicle beteen recharges. Fitting an EV1 with Nickel Metal Hydride batteries would involve a considerably higher battery cost than in a hybrid. The recharging current is limited by factors including battery heating and the capacity of the electric service to the owner's home. This means an overnight recharge for a 50 mile round trip commute.There is no foreseen improvement in all-electric home rechargeable cars sufficient to enable them to provide the utility of gasoline or diesel cars. The hybrid is currently the best bet for improving automobile efficiency. 16:01, Sun 04/24/2005 Ted Lester [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 68 I drove an EV1 yesterday (4/23/05). An employee of GM in Honeoye Falls, NY had one. From the info on this site it sounds as if they have all been crushed. Not so. There are a bunch of them at the hybrid research facility in NY. I was told they were to be crushed at the end of this year. It is a shame, it is a great car (except for the window refraction).Just thought you might like to know... 8:27, Sun 04/24/2005 bob paine [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 65 I do not represent Honda in any way. Just thought it seemed like an interesting story. I suppose the in-house nat. gas fueler could probably be used in other mfr. equipped nat. gas cars, with some slight modification. 20:04, Thu 04/21/2005 Jerry Shoudt [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 65 http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/honda_natural_gas 19:59, Thu 04/21/2005 Jerry Shoudt [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 65 12:02, Thu 04/21/2005 Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 63 James, EV1s came with two battery options. VRLA and NiMH. VRLA stands for Valve Regulated Lead Acid. VRLAs had a relatively short life cycle needing to be replaced after 3 to 4 years or less. Ranges were limited. NiMH batteries were said to last 70 thousand miles, by Stanford Ovshinsky, and OVONICS the supplier. He was hushed by GM for making such wild claims, however, the NiMH batteries installed in the RAV4 EV have lasted more than 100,000 miles and are still counting. Now they are thought to last 150,000 miles or more. No NiMH EV has reached that mileage yet, but needless to say they can last as long as your car. The battery packs made for the EV1 are almost identical to those used in the S-10 Electric. You can get good information at http://www.evbones.com/s10Report.pdf for the VRLA and http://www.evbones.com/s10Report2.pdf for the NiMH batteries. Other than being packed in a square configuration as opposed to the T configuration used in the EV1 they are the same. The most energy dense and lightest batteries available on the market today are the Lithium Ion Polymer batteries of Electrovaya. http://www.electrovaya.com/ They have put them into a rather unsophisticated EV conversion of a GEO Tracker and claim ranges of 200 miles. If these batteries would have been available for the EV1, I could only imagine how far they could go. Altair Technologies makes the nano-materials that make new quick charge batteries possible. Toshiba’s product is of course a reaction to Altair’s developments and its signing an agreement with the Chinese battery manufacturer Advanced Battery Technologies. http://press.arrivenet.com/tec/article.php/616137.html 21:23, Tue 04/19/2005 Joseph Lado [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 63 Steven, Listen to what you just said. “Seems that the only viable solution for me is to build an EV myself.” How many thousands of EV conversions are out on the road or half built in people’s garages? The answer is thousands. Enough home builds to create a viable market for complex EV parts and motors. From a marketing stand point, I can’t think of a single product that is as complicated as an automobile that people are willing to give up thousands of ours of their free time, and thousands of dollars in buying the parts and cars to just make the product that they want. Yet people do. The demand for such vehicles must be very high if people are willing to overcome so much just to get one unit. Remove one barrier to market, let’s say having to build one yourself and your market base expands. Remove all the barriers to entry and you have a large and viable market for a vehicle. “As it is, I use far less fuel in my ranger truck per month than it would cost for me to get a factory built EV.” GM used to complain that it could not build a hybrid because it would cost too much. Double the cost of the drive train and then there was the cost of the batteries. GM said it just couldn’t be done. Toyota’s Chairmen said that after looking over their costs for 2004, the Toyota Prius cost no more to build then there regular line. However, their wholesale premium is thousands of dollars more. Prius, is now Toyota’s most profitable line of automobiles. EVs use far fewer parts than gasoline cars. Their high costs are mainly in the batteries. However, with the mass production of NiMH for hybrids and the mass production of Lithium Ion for computers and cell phones, the high cost of batteries is not so high anymore and the prices are still dropping. Plus there are new advancements still being made. Toshiba announced that it has a Lithium Ion battery that can charge fully in 6 minutes and 80% in one. “And it would also seem that a regular vehicle could be clean if it ran on Ethanol which could be easily made.” You know Steven your right. About 10 years ago Ford put out a few FFVs. Flexible Fuel Vehicles. They could run on gasoline or Ethanol. If Ford had converted their entire line to FFV today we would have a choice between paying the high price of gasoline or switching to Ethanol. Ethanol could have been a market moderating force on gasoline prices; sadly we don’t have that option. Come to think of it the EV1 would have been a moderating force as well. Again, we don’t have that choice any more. How sad. 20:45, Tue 04/19/2005 Joseph Lado [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 62 Seems that the only viable solution for me is to build an EV myself.As it is, I use far less fuel in my ranger truck per month than it would cost forme to get a factory built EV. And it would also seem that a regular vehicle could beclean if it ran on Ethanol which could be easily made. Steven 4:19, Mon 04/18/2005 steven de meer [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 59 14:25, Fri 04/15/2005 Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 54 I also have been reading up on Toshiba's new battery technology, and my first thought was the irony that both GMs and Ford's experimental electrics had been recently crushed because "battery breakthroughs never materialized." Can anyone point me to authoritative information concerning the EV1 battery pack? I am trying to determine how much lighter/smaller an equivalent Toshiba-based pack might be. I am, however, finding conflicting reports on how much energy the EV1 pack stored. So if anyone can provide or point me to truly good info, I can finish my calculations. Thanks in advance. 21:03, Sun 04/10/2005 James Anderson Merritt [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 50 CEO Wagoner takes over NAO. Will cost cutting be enough? Why not sell the car everyone wants, the EV1! 19:49, Wed 04/06/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 48 Wagoner tries to fill Lutz' ballet slippers 9:43, Mon 04/04/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day People, I found something that I think is important for us. I first saw this announced in H2Carsbiz then tracked down the original source to NE Asia Online. The report that I first read came from Denmark and pointed out that Toshiba's new battery could push the hydrogen economy back a few years. I assumed it was because it would make EVs more competitive. Take a look."March 31, 2005 -- Toshiba Corp has announced a breakthrough in lithium-ion batteries that makes long recharge times a thing of the past. The company's new battery can recharge 80% of a battery's energy capacity in only one minute, [fully charges in 6 minutes] approximately 60 times faster than the typical lithium-ion batteries in wide use today. Initial applications will be in the automotive and industrial sectors." (NE Asia Online/Nekkei Electronics Asia Online) http://neasia.nikkeibp.com/topstory/000881 22:01, Fri 04/01/2005 Joseph Lado [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day The electric car can be developed with a generator. We have been working on this development. David Sanchez President, Mexican American University 10:47, Fri 04/01/2005 David Sanchez Ph.D/ [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 44 “EVs can eliminate the nightly loss of huge electric potential, and eliminate the need for overseas oil imports.” Doug, you are so right it hurts. Or should I say hertz. If we could transfer all gasoline consumption over to the electric grid – hypothetically – we would NOT transfer the production of pollution over to possibly coal. Power plants can’t just turn off electric production at the flip of a switch. Especially coal fired power plants that are used more in the eastern part of the U.S. They have to keep running through the night to be available instantly when people wakeup in the morning. It is estimated that 56% of the electricity that an electricity plant produces goes unused. That is 56% of pollution generated by electricity plants is generated for nothing. If all vehicles on the road moved to electricity and charged at night, (which most do), then the pollution generated by cars would go away and the pollution generated by the power plants would stay the same. This constitutes a net drop in pollution. Also, electricity is generated way from cities, so it is less likely to contribute to the pollution that harms people, and even with the 56% waist of a power plant, power plants pollute about 90% less than a comparable internal combustion engine car per watt of energy. Coal, natural gas, geothermal, wind and solar electricity are all produced here in the U.S. so there is the added advantage of not contributing money to states that tend to be hostile to American people. Washington Post has an article that talks about how environmentalist and conservatives are getting together over Alternative Fuels and lowering our dependence on oil. Paul email me an translation of your note with the Zilog, Z80, 386, 486, 1977 etc. sorry my 8086 brain just can’t handle it. 7:12, Thu 03/31/2005 Joseph Lado "The EV Franken Fan" [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 41 "For example; the Motor Controller was state of the art in the early 1990’s, but so was a 386 computer processor at the time"Hey Mad Mike, do you remember the Zilog Z80 processor? It was first produced in 1977 and was an early competitor of Intel. Imagine how hard it must be to find a replacement today for one of those puppies! Oops, they are still in production. Funny what happens when there is a market for something. The processor that Intel killed in the early 80's is still being produced 28 years later.BTW, the 386 was NOT "state of the art in the early 1990’s". The Pentium was released in 1993, two major revisions beyond the 386, which was released back in 1985. The 486 came out in 1989, so at no time in the 1990's was the 386 the state of the art. The Pentium II was in production 10 years ago, and is stil available for embedded applications, even without a high-volume automotive customer. 8:17, Mon 03/28/2005 Paul Miller [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 39 Mad Mike--- I don;t get your '386 analogy. Can you explain why its a problem supporting an EV for 10 years becuase the electronics becomes outdated but it's not a problem to support a hybrid or ICE? Hybrids have microprocessors (as do full ICE vehicles). What's your point?Why are we singling out GM? Because Ford sold off Th!nk to the Norwegians. Chrsyler still makes the GEM. Toyota at least let us buythe RAV4-EVs, and TOyota and Honda are at least making high mileage hybrids. But GM, which wraps itself in the flag in its advertisements, lives on its gas hogs and refuses to even license its technology to those who WANT to be in the bussiness. Why is GM afraid to license its technology if an EV business cannot succeed? Moreover, GM lied to ARB, claiming there was no waiting lists and no interest in the car, when it is now revealed that there was indeed a waiting list of over 4,000 names (in one state! and for a car that was hardly advertised.)Bottom line: GM had a winner, and screwed its employees, shareholders and the public by taking tax dollars and walking away from a car that has people salivating. I'm sure you folks in MI are kept in the dark and spoon-fed propaganda about who we are out here. Trust me...this car had lessees spanning the political spectrum from libertarian to radical left, and the age spectrum from 20-somethings to guys in their 60's. Are you trying to tell us that GM couldn;t make a go of it? Why is it afraid someone else will? 22:40, Sat 03/26/2005 ras [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 39 1) There is no conspiracy by GM or other Auto Makers.-- I used to not think so, however, it doesn’t explain why GM is also destroying the S-10 Electrics. Most automakers make some electric vehicles for fleet sales to electric companies. There is no need to destroy any of those vehicles but they are? Why? 2) The EV1 was a huge money looser -- I know that one billion dollars in a program seems like a lot of money, but in vehicle production it is not. Ford spent 40 million dollars on developing the paint process of the 1st Taurus alone. EV1 was a money loser only because they didn’t go into full production and sell it across the country. What is a 5,000 people waiting list in San Francisco when mapped out across the entire country? Ford’s Escape Hybrid becomes profitable after 18,000 vehicles sold. I think you could have found 18,000 EV1 buyers in California alone. 3) Electric Vehicles are the wrong technology for the road -- You were with ATV? Hydrogen Photon Exchange Membrane fuel cell vehicles are electric vehicles with the electricity coming from a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. The future seems to be going in one direction, electric drive train. You & ATV know this. You must have been their when Ballard Power Systems dropped off the “roller skate” proto type that GM has been driving around as their vision of the future. ****) Lifetime-buy, where you build enough parts to last 10-15 years of service… -- This is normal business practice. If you are trying to keep a line going for 5 to 10 years it is not such a big expense. Cost is made up in parts sales. If your planning to kill the line before it takes hold it is. *****) Batteries were not the answer. -- You need to take a look at some of the battery technology that had come out just at the time GM was trying harder than ever to kill the EV mandate and the EV1. Lithium Ion, Lithium Polymer and NiMH have advanced dramatically. Panasonic just announced that their new NiMH versions for EV application are 30% more energy dense and 30% lighter than last years! Why did GM sell its investment of Ovonics (inventors of NiMH)? Why to Texaco oil? ******) GM should have immediately followed-up the EV1 with a hybrid vehicle. -- Why didn’t they? They have had the technology for half a century. You emtioned Precept – GM taking tax payer’s money to produce a prototype that it never will produce. Its not the first time. Look at the 1969 StirLec1 a) Please stop bashing GM -- Saying that GM isn’t doing good business isn’t bashing GM. I think all of us want GM to get its act together but it keeps making the same stupid mistakes, big cars during the last energy crisis and SUVs during this one. Tell GM to make a stylistically distinct fuel efficient hybrid SUV. b) End the protest in exchange for an annual progress report by GM to CARB. -- What is the use of a progress report if GM doesn’t make any progress. The total fleet fuel economy peaked in 1987 was 26.2 mpg, but by 2001 total fleet fuel economy fell to 24.4 mpg. Its no better today. What keeps the pressure on companies is competition. As for me it looks like I am going to buy from the company that produces the product I want. What I want is a car that doesn’t pollute!! Toyota is on its way. I am buying from them. GM is not. That's why I am not buying from them. And that’s the market talking. You remember the market, it’s the reason that GM claimed it could not continue with the EV1. And it is the reason why GM keeps getting its butt kicked. GM make a marketable electric car. Buyers are waiting. 14:22, Sat 03/26/2005 Joseph Lado [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 38 Sorry, Max, it's YOU who does not understand. GM has an obligation to make good cars, it's part of being nurtured by our country. And GM has failed. Yes, Electric cars may not be for everyone; but ubiquitous EVs can eliminate the nightly loss of huge electric potential, and eliminate the need for overseas oil imports. How do I know? Because I can add and subtract...and, despite all GM's credentials, and yours, apparently GM cannot do this simple calculation. GM's Lutz is still mired, still remains, in the world of big, gas-guzzling cars. If you really don't understand GM's commitment to big cars, you are in the wrong business. There is a solution possible for GM, which can do it right now: check out the "500 mpg solution" that any amateur can figure out, and then explain why GM has not come up with it.The solution is simple, if you look at the problem as reducing the gallons of oil products in the energy-mix used per mile travelled! But GM continues, under Lutz and Wagoner, to stick their heads in the sand, and hope that the price of gas comes down! Yes, that is their "solution"! 5:26, Fri 03/25/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 37 YOU PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!!!!!!!I know the truth, and it will disappoint you. 1) There is no conspiracy by GM or other Auto Makers 2) The EV1 was a huge money looser 3) Electric Vehicles are the wrong technology for the roadHow do I know?I am currently a GM employee in Michigan and worked at ATVAm I pro-SUV, anti-CAFÉ, greedy conservative who slipped into the blog? No! I am proud of my efforts to make cars “greener”. Our country consumes too much fuel and global warming is real. I am very politically active, and I am proud to live in a blue state.What am I so ticked-off about? Why are you bashing GM when Honda, Nissan, Ford and Toyota also pulled the plug on their EVs? Are they not part of your conspiracy theory?If you only knew how much it costs to keep these EV1s on the road, you would make the same decision that GM did. For example; the Motor Controller was state of the art in the early 1990’s, but so was a 386 computer processor at the time. Try finding a new 386 mother board today, you have to salvage one, but OEMs are required by law to keep spare parts available for a much longer period of time. In the industry, we call this a lifetime-buy, where you build enough parts to last 10-15 years of service and let them sit on the shelf… and hope they work after sitting for years. I am glad to see that people recognize the fact that the EV1 is a patriotic car. The engineers and industry required to build that vehicle was located largely in the USA. California should feel proud of its efforts to advance the technology, but batteries were not the answer.Is GM perfect? Hell no. GM should have immediately followed-up the EV1 with a hybrid vehicle. They displayed some EV1 concepts with hybrid powertrains and the Precept demonstration vehicle, but then dropped the ball and let Toyota and Honda take the lead. Recent comments from Rick Wagoner acknowledged that GM made a mistake and must now play catch-up (http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=7841). So what’s my point?a) Please stop bashing GM (they pay more US taxes, employ more US employees and cover more US retirees than Toyota, Honda and Nissan combined).b) End the protest in exchange for an annual progress report by GM to CARB. I get the feeling that GM executives have seen the need to develop hybrids, and I know that fuel cell development is a top priority, but this (or another) compromise whould keep the pressure on. 22:50, Thu 03/24/2005 Mike [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 36 Here we go! Things are starting to get very exciting here at U.E.V. While we are stillseeking funding for the completion and production of ELECTRUM SPYDER, wehave begun to create our COM-V3 prototype. It should be roadready by July 30th. Beginning in August we will use this vehicle to do amassmedia blitz and if no funding has been acquired by the end of July we willbegin to produce this vehicle on a "by order basis". We are very excitedabout this and will be posting monthly updates on our website starting theend of March. Please keep your eye on our web site for new updates.Best to all,Greg LaneUniversal Electric Vehicle Corp.805-492-7701proto1@netzero.netwww.universalelectricvehicle.com 10:03, Wed 03/23/2005 U.E.V. [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 36 We are arguing at public commentary at the L.A. City Council that solar power should not be abandoned by DWP, and letting them know about the synergy of solar power and plug-capable Electric cars. 0:45, Wed 03/23/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 34 Excellent post by the Pash Family on Day 31. Well argued. 12:46, Mon 03/21/2005 Jerry Shoudt [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 33 As we were getting ready to wrap up the protest site at Casa De Cadillac in Sherman Oaks on Saturday, a Hummer from the dealership lot pulled out and stalled in front of us, they have to push it to a side street. Linda was standing there with a large sign "WAKE UP!!! PEAK OIL" with the Hubbert oil peak chart. People were honking. Ohh what a Kodak moment, except for we didn't have any camera on hands, as some of us just left. 8:10, Sun 03/20/2005 Cathy Lam [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 33 The vigil is over, because the EV1 have been destroyed. However, the campaign goes on, to induce GM to meet market demand by releasing the EV1. I calculate that in mass production, GM could make an EV1 for $8,000 including good Panasonic-class lead-acid batteries, and sell it for (the standard markup of 200%) $25,000. This is a real issue, a real cause, and may succeed, because GM is not doing well. Stockholders may force a change at the top, if Wagoner and Lutz go, anything may happen. Currently, the biggest problem seems to be the Unions, which mindlessly oppose the EV1. They are worse than the dealers, who would like to get an electric car or even a hybrid to bring in business. One thing we can stress: the EV1 can short-circuit (lol) the Prius, because the Prius can't even plug in to clean power! The Prius could be defeated, easily, by GM using this ad campaign. Will GM be smart enough to do this? Well, why not? Some stockholders are losing REAL MONEY thanks to "the Lutz effect", and may not be too happy. Maybe a good idea to go to the stockholder's meeting.... 7:47, Sun 03/20/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 32 I know that the focus of the vigil is to save the remaining EV1s. That is a noble cause. But the reality is that we can’t go on vigiling forever. Have you given any thought to what you are going to do after this ordeal is over? We have attracted a lot of attention and focus on the idea of an EV in the market place. I studied the markets of automobiles at the turn of the previous century (1900). EVs failed to gain market share not because of technical inferiority but because of various other problems. The greatest of these problems was a enormous financial scandal caused by unscrupulous financiers and the Electric Vehicle Company (EVC). EVC was attempting to monopolize automobile transportation. It may be hard to believe but the EVC was the bad guy. The other big problem was that even though there had been various technological breakthroughs they were typically held by single companies. If some coordination could have been used to put all of the innovations together of the time a viable two product market ICEs and EVs could have lived on to today. The same thing is happening now. There are a lot of advancements in EV design and mechanics, but the technology is again held by individuals and separate companies. If some coordination and technology sharing could be done we could have a vehicle that could compete with ICEs. I would like the focus on this vigil to turn into a way for all the people and companies involved in EVs to work together to produce a market worthy, highway capable EV. What do you think? 20:26, Sat 03/19/2005 Joseph Lado [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 31 We are attempting to switch to electric vehicles for our day to day needs. 6 months ago we added Solar Voltaic panels to the roof and reciently bought a 1996 Solectria Force (factory EV conversion of a Geo Metro). This car can get close to the equivelent of 100 mpg. We are among hundreds who have an active offer to buy the Corvette of the EV world, a GM EV1, in working condition, as a salvage vehicle; thus releasing GM of further liability. GM's answer is to speed up the CRUSHING OF THESE ULTRA FINE AMERICAN VEHICLES. Most of us are not eco nuts, but recognise that the EV1 is the best American made EV and the most patriotic way to reduce our oil dependance TODAY. We want to to buy and drive the EV1 and be an on the road GM EV advocate. These are not concept cars, any more than the Toyota RAV4 EV is a concept car. They are a GM controlled market vehicle that were partially funded by taxpayers like you and me. They have not lived their useful life and do not deserve to be CRUSHED AS GM INSISTS on doing. The taxpayer investers should have some say about their outcome. Out of about 1000 manufactured, there are less than 100 left that have not been crushed in the Arizona desert. It is very unusual for corporations or even the government to CRUSH SURPLUS that still has a useful life. Usually surplus is auctioned "as is". I guess GM has a different motive than income, good PR, or what is in the national interest. We know that an EV1 is not for everyone just as a Corvette or a Hummer is not for everyone. We just ask for an equal opportunity to have consumer choice, to own, drive and adore our dream car. For those that worry about us contributing to power plant pollution - DON'T. As I said, our home has roof top solar electric and feed to the power grid during daylight peak hours. During off peak hours we charge our Solectria Force and create enough electricity to add the EV1. We will continue to request GM to reopen the EV1 line giving consumers the option to own them just like other free market vehicles.Pursuing our dream car, The Pash Family 20:41, Fri 03/18/2005 The Pash Family [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 30 ACPropulsion needs funds to reduce the cost of the AC-150 down below $1000 and the cost of the batteries down below $800/kwh for advanced lithium. I estimate $12M, with the help of a gimlet-eyed old M/E, they could optimize and lower costs. 11:48, Thu 03/17/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 30 The GM EV1 protests prove - as if proof were needed - that Tom Hanks and AC Propulsion needn't worry whether their Toyota Scion EV conversion will have any buyers! Who said there just isn't any demand for EV's?! Bring it on - soon! 11:36, Thu 03/17/2005 Moira Govan [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 30 Curious as to how- if say 30 cents on each gallon of gas goes for road maintenance and repair; the govt might not have worked out all the details on paying for roads. Solar energy was "declared" a failure many years ago. Now- we are at war. [not sure why] Mom is not sure if riding in an electric car could electracute her. [lol] The US public is ready for this tecknology. We are to reliant on the utility-energy barrons. Notice how both coasts had power grid failures- how- THAT has not been fixed? New York and the black out of much of the east. Elected officials concerned over what? arghh! 9:35, Thu 03/17/2005 h [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 30 Imagine, willing buyers so avid they will take the arrest just at the chance of buying GM products, yet GM won't sell! 9:06, Thu 03/17/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 30 GM is no good authority on what's profitable and what's not! This company has not grown in absolute dollar value since 1965! Imagine if gold had not grown, it would be $35/oz., and there would be pure silver coins. Gas was 30 cents a gallon, and GM stock was higher (in non-adjusted dollars) than it is now. We want to BUY the EV1. When picketing dealers, we are supporting the dealers, we want them to get a shipment of EV1! 8:40, Thu 03/17/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 30 Wow all this Energy to waste.I'm not talking about Gas or any fuel.You’re wasting People Power.That's the greatest resource.O.K. GM says it’s not profitable for them.I’ll tell you what to do,Raise your own money.Hire you own Engineers.Rip off whatever technology you can from the other manufacturers.Produce your own electric vehicle.And use all that wasted enthusiasm to market it! I’ll tell you right now. If G.M. is dropping this program there must be a good reason.Either they just can’t compete or they have something better up their sleeve.Jim- Gas Turbine Electrical Systems Technician Pittsburgh 7:29, Thu 03/17/2005 Jim [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Here's one answer, Jim, why the car companies joined the oilies, and why it's so difficult to compete Day 29 One idea would be to initiate an automaker boycott. "Pledge lists" could be formed where people sign a petition stating their intention not to purchase another new or used vehicle from specified automakers until such time as those automakers make available zero emission vehicles for sale to the general public. 22:36, Wed 03/16/2005 Mark [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 29 So I see the note that GM removed the rest of the cars - did anyone get digital pictures of the removal operation? 45 cars removed in 1 day? thanks to the vigilers. 20:58, Wed 03/16/2005 Paul [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 29 There's just no (Valid) justification for destroying these cars.There are buyers, they are not faulty cars, GM should do somethingthat they have Never Done before, Try to SELL the EV-1 ! 18:31, Wed 03/16/2005 Ryan [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 29 Bravo for Anastasia comments! I am just an "average jane", doing daily errands and school juggling with my children, demanding clean air, decided to stop whining about the smog in the LA basin, and doing MY part to solve MY problem that I'd created. My Toyota RAV4-EV is not a toy, it is an alternative mode of transport to the existing system, it happens to be electric. And yes we have solar too on our roofs, and we only charge at public station unless absolutely necessary, as we do not know where the electricity come from. We can't go back on our mistakes, but we move on and do what we can when we can, and every year is better than the previous, as we find more ways to change our lives to tread lightly on this Earth. 18:18, Wed 03/16/2005 Cathy Lam [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 29 The vigil is moving to dealer sites after the rally this Saturday. There will be a press conference at 11:00 AM, perhaps to detail strategy for getting the EV1 cars back. 11:26, Wed 03/16/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 29 Bravo for Anastasia comments! I am just an "average jane", doing daily errands and school juggling with my children, demanding clean air, decided to stop whining about the smog in the LA basin, and doing MY part to solve MY problem that I'd created. My Toyota RAV4-EV is not a toy, it is an alternative mode of transport to the existing system, it happens to be electric. And yes we have solar too on our roofs, and we only charge at public station unless absolutely necessary, as we do not know where the electricity come from. We can't go back on our mistakes, but we move on and do what we can when we can, and every year is better than the previous, as we find more ways to change our lives to tread lightly on this Earth. 9:05, Wed 03/16/2005 Cathy Lam [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 29 The parts excuse is a scam.Has anyone bothered to question GM as to how it can support the S-10 electric program? These trucks were for the most part sold free and clear to fleets. They were then resold to private individuals. Many are in use and they continue to show up for sale on Ebay. As a former S-10 engineer, I can tell you the entire propulsion system is essentially the same as the EV-1. The parts are in stock and available. They do not want to support the EV-1 for only one reason, $$$$. 5:49, Wed 03/16/2005 S-10 Electric [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 29 Are you still out there now that all of the vehiclesappear to have been removed? 1:07, Wed 03/16/2005 Rob [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 28 Tax Payers as well as our government officials should demand that General Motors return every tax dollar invested with interest in these vehicles which are being destroyed. This theft should not be tolerated by the people. 22:05, Tue 03/15/2005 TaxPayer [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 28 Do you guys have a plan of what you'll do when GM comes for the remaining 40-something EV1s? 21:01, Tue 03/15/2005 Mark Freidberg [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 28 http://www.evworld.com/view.cfm?section=communique&newsid=7885 18:11, Tue 03/15/2005 ras [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 28 Made the news in Canada http://www.canada.com/entertainment/story.html?id=8cd70f4e-3d18-4188-b392-844ac5d8d883.....By the way, blogger, we get the electricity from the same place the refineries do; EVs just use it more efficiently. We eliminate the electricity-gobbling gasoline-refining process, and use the power directly in an 88% efficient electric motor instead of a 22% efficient internal combustion engine. 17:39, Tue 03/15/2005 ras xxx#xxx.xx Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 28 One blogger (name suppressed for privacy) asks, SOME OIL IS NEEDED, FOR TRUCKS AND TRAINS AND YOUR SNEAKERS! Well, of course. We are talking about living "essentially" oil free, i.e., without using the gas station or the gas pump, and sailing right past oil changes and smog checks. WHERE DO YOU GET THE ELECTRIC? Electricity: you should study this issue. It's complicated. Take a look, first, at the daily usage chart on drivingthefuture.com and the comments about electric replacing gasoline. We use solar, to generate credits in the day, and lower the demand curve; At night, we soak up unused electric off-peak power, using those credits, and drive (essentially) cost-free as well as oil-free. So what's wrong with that? Stop by and take a test drive in my RAV4-EV, and view my solar system; it has battery backup, and the electric company still owes me $45 from last summer's peak production. Solar power and Electric cars - that's the path to energy independence. Actually, I never thought GM would do the right thing, here; they have made so many bad decisions, I never thought they would see the light. But some things are so important, you have to fight it, even if you know you are going to lose. I will move on to working with Toyota and Ford, in a positive way, and leave GM to its fate. 10:31, Tue 03/15/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 28 Keep up the cause! You guys ROCK! 8:40, Tue 03/15/2005 h [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 28 I seen this on ktla- I forwarded the page to a few people that will forward it. You guys ROCK! Keep it up. I am in rural Pennsylvania. Suppressing this teck is the REAL threat. 8:38, Tue 03/15/2005 h [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 28 Well, I own the previous version of the EV1 free and clear: A 1994 GM/Geo Prizm with the Hughes 50kw "Dolphin Vector control" motor system. Magnecharger and all.It's bliss. Only a 40-50 mile range, but it is *all* mine. I just sent GM a fax with a confirmed offer of 24k for one of these EV1's. I have the charger, the infrastructure, and all that fluff. Just need another car.And if anyone needs bail money, contact me.Chris 8:15, Tue 03/15/2005 Christopher Zach [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 28 It's estimated that 42 EV1 remain, but GM says they will all be removed to the crusher this week. Due to the scramble, Linda took over for Mike's Watch, then Doug, then Bob S. and then Alexandra again. Lots of positive comments by passerby, thumbs up! Today, first order of business is to get Alexandra's car out of the impound. 7:04, Tue 03/15/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 27 (8:15 p.m. PST) Police have just pulled over a car containing twoEV1 supporters on Highway 10 at the Arizona Border for followinga transport truck driver carrying EV1s from California to a suspectedcrushing facility in Arizona. The police were apparently responding toa report that the truck driver felt threatened by a car following behindand felt that he was being "harassed." The unidentified passenger cardriver was reported calm and very polite, denied any harassment, butwas nonetheless held for a considerable period of time on the side ofthe road, as the transport truck disappeared into the distance acrossthe Colorado River, last seen heading towards the Domerock Moun-tains and on towards Phoenix.(Information received by cell phone.) 21:53, Mon 03/14/2005 ras [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 27 Today's news about the Vigil: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2005/03/14/state/n184509S79.DTL ; http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/news/politics/11136194.htmhttp://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/politics/11136194.htm ; http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/11136194.htmhttp://www.evworld.com/view.cfm?section=communique&newsid=7878 ; http://www2.cbs5.com/topstories/local_story_072220231.html 19:04, Mon 03/14/2005 ras [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 27 FAX to CEO Mr. Richard Wagoner, Jr., 517-272-3709and write to 300 Renaissance Center, Detroit MI 48265 Mail station 482-C39-B50. 9:57, Mon 03/14/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 27 CALL DAVE BARTHMUSS, Chris Preuss, and send email to Bob Lutz and call Mr. Wagoner, asking them to spare the EV1! 9:51, Mon 03/14/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 27 URGENT! Monday morning: two transporters are on site, and two guys with clip-boards are circulating among the EV1. 9:49, Mon 03/14/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 26 I can’t be in Burbank but I am vigiling at home right along with you. I am staying up late and reading up on what is going on there every day. I’m posting this at 12:46am. The momentum is growing. Here are more articles:WestStart/CalStart, As Kyoto Begins, EV Vigil Commences in Burbank. 2/16/05http://www.calstart.org/info/newsnotes/nn_detail.php?id=7192 treehugger, Car-sitters vs. Car Crushers: GM EV Vigil, 2/17/05 http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/02/carsitters_vs_c.php Motor Trend, EV1 Vigil At GM Burbank Facility Enters Day Three, 2/18/05http://www.motortrend.com/features/news/112_news050218_ev1vigil/index2.htmlASSOCIATED PRESS, Two-week vigil to keep GM from crushing electric cars, 2/25/05http://crossword.uniontrib.com/news/state/20050225-1446-ca-electriccarprotest.html - EV1, 9, dies, By John Strahinich, 2/28/05http://business.bostonherald.com/technologyNews/view.bg?articleid=70689 Santa Monica Mirror, EV Devotees Hold Vigil for Cars They Love, 3/2/05http://www.smmirror.com/volume6/issue38/ev_devotees_hold.asp EVWORLD, Car-sitters vs. Car-crushers, By Chelsea Sexton, 3/5/05http://www.evworld.com/view.cfm?section=article&storyid=815Kerala, India Business: GM's Electric Car fans fights to save it's extinction, 3/9/05http://www.keralanext.com/news/indexread.asp?id=143947Napa Valley Register, SoCal vigil aims to save GM's groundbreaking electric car 3/13/05http://www.napanews.com/templates/index.cfm?template=story_full&id=45A6924D-F170-432B-BF98-87744BD18A81 CBS5 (TV), Car Vigil Lasts More Than A Month, 3/13/05http://www2.cbs5.com/topstories/local_story_072220231.html 21:48, Sun 03/13/2005 Joseph Lado [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 26 Kevin reports that CNN came by for an interview just as a dad-daughter duo was asking about the cars...the dad said he'd take 4, one for each kid, if GM was just going to scrap them! 14:45, Sun 03/13/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 26 just one more thing -- recently read a speech by GM rep (Beth Lowery ?)done in 2003. She stated that they are working on 3 or more types of hybrids to give us more choices -- Hope that includes the EV1 (or similar battery only performance car) and a plug-in hybrid as an optional selection. Seems to me that would cover the bases for a while. Maybe the EV1 type car could include an optional built-in lease of ICE car for X number of days per month for longer trips. That might work for single car owners. Battery technology IS catching up. Stay with it GM (and industry as a whole). 13:30, Sun 03/13/2005 Jerry [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 26 On a lighter note, here is my log for early Sat. morning at Burbank:4:55 am - Relieved Gil "The Sage" Dawson. Kevin from San Diego (Rav-4 owner) also there. Kevin charged his car at Seal Beach pier on the way. Kevin stayed til 5:50, then went to charge car at Costco and jog back to GM. I trained myself on the video cam.6:40 am - Security arrived and walked the premises. Guard introduced himself and asked where "Doug" was. ("Everybody Loves Doug") I told him he was getting some well deserved rest. 7:20 am - Kevin returned from his run of several miles -- we talked for about 30 mins. -- solved world energy & pollution problems. Kevin wears a mask when he runs, to avoid pollutants -- his friends call him Darth Vader. He said he came up because he got started with electric cars via "Doug" (starting to sound like the electric car version of Seven Degrees of Separation). 7:50 am - Squirrel with huge nut in it's mouth frantically hopping around, searching and digging for the perfect spot to hide the nut - probably want's to make sure GM doesn't find it and crush it. Can't blame him.8:30 am - Breakfast at Riverside Cafe9:00 am - On The Road Again 13:10, Sun 03/13/2005 Jerry [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 26 Vigil make the news again: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/11121553.htm 13:09, Sun 03/13/2005 ras [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 26 We read feature on Heather and Dave Bernikoff-Raboy who live in our community, Cathey's Valley. We support what you all are doing and cheer you on. Hope to find a basic solar power system for our small 1850s ranch house. There was no electricity in Cathey's Valley when we were kids here. 11:55, Sun 03/13/2005 Caroline Korn and Earl Gordo [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 26 I wish you guys the best... It's quite a shame that GM is being so short-sided and squelching their EV program. While I'm not a fan of the EV1's looks, it was probaly the only GM car I'd ever consider owning. I do hope GM allows the remaining EVs to be saved. I'd hate to be one of the original engineers and see the destruction of perfectly working cars. Because of GM's actions here, I will *NOT* buy a GM vehicle until they start producing viable electric cars again. If that means I never buy a GM car (or any other American brand), fine. Life may be short, but it appears our oil supply is shorter. 10:39, Sun 03/13/2005 Tampa, FL [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 26 When the cars were loaded onto the transporter, they were driven on. The cars are kept charged by the GM employees and moved around within the parking lot. 0:32, Sun 03/13/2005 Bud [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 25 I just emailed my letter to the LA Times... 13:36, Sat 03/12/2005 Ryan [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 25 -------------------------SAMPLE LETTER---Write Editor Los Angeles Times RE: "Vigil an Outlet for EV1", Mar. 12 Dear Editor: I tried to get an EV1, but was turned away by GM. Even those who managed to get an EV1 had to fight to get on "waiting lists" that GM has now revealed were more than 4000 long. There was always demand for the car, contrary to GM'sclaims. But now, there is no excuse for scrapping them; they areserviceable, clean cars in which the Taxpayer invested subsidies.GM must SELL these cars, finally, to willing buyers, andsome day GM may get enough gumption to actually care aboutcustomer satisfaction. Sincerely, NAME______ ADDR______ CITY______ State TELE______-----------------------------END SAMPLE LETTER LATimes story on Vigil 9:27, Sat 03/12/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 25 LA Times story today: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/state/la-me-electric12mar12,1,6995347.story?coll=la-news-state 7:49, Sat 03/12/2005 RAS [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 24 You have all seen the photographs of the crushed EV1s? (http://sealbeach.org/grafix/bef5.jpg http://www.evconfidential.com/) Did you notice the shiny white pick-up trucks in the pictures? GM is crushing its S-10 Electrics inventory as well. The S-10 Electric was built as an after thought for the electric utilities market. The vehicle includes the entire EV1 drive system. The only person that I know who owns an S-10 Electric talked about receiving recall notices and phone calls from GM telling him that his electric truck was a fire hazard and had to be returned for service. He wasn’t afraid of the car going up in flames. What he was most afraid of was not getting his truck back if he ever brought it in for the supposed recall. Seeing the many crushed S-10 Electric bodies among the corpses of the EV1s makes me believe that his paranoia was right. It just doesn’t make sense to me. Good business sense would dictate that a company like GM recoup what it could and minimize its losses. I didn’t believe it before, but it really seems that there is a sinister connection between the oil industry and the automobile business. Keep going, it seems that you are doing Gods work. 23:45, Fri 03/11/2005 Joseph Lado [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 24 Greenpeace "rolling sunlight" may be at the rally 15:56, Fri 03/11/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 24 I have always wanted an EV1. When I began my quest to buy an EV, I first bought an EV conversion, then a Sparrow, only because I read how EV1s had been destroyed in the desert. If GM will sell EV1s, I will gladly buy one. Now that gas is skyrocketing, there should be plenty of interest from the American public. Keep up the good fight!! 13:29, Fri 03/11/2005 Matt Wilson [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 23 When the GM transporter picked up the 5 to 7 cars a few days ago, did they drive the cars onto the transporter, or winch them, or roll them? Any sign of life? Or discharged batteries? 22:04, Thu 03/10/2005 Paul [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 23 Good for GM to have come up with this in the first place. But from now on GM will only understand the economics of it, so hit them in the pocketbook & organise a nation-wide - nay world-wide - boycott of GM products. Good luck, Michael Elcock 19:08, Thu 03/10/2005 Michael Elcock [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 23 I was wondering if anyone could answer a question for me. How is it possible that someone can still be driving an EV1 on the road today. I thought that they had to be turned in but was very shocked when I saw someone driving one. Are there still open leases? 15:29, Thu 03/10/2005 Ryan [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 23 If you haven;t seen Chris' teaser re his EV1 documentary, please do so. (use your speakers!!!) It's at www.evconfidential.com and then click "teaser" at the left of the screen 11:48, Thu 03/10/2005 Bob Seldon seldon "at" speakeasy "dot" net Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 23 SaveEV1.org, Website for more vigil info 11:14, Thu 03/10/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 23 Notes from the log, Wash. Post interviewed vigil members on Mar. 8. That same day, a passerby, formerly Athenian, who lived in Russia implied that the papers were not objective. Washington Post proved that they can cover the story! Bret, a farrier (horse shoe craftsman) rode by with horse Apollo, horses love non-stinky EV1! Mike P. stopped by to sign up to do a Watch Several signed the guest book and/or requested to be put on the list or would-be prospective buyers. GM reveals in an upcoming Air America segment that the waiting list was over 4000 long, not counting those just discouraged. Roman came by several times with coffee, will bring friends this Saturday. Mar. 10 2:40 AM, Roman drops off coffee and donut, thanks! 11:12, Thu 03/10/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 22 Washington Post Mar. 9 story on the Vigil to save the EV1 23:32, Wed 03/09/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 22 EV1 Vigil makes the Washington Post. GM reveals for the first time that there was a huge waiting list, not counting the many folks just turned away and discouraged. 23:30, Wed 03/09/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 22 Oh Yeah....Definately put me on the list! 13:31, Wed 03/09/2005 Meadowsweet [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 22 General Motors.....what is wrong with being honorable to those who work for you and support you in your company? What is wrong with being a company that truly works toward the sustainable lives that we claim we want? We as the public and those who have worked for you or with companies that worked with you, understand the true reasons why you would chose to erradicate a vehicle that has been and continues to be desired by many. I have never driven a faster, smoother, sexier vehicle than the EV-1 (Thank You Wally!!;) I will continue to talk to EVERYONE about the EV-1 and other sustainable vehicles. I hope to in the future be able to speak of GM in a positive light...so please give us that option...if you truly support the people and the planets needs...prove this to us all by doing something for the highest good of the planet...not your personal pocket books. Aren't we over that one yet!? 13:29, Wed 03/09/2005 Meadowsweet [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 21 Please add me to the buyer list. These cars are worth every cent regardless of being salvage or junk titled. Can you really put a price on our independence? Good Luck! I wish I could be there with you but I am on the east coast working hard to pay for my other GM vehicles. Keep up the good work!!! 13:16, Tue 03/08/2005 Ryan Christopher [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 21 Pretty interesting, now what if GM had invested some (any) effort in advancing Lithium battery technology? 300+ mile range and 1,200 K mile lifespan? http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ev-list-archive/message/34921 They could have been making these kinds of breakthroughs years ago. Naugh, It's probably better to crush all evidence that the EV1 ever existed and ignore new batteries all together. Maybe shift everyones focus to something like Hydrogen and Fuel Cells that will be available for 100 times the cost of batteries in 20 years, maybe... But at least the oil companies will still supply the FF based Hydrogen Economy. Nevermind that there's already an electricity distribution network with plenty of surplus capacity, and all sorts of potentially cost competetive renewable wind resources. Who in their right mind would want something like that? 1:09, Tue 03/08/2005 Ryan [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 20 Notes from the log Doug took over late from Earl, who generously stayed on Robert, who lives in the neighborhood, stopped by to inquire about EV1. He was astonished that they were breaking up the cars, and could not understand why GM was refusing money for cars. I guess it defies rational explanation. Sandy showed up early, and Alexandra stopped by while we had a rountable rap about the issues. Sunday at the Chevy dealer! Jerry and Doug visited the Chevy Cerritos but there were hardly any customers. Still, the honcho came out and said we should go to another dealer, his sales are already hurting. Honda, Nissan and Toyota dealers were swarming with customers, but not GM. We handed out a lot of literature, and made new friends. Good way to spend the weekend. 18:38, Mon 03/07/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 20 http://messages.yahoo.com/bbs?.mm=FN&action=l&board=7077666&tid=gm&sid=7077666&mid=91914 13:16, Mon 03/07/2005 james beedie [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 19 Just wanted to send you guys my best wishes. If I were near Burbank I'd deffinitely come and join you guys (I'm in Phoenix). I got a ride in a privately owned S-10E once and was hooked. 19:42, Sun 03/06/2005 Ricky Suiter ricksuiter "at" yahoo "dot" com Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 19 Since GM is taking the cars away from the lot, even when some of us are keeping watch, how can we prevent the destruction of the cars? Is it simply by us video taping the events and releasing the video to the news media? Can't GM be charged for breach of contract (oral or written) for not returning the cars when they said they would? If the lease had a buy-out option, then GM can be sued for breach of contract for not honoring those contract terms. Has anyone of the leasees hired an attorney to look for grounds to sue GM? From my small webpage (now located at Electric Vehicles - Electric Automobile Alliance ) and from my signature gathering in downtown Portland, I collected names from over 100 people who have pledged to not buy another new car unless it is an electric car or a plug-in electric-biofuel car. The pledge states that the names, city, and state of the pledge signers will be released to the automakers and the news media to show the demand for the electric cars. I can organize the data and send a report to the vigil group if that is helpful. I didn't collect nearly as many names as I hoped, but that could be because my website is very small. 12:24, Sun 03/06/2005 Gavin Young [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 19 White Paper needed 9:52, Sun 03/06/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 19 Question to GM manager: why won't GM take our hard-earned money, our life-savings and more, $24,000, for these GM EV1 cars? Answer was that GM's Chairman reputedly makes $23,000 per hour, and we are not worthy of his attention. Seems disrespectful to Customer Satisfaction? 9:38, Sun 03/06/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 19 Notes from the log Thurs, Mar 3, Bud at 9 AM, Al at 1PM, then David at 5PM. KABC stopped by, they asked for info but did not understand the major story of energy independence. 7:30, Jerry Usher of EVA brought lots of food and started a tab at the Riverside Cafe. 8:00 PM, Linda brought a new visitor sign-in book. 9PM, Mike. Friday, Mar. 4, several neighbors stop by. We need more handouts and a White Paper. More rain! Friday with Bud and Gary on duty at about 2PM, GM transporter loaded 5-7 EV1, headed it seems for the crusher at Mesa, AZ (see picture above). The truck got stuck in the new on-ramp and was delayed for hours. Great job relaying info and dealing with GM goons by Linda et al. Saturday GM assigned a guard to the site, but there was no supervision. The guard wound up reporting to the Vigiler on duty, who assigned him to watch the gate. The rally and solar workhop went well, but only 4 or 5 people interested in solar. Thanks to Linda for double-shifting, as usual filling in where needed. 9:35, Sun 03/06/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 19 GM made false statements in Santa Monica Mirror: the EV1 are being crushed, as you can see above, and it's not true that GM must supply parts at a loss. 7:45, Sun 03/06/2005 doug doug@seal-beach Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 18 We understand that Bob Lutz (Vice Chairman of GM) is to thank for the removal order that resulted in 5 - 7 EV1's being talen from the Burbank lot yesterday to be crushed. You may consult with him by emailing [email protected] or calling (313) 556-5000. We look forward to national and world-wide calls and email; please post it here if you or anyone you know does so. p.s. I think the Insight is junk, too. Too bad you couldn't get an EV, Steve. You wouldn;t think this site was "stupid" because you would have facts instead of misplaced opinion. 16:50, Sat 03/05/2005 Bob Seldon [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 18 Get over it, Stupid site, these people should consider themselves lucky I wish Honda would buy my peice of junk Insight back and crush it. 16:11, Sat 03/05/2005 stephen [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 17 I received a call today that GM had sent a truck to pick up 5-6 EV1's. Paul picked me up at my office and we both went to the GM lot. It was a cold day with very hard rain. A large transporter truck was in the lot loading the EV1's. There were a number of vigilers there, and more came soon. One GM employee tried to grab a video camera being used to record the event. Then GM apparantly called the police to complain that the vigilers were on GM property (not true). The police arrived and were very polite; we explained what we are doing and they requested that we simply stay off the GM property. They explained their only concern is that no person get hurt and no property be damaged. Then the truck left with 5-6 EV1's on it. Some of the people followed the truck and soon reported that the truck had hit the center divder and was disabled on the freeway. Several hours later, it was still there. A German television crew visited the vigil along with a few U.S. reporters; we'll see what coverage the story gets. I just want to say that the vigilers are showing extraordinary perseverence; it has been very cold (for Los Angeles) and rainy, and yet they are still there. I can tell you that the comments from all over the world are adding much encouragement. Please spread the story and do what you can to publicize their wonderful effort. 20:29, Fri 03/04/2005 Bob Seldon [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 17 Hello friends! from an english site i have this: "In a secret car demolishing site in France (a breaker), the PSA group has started demolishing between 300 and 400 hundred Saxos and 106 that have never been used. They take out the Ni-Cad batteries(where do they go?) and they sell the rest at a very high price. Do you remember the Think scandal? Ford would do the same thing to these cars, but were stopped. Who can stop Citroën and Peugeot? Will they ever be credible again? Are they going to the EVS21 in Monaco? Will they still laugh at us there? Please contact media and - the PSA group - we all need this to be known!!!" This ist just two days old! keep on going! carl 13:05, Fri 03/04/2005 pete [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 17 Hi. Live in Germany, but have followed the EV-1 story since the first prototype in Detroit 1991(?). I always hoped something similar would be made available over here in Europe. That's why I had an EV-1 brochure shipped over in 1997..... I would have NEVER dreamed that the story would end like this.....on a scrapyard in the Arizona desert and a parking-lot in L.A. . What did they say in the brochure: "Don't worry the stares will stop someday. When everyone, or most, has one. And the roads are once again flooded in a sea of sameness" "How does it go without gas and air ? How does it go without sparks and explosions ? How does it go, you ask yourself. And then you will ask ....How could we have possibly gone so long without it ?" (quotes out of the 97'brochure) GM sucks :-( 10:31, Fri 03/04/2005 Gordon [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 17 I wish I could be there to lend my support. I am in the US Navy and I drive an electric car, a converted VW Rabbit. I am currently on deployment in Japan but have spent four deployments previously to this in the Middle East. Twenty-four months of my life wasted safeguarding our supply of oil. Thanks for what you guys are doing. Every EV on our roads is one less vehicle requiring oil. 6:22, Fri 03/04/2005 John Shelton [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 17 I think more people need to hear about (and invistigate) the ev1.org vigil! EVERYONE should go out and buy some window paint and write EV1.ORG on their car or business windows, perhaps with a nice personal comment! Mine is going to be "What! No Gas?". It's hard to not cover a story that has just popped up out of nowhere all over the world! 2:44, Fri 03/04/2005 Ryan [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 15 Dennis B. of CDM notes that the LATimes has not covered the vigil at all, and also notes that GM is running full-page ads every day touting giant rebates on their slow-moving mammoth pickup trucks. Perhaps they have to run ads to keep it out of the paper! 19:04, Wed 03/02/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 15 Notes from the log PBS and ABC stopped by today and interviewed at least 5 vigil members. More later! 19:00, Wed 03/02/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 15 I am a car nut all my life. Followed these EV 1's when they were current and thought it was a great idea. Leave it to GM to screw it up. I am in Ft Lauderdale ,but I am with you in spirit. GOOD LUCK- Stan Marshall 14:45, Wed 03/02/2005 stan marshall [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 15 Paul Scott on KCRW Real player on KCRW General Motors Retires EV1 Battery Powered Cars General Motors’ electric vehicle was a hot little sports number that was advertised as the car of the future, but after spending a billion dollars on development, GM said there just wasn’t a market. With only 800 EV1's leased over four years, GM recalled all the cars and now plans to crush them. Electric vehicle advocate Paul Scott has the latest on the two-week vigil that’s still going on at the back lot of GM’s Training Center in Burbank. 13:25, Wed 03/02/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 15 SOLAR WORKSHOP planned for Saturday Rally! There will be solar experts on hand to answer questions about residential solar power, the Governor's "million solar homes" proposal (SB1, now in the Senate Energy Committee), and what energy independence means in Burbank, Glendale, LADWP and SCE areas. In addition, there will be real Electric cars, some with tens of thousands of miles, which neighborhood people can view and learn about what it's like to drive an Electric car every day. 10:45, Wed 03/02/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 15 To get on the list of those making a formal offer for the EV1, please contact me and I will forward to Chelsea. You have to "sign" the formal letter, it's a word attachment, that's legally binding. 10:41, Wed 03/02/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 15 Notes from the EV1 vigil log for last night (Mar 1 to 2): Marco Nilson from Swedish TV came by yesterday noon to get the story. Later, City of Burbank stopped by in a RAV4-EV. Linda reported that Kevin Smith of PBS may come by the vigil at 1 PM Wed. for an interview. A bit of excitement, the T-Zero piloted by Tom G. stopped by on Linda's shift and also on David L.'s. Thanks to the late night crew! 10:38, Wed 03/02/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 15 Add me to the buyer list. I tried repeatly to buy an EV1 in Florida but it was always 'maybe next year'. 7:58, Wed 03/02/2005 Cliff Rassweiler [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 14 Idea for a sign, "Saturn unfair to EV1"! Printable flyer, "don't crush EV1" 16:45, Tue 03/01/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day Idea for a sign, "Saturn unfair to EV1"! Printable flyer, "don't crush EV1" 16:43, Tue 03/01/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 13 We could be energy independant now, if only GM would come to its senses and do the right thing. Thanks to all of you folks keeping the vigil and sitting on the line. You are America's true warriors! 9:31, Mon 02/28/2005 Bob Seldon [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 13 Just wanted to say WattsUp! from NY. Keep up the great work out there. I have called GM several times to complain. I've also blogged about it and encouraged my friends to call too! Thank you for fighting for americas future. I greatly appreciate what you're doing. Thanks to http://www.kunstler.com/ for opening my eyes a little further!! 8:40, Mon 02/28/2005 Scotty [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 13 ALL OF YOU WHO MADE THE VIGIL-- I SALUTE YOU! MY SON TUOLUMNE (9 YEARS OLD IN TWO HOURS) AND I WANT OUR EV1! GM -- DO THE RIGHT THING! BE AMERICAN -- LET US BUY YOUR CARS!! 0:08, Mon 02/28/2005 Melina [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 12 Still some open vigil slots this week, just stop by in the daytime and pick up some of our handouts! It's a quiet area, a lot of horse traffic, not easy to get to, but your presence helps keep things going until the protest story goes out over the national press.SFChronicle and SacBee picked up Dana Bartholomew's fine story 13:10, Sun 02/27/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 12 Add me to the buyer list. As an engineer at GMATV, I helped to develop the EV1, but was never able to buy or lease one here in Michigan. My wife says that if I get one and if it eventually fails and can't be fixed, she'll save it to bury me in :-). 11:38, Sun 02/27/2005 Bill Sprague [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 12 We have an excellent electric distribution system and many EV owners have PV Solar systems that contribute to daytime peak load needs. GM please give consumers a free market choice for our transportation needs NOW! We are not interested future hydrogen promises. The seemingly forced hydrogen solution is a long way away and becoming a very costly inefficient use of our natural resources. See - http://oilspot2.dtnenergy.com/e_article000362834.cfm?x=b11,0,w 8:57, Sun 02/27/2005 Butch [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 11 Add me to the buyer list. I'm ready to buy. I think that makes me #51 on the list. Thanks. I want to thank all those who have participated in the vigil and shown their support for production EV cars. 20:48, Sat 02/26/2005 Paul [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 11 Go vigil participants. GM please let the remaining EV1s go to willing people. At some point in the future someone will want to know about attempts at making electric cars in the past. EV1 was a valiant effort that advanced the technology further. If you destroy all of the EV1s that exist there will nothing left for history. Please don’t do it. 18:58, Sat 02/26/2005 Joseph Lado [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 11 I just read the possibility that maybe an EV1 could be purchased as "junk" for $24,000. Count me in, I'll take on ASAP if available. 17:08, Sat 02/26/2005 Joe OBrien [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 11 Congratulations on your vigil. I can't be there, but it is a dream to somedya be able to live oil free and drive a factory EV. Volvo is making grounds with the Volvo 3CC, which I plan on buying if it makes production. I simply do not understand with $2.00 a gallon winter gas, and surley $3.00 a gallon summer gas, why GM is not considering making EV's again. When they made them in 97-99, gas was 89 cents a gallon, maybe $1.25 NOW they would sell 10 times better than any crappy hybrid. Is GM so tied to the oil companies that it refuses to sell an EV without a forced government mandate like CARB's original requirement, which cause these to be created. OIL is NOT the future, and why have hybrids been dubbed the future? They STILL require oil. What can be done to preddure the C.A.R.B. board to reinstate the clean air act, or the zero emissions requirement? How can we do this?? Thanks for your efforts!! 17:05, Sat 02/26/2005 Joe OBrien [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 11 I would like to know the real reason why GM is destroying those EV1s. This is'nt the 1st time something like this has happened. In the 1960s chrysler had a similar program. They built hundreds of turbine powered cars, and had hundreds of people drive them as a test. Then they destoyed them when the test was over. The reason they gave for doing this was, they were made in Italy and they had a special arraingement with customs so they could avoid paying a duty on imported cars if they did'nt sell them and destroyed them at the end of the test. Think about it, How much does a ferrari, or another limited production car, that is hand made by italian artisans cost? How much is an import duty on such a car cost? That story is almost as hard to believe as the one GM told you guys. In the past the majority of americans traveled in electric vehicles. 100 years ago a large percentage of cars were electric, and they did'nt have smog. then some of the companies that would become GM made improvments in gasoline cars and the electric cars became obsolete. They did'nt have a problem with air pollution then so nobody cared. In big cities the majority of people traveled in electric trolley cars. Then GM bought the street car companies and ran them into the ground by deliberate mismanagement. When the trams were gone people had to buy cars or use the buses that were made by GM. Electric cars were an alternative long before the EV1. People have made their own electric cars by removing the engine from a junk car an installing a motor and batteries. You can use such a car to drive to and from work, if your office is not far from your home, plug it into your charger and by morning it will be recharged. I suspect that we are still using gasoline cars because somebody keeps eliminating alternatives. They get rich by selling a product that kills 40,000 people a year. They cant be decent people. 8:58, Sat 02/26/2005 charles roeder [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 11 Congratulations. I wish you a successfully protest-meeting for the EV-Cars. I live in Switzerland and i find, it needs some People like you. We have to say ours view, as matters stand. Take Care to the EVs for better Air quality. Good Luck 6:39, Sat 02/26/2005 Thomas [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 11 Congratulation, I like your activities. I was informed about this protest by Eugen from California, a former EV1 driver (who had visited me in Germany end of Dec. 2004). I live in Germany and I am the chairman of the (German) Bundesverband Solare Mobilität e.V. (Germans Solar Mobility Association). I act as well as the admin of the web-site www.solarmobil.net. I have put a small notice of your action on our Web-News, including three pictures and a link to your web-site. Roland Reichel, www.solarmobil.net (I drive the Citroen AX electrique and the small CityEl) 1:35, Sat 02/26/2005 Roland Reichel [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 10 Could you keep me up to date on whether the vigil is still occurring? I proofread the calendar for Changelinks LA Progressive newspaper and I'd need to know each month whether you're continuing (my deadline around the 20th of the month) to list your vigil. ...uncledon. 15:01, Fri 02/25/2005 Uncle Don B. Fanning [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 10 Write or call Dave Barthmus, info on www.NoGaso.com and ask him to forward your concerns to General Motors HQ. 10:15, Fri 02/25/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 10 GM is running full-page ads offering up to $8817 in financing and other incentives to induce buyers to commit to their Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban and Trailblazer models. This is curious in light of GM's "donation" of $2B (That's Billion with a Capital B) to induce Fiat to take back the 10% of Fiat that GM had previously purchased. This is also strange in that GM is turning away buyers, at the same time, who require no incentive and do not need financing. A formal offer was made on behalf of 77 individuals to purchase the last 77 EV1 cars, made by GM in 1998 and marketed in 1999, for $24,000 each in cash, with no financing, no incentives, no parts responsibility, no liability or insurance issues and with full non-disclosure agreements. These cars are sitting on the lot at 1150 Riverside Dr., in Burbank, waiting to be shredded for scrap metal, which would cost GM about $300 per vehicle. Why is GM offering incentives, on the one hand, to try to attract buyers, and turning away buyers, on the other, who offer cash and don't need incentives? General Motors was once a major American institution; could apparently self-destructive behaviours such as these be one reason for their decline? 10:14, Fri 02/25/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 9 I, too, would love to purchase one of the remaining EV1s. I drove one at a Sacramento dealership several years ago, and it was a thoroughly competent vehicle. So.....add me to the list! - Dan 14:15, Thu 02/24/2005 Daniel Davids [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 9 Take a look at this: http://biz.yahoo.com/brn/050224/14901_1.html There is obviously a demand for electric automobiles if the industry can sell golf cars that only go 20mph with a 50 mile range! I mean, these things are insanely popular! Now, if you can sell an electric vehicle with as limited capabilites as a golf car, selling an electric vehicle with full capabilites should not be a problem at all!!! 12:44, Thu 02/24/2005 Steven Winner [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 9 We are getting an amazing response regarding purchasing the EV1s! To make sure we have you on the list, please make sure you email us at [email protected] in addition to commenting here! Thank you! 9:10, Thu 02/24/2005 the EV1 Vigilers [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 9 Make that 48 people signed up! Hope the weather down there is getting better... 8:01, Thu 02/24/2005 Jay [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 8 At last count, 47 were signed up as ready, willing and able to front $24,000 to purchase EV1 as "junk", with no parts obligation, no warranty, express or implied, and a full non-disclosure agreement. Probably HUNDREDS will sign up. It is not easy to see how GM could avoid taking this money, it would be against their fiduciary responsibility to their stockholders. Again, there is no obligation on GM when they sell these for "junk", it's up to the buyer to "resurrect" them and register them as revived cars, needing DMV inspection (just like funny-cars, constructed cars or kit cars). 20:03, Wed 02/23/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 8 Can anyone clarify for me the GM EV1 Lease? Was there ever a buy option, as I understand the RangerEV had one. Also what, if any, service and maintainance issues did EV1 drivers experience? ThanX and hang in there! Oh Ya, Put me on the List, Again, for a $24K Salvage EV1 ! L8r 17:46, Wed 02/23/2005 Ryan [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 8 I never had the opportunity to lease one of the EV1s, but I was able to drive one of the Georgia Power cars and I loved it. I will certainly pay $24,000 for a running EV1 so add me to the list too. My wife is taking my RAV4 EV from me for her own use in a couple of weeks and I need another high class EV ride. 13:39, Wed 02/23/2005 Stephen Taylor [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 8 We have an anonymous tip that four EV1s were supposed to be picked up by Pilot Transport within the last few days but the pick-up was cancelled due to the protestors. 13:27, Wed 02/23/2005 Al Benoit [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 8 I want to bring one to Atlanta and keep the SMOG down. I miss having my little pod racer zooming through the city! I need her back. She was my greatest happiness! Sign me up for a $24,000 and could I have my Green one back please! 13:17, Wed 02/23/2005 Laura Mullins [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 8 I would love to get a 1999 NiMH car for $24,000. I would prefer red. I already have the charging station in my garage with nothing to connect to it. Also, we have a very knowledgeable Saturn dealer that loved to take care of our EV1s prior to the need to the leases. I do not see any problems on this end. 12:53, Wed 02/23/2005 Don Francis [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 8 Add me to the list willing to accept an EV1 declared as salvage for $24k. 12:47, Wed 02/23/2005 Jeff [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 8 I'll take one. 11:32, Wed 02/23/2005 Brad Hori [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 8 FLASH! Wed., 11AM reports from the scene state that GM rolled a closed transporter van up, and some EV1 were moved around. We don't know if they removed, added or just adjusted, yet. 11:19, Wed 02/23/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 8 7 buyers so far willing to pay $24,000 to buy the EV1 under the condition it's a junk car, no NHTSA requirements for GM! 10:20, Wed 02/23/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 8 I would buy an EV1 too at $24,000. I want that pice of GM junk I would protect it and rever it and show it off. tom 951-907-0261 10:04, Wed 02/23/2005 tom hines [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 8 Not crushing these pure electrics has to make sense to everyone. But I would rather support new vehicles from companies like ACpropulsions who believes in them. GM ,FORD and even Toyota don't believe there is a big enough market for them to make pure electrics. Let's support the ones that believe. Jim Stack [email protected] 10:02, Wed 02/23/2005 Jim Stack [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 8 Temporary off-line ended: please blog responsibly 7:52, Wed 02/23/2005 doug [email protected] Comments owned by poster, the website is not the author Day 7:31, Wed 02/23/2005 doug [email protected] Wednesday seems more sunny, kudos to the night shift last night! Tuesday, Burbank code enforcement came around and advised that tents and banners could not be on the public parkway, but holding signs and on cars is OK. Burbank (and GM) have been respectful of free speech rights. Day 7 11:46, Tue 02/22/2005 doug [email protected] This Saturday, noon to 2PM, join the rally to support the solar (PV) and Electric car (EV) synergy! 10:52, Tue 02/22/2005 doug [email protected] Day and night, rain (or hiatus!), in the midst of the biggest storm to hit L.A. since 1994, the hearty EV1 vigil members congregate, show up and appear...even when huddling under the tent, they are reluctant to leave, as if being closer to the remaining EV1 will bring the program closer to revival.Tuesday is Day 7. Sunday, Day 6 went well, but Monday Morning Presidents' Day the tent blew over, during the shift of C. and S. in the wee hours of Monday Morning. The damage was surveyed and judged hopeless, so we got another canopy. Meanwhile, people huddle under umbrellas or in cars against the monster intermittent rain.Monday, DAY 6, also one of the guards was overheard to say that it was their last day (they started the same day we did).This Saturday, Feb. 26, Noon, there will be a workshop on solar PV and EV basics, with letter signing and handouts, and there are always EVs and a solar tea and coffee setup on-site. Vigilers: Best wishes. You are all taking part in something quite remarkable. In spite of the downpours and inclement weather, may I add my support and encourage you all to 'hang in there'. This is history-in-the-making. Just think .. while 'dubya' is away "mending fences" in Europe, you're here in the U.S. trying to pull down obstacles and demonstrate 'people power'. (Just read of your vigil in EV World). Oh yeah, .. back to California's unusual weather .. Carbon Dioxide is the most important of the greenhouse gases that are contributing to Climate Change. The whole pattern of the World's weather is changing, increasing the frequency and intensity of heat waves, floods, droughts and storms. Forget terrorists! The biggest worry anyone should have is what can be done to appease the earth in rebellion? 9:03, Tue 02/22/2005 David L. Cutter [email protected] Day 6: A very rainy President's Day, and again, another day to boost spirits as more new volunteers came out to join, despite the rain. More people stepped forward to spread the word and more local Burbank neighbors expressed their support. Thanks to everyone for lending your energy and time both on-site and at-large. Tell the media, tell your friends, and tell GM to take action! 23:24, Mon 02/21/2005 Ted F [email protected] From my wife, myself, and my Electric S10 (AKA SuperTruck)I want to offer my support and best wishes. I know it may not be much but I've been trying to get my friends and family to write/e-mail GM to let them know how we feel. Again best wishes. 18:24, Mon 02/21/2005 Eric C Krofchak [email protected] I just sent a press release to AP telling them about GM's trucking out the EV1s in response to the vigil. I used contact telephone numbers passed to me on the EVWorld Yahoo! Group. Hope it gets picked up! 12:58, Mon 02/21/2005 Hugh E Webber [email protected] From Canada... The world is watching you GM! ... Do what's right! I'm another one of those people that wants a BEV! Keep up the good work you guys on vigil! Why don't you get the names of the drivers with those serial numbers that want their EV-1 back? You know what to do with those pants to email me! (spam protection) Tom 11:46, Mon 02/21/2005 Tom Watson [email protected] Greetings all from the EV1 Vigil- middle of the night shift! By popular demand... A number of you have asked for the VIN memorial to be posted for all those who can't make it to the site to see... well, we can't leave you wanting... now repay us with you company!!! ;o) The incarcerated EV1s are: (all Gen II NiMH) #142 #145 #147 #152 #158 #160 #163 #168 #174 #175 #182 #183 #185 #189 #196 #199 #222 #225 #227 #228 #237 #244 #250 #260 #270 #278 #279 #280 #293 #294 #295 #300 #307 #310 #311 #314 #318 #322 #326 #328 #333 #336 #337 #342 #344 #351 #353 #354 #359 #363 #368 #370 #371 #374 #377 #378 #380 #391 #394 #395 #396 #403 #408 #409 #413 #418 #422 #424 #427 #433 #434 #436 #437 #439 #442 #450 #470 Looking forward to seeing you out here, the EV1 Vigilers... on a mission to RESCUE the EV1 and REVIVE GM's commitment to Earth-friendly cars! visit us at www.ev1.org ! 1:45, Mon 02/21/2005 the EV1 Vigilers [email protected] Intermittant rain during my shift early Sunday (5-9AM). Quiet, at least when the rain wasn't drumming on the roof. As the sky grew lighter, even a few breaks of blue sky through the clouds. Several of the neighbors out walking dogs or jogging later in the morning asked what they could do to help. One suggested a petition they could sign that would be forwarded to GM. Sounded like a good idea. Anyone needing a bit of inspiration to come out and help? Please consider the Dunlaps, all the way from Davis; they were holding the fort when I arrived and still there when I left. 22:58, Sun 02/20/2005 Jim Hannigan [email protected] It's Sunday night and POURING RAIN. Spirits are very high here at vigil central, however, since a small group of thoughtful committed citizens are determined to change the world:~) We are going to shake this place on Saturday. If you live anywhere near Los Angeles, and you want to take an action that WILL make a difference, show up here at noon and tell GM you want the CHOICE to drive clean. Tell your friends to join you. Call your local high school and ask for the environmental club and invite them. This is your chance to make a difference where it counts. The single biggest change you can make in terms of your impact on the global environment is to stop using oil for personal transportation. Tell GM, and all the other car makers, that is your demand. "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." ~ Margaret Mead 21:55, Sun 02/20/2005 Paul Scott [email protected] Taking a lesson from Karl Rove, we should repeat as a mantra, and keep hammering, a message such as: 1. It always amazes "me" how there's all this hand-wringing about oil prices and global warming and mid-east dependancy, and then complete silence by the media and the public when a proven and workable solution is killed off. 2. GM leased every EV1 that it made available (about 800). There were waiting lists for it. In the mean time, GM was telling the media through its unquestioned press releases that there was no market for the vehicles. 3. Nevertheless, GM refuses to license the technology to others or sell off the equipment, parts and inventory to those that WANT to be in the EV business. 4. What's GM afraid of? Simple themes need to be chosen and repeated as often and to as many listeners as possible by everyone. It can be a single chosen theme each day or each week, or severalcan be used as needed at every opportunity. But the phrases have to become buzz words to the listneing publlic so it affexts their perception of events. We also need someone dressed like a Saudi in front of the GM facility carrying a large sign that says "Crush the EV1" (Perhaps one of Alexandra's unemployed actor friends?) 16:49, Sun 02/20/2005 Bob Seldon [email protected] hello mike here in jacksonville,fl good going guys and gals it seems that the main stream news media here in jax do not want to make gm mad after all look at the money they spend on tv,radio and the newspapers hope all goes well if the ev-1 would have been here i would have had on mike 12:12, Sun 02/20/2005 mike wells [email protected] Hello all, just checking in from North Carolina. I just learned of the EV1 vigil today on EV World. I wish I could be there, it is great to hear that people are so active in making others aware that we need cars like the EV1. Best of luck! 11:47, Sun 02/20/2005 Ted K. [email protected] If you can't be in Burbank to visit the vigil, please call your local newspaper, politician, or group and ask them to help persuade GM to do the right thing. If you are a GM stockholder, call or write Investor Relations 300 Renaissance Center Detroit, MI 48265 313-556-5000 Fax: 313-556-5108 and ask them to maximize stockholder value by auctioning off these great cars to previous EV1 drivers. Write a letter to the LATimes, [email protected] asking them to cover the vigil. 10:38, Sun 02/20/2005 doug [email protected] Great showing, thanks to Tom, Eugene and all the Electric cars that came from all over! Bud charged his Ranger EV at the airport, but sad news, all the chargers except one SPI have been pulled from the Burbank Costco. News story today claims scientific proof of how global warming is due to human activity. 6:26, Sun 02/20/2005 doug [email protected] What a great turnout for a a "rally in the rain"! The energy of the crowd was ELECTRIC. The road in front of GM's training facility was lined with RAV4 EVs sporting SAVE EV1 banners, and we all proudly lined up in front of the EVs with signs and thumbs up to honking cars. In the late afternoon two unbroken, righteous rainbows also lined up in the sky over GM's roof and our rainsoaked heads. A good omen? Yeah, I choose to believe so! 02/19/2005 23:18 Linda Nicholes [email protected] Greetings all from the EV1 Vigil! 2/19/05- 1:53PM Day 4- our first saturday rally! We've had great turnout, especially considering the pouring rain... It's been great to see so many familiar EV1 drivers- Mike Reagan, Bob Siebert, Alexandra Paul, Greg Hanssen, Ellen Crawford and Mike Genovese, Jim Hannigan, Chris Reeves and the Dunlaps all the way down from Davis, CA! In addition, we have many new faces that have come to lend support and who have joined the EV family. We've been standing out on the street, umbrellas and signs in hand, and have gotten so much encouragement from the drivers going by! It's clear that it's not just our community that's passionate about this issue- we've known that all along, but it's great to see our message spread! We just got word that the EVA meetinig here in SoCal just got out, and that folks are on their way here... yippee! when the rain breaks, we're thinkin' of breaking out the blender and the Jimmy Buffett music... oh yeah, we're not goin' anywhere anytime soon! Looking forward to seeing you out here, the EV1 Vigilers... 02/19/2005 20:46 the EV1 Vigilers [email protected] Greetings all from the EV1 Vigil- more from day 4... We've gotten a couple more articles in today's papers- including the usual spin responses by our beloved corp. comm. guy from GM, Dave Barthmuss- 'cause you would all agree with him that no one really wanted that little car, right? ;o) We also found it curious to note than apparently GM has spent another $500 million dollars on the EV1 program since the EV1 vigil got started- while we're flattered at our effectiveness, we find that a bit hard to believe- but yes, folks, that mythical $1 billion number GM has been quoting in the last few years has now jumped to $1.5 billion in this article from the Burbank leader: http://www.burbankleader.com/front/story/3751p-5334c.html And, for those of you who haven't seen it, check out the interview of our own vigiler Paul Scott on EV World Radio at http://www.evworld.com/view.cfm?section=article&storyid=811 . Looking forward to seeing you out here, the EV1 Vigilers... 02/19/2005 20:45 the EV1 Vigilers [email protected] Thanks to all who are acting to protect our hopes of buying zero-emission vehicles. I've spent many hours in public places to advocate for peaceful and environmental living, so I salute you who've braved the rain. I live in Florida, so I cannot join the vigil, but I have already thanked several of the organizations supporting your action. I've been advocating for EVs for well over five years now; I'm just getting warmed up! I protested the slaughter in Vietnam for seven years, until it was ended; perhaps automakers will begin mass-producing EVs in less than that time. Breathe free! 02/19/2005 13:22 Hugh E Webber [email protected] The rain finally tapered off this evening. Hopefully, this is a good portent for tomorrow's rally. Looking forward to meeting a number of new faces who I've communicated with only on e-mail to date. Again the neighbors were great and stopped by even on this cold (by LA standards) evening to say hi, or just to find out why we're here. Mike 02/18/2005 23:50 Mike Kane [email protected] Greetings all from the EV1 Vigil! We received a request for some contact info for GM: Richard Wagoner, President and CEO Robert A. Lutz, Vice Chairman, Product Development, Chairman, GM NAO ( [email protected] ) General Motors 300 Renaissance Center Detroit, MI 48265-3000 (313) 556-5000 phone (313) 556-5108 fax Bob Purcell, Executive Director, GMATV Kenneth Stewart, Marketing Director, New Ventures Jill Banaszynski, GMATV GM Advanced Technology Vehicles 1996 Technology Drive Troy, MI 48083-4243 (248) 680-5509 phone (248) 680-5600 fax Thank you for your support! the EV1 Vigilers... on a mission to RESCUE the EV1 and REVIVE GM's commitment to Earth-friendly cars! 02/18/2005 17:00 the EV1 Vigilers [email protected] Greetings all from the EV1 Vigil! We are on site and internet connected! It's been intermittently raining- everything from light rain to heavy thunder and pouring- but we have our canopy set up, coffee, homemade baked goods and fantastic garbanzo bean soup and baked potatoes from the Riverside Cafe, and company! There are new vigilers- a local artist has joined us, and we have reinforcements all the way from San Francisco! Come meet Stephanie and Mary Ann... Looking forward to seeing you out here, the EV1 Vigilers... on a mission to RESCUE the EV1 and REVIVE GM's commitment to Earth-friendly cars! 02/18/2005 16:43 the EV1 Vigilers [email protected] Is there someone we could be sending emails and faxes, etc. to at GM, calling on the company to sell the EV1s? If so, please post it to supporters and on the EV listservs, so that we can contribute even if we can't be at the vigil... Thanks for being there! Go EV! Sherry Boschert President, San Francisco Electric Vehicle Association 02/18/2005 16:12 Sherry Boschert [email protected] Friday the rain continued. I missed the conference call Thurs. night, the drive home to Seal Beach was 2 hours intense traffic in my RAV4-EV. At the vigil, with the solar power unit on the back of an Electric pickup truck, it's a perfect display, with all the other RAV4-EV, of how easy it is to drive electric. Handed off gratefully to the next persons on Thurs., and relieved Al at 5:00 A.M. on Friday morning, he stayed and chatted. Intense rain, the signs are mostly ruined, a great chance to use new slogans! L. relieved me at 10:00 AM, Chelsea arrived around 11:00 AM. A local artist showed us a heartbreaking picture, a commentary, she said, on the war and the place of oil and the war on Iraq. I took a great picture of it, might post it. Others waved at us, even in the rain, we are becoming a fixture! One of the GM security guards ran after a poor woman who egressed a cab in the rain, forcing her to verify her presence on his sheet and then escorting her to a "safer" door! She waved at us, or maybe at the taxicab. Very wet and soggy, and grateful for a hot shower. 02/18/2005 13:42 doug [email protected] (Second day, Thurs) I arrived at 7:00 am to relieve Alexandra. Chris was interviewing Alexandra for his EV1 documentary (I must say that I was impressed with the crack-of-dawn efforts of these two). I hung around with Chris and Alexandra as Chris got some footage. We were visited by an LA City Public Works technician who had heard about the vigil on TV and swung by in his city truck to see what was happening and tell us his stories of modifying IC engines to get much better gas mileage. He was a proud "conservative republican" but was staunchly in favor of efficient cars (Mr's Bush and Cheney - please note). A couple of other people stopped by to chat as well. All indicated that they would love to get one of the EV1's in the back. Chris Paine was good enough to leave his RAV4EV at the site to support the back drop and took my EV protest car (my Grandmother's old car that I'm driving until I can get the EV that I want) home. Sandra and Doug relieved me at noon and I called a Prius taxi :-) to take me to the airport for my business trip. It was a lot of fun! 02/18/2005 9:21 earlcox [email protected] It's pretty quiet on the streets of Burbank at 2AM, when Al took over command of the Vigil from me. The neighbors have been great. Even in a light rain at 11PM folks were stopping by to say hi, and offer a word of support. 105 miles round trip from home to the vigil site in my all electric RAV4-EV. This wonderful vehicle made it with charge to spare. I've got to wonder what LA would look like today, if GM and others had kept investing in electric automobiles instead of lawyers and lobbyists for the last several years. Mike 02/18/2005 3:28 Mike Kane [email protected] Second day (Thurs): Earl took over from L&H (see his account above), then Sandra and Doug, then Al and Chelsea showed up, just hung around and helped put up the tent, even though it was sunny...then the rain started! L joined us about dusk, the rain was intense. All the signs got wet and we got soaked, but many people honked. 02/17/2005 23:28 doug [email protected] First day: Starting at 6:00 AM, people drifted in. Jon Sherman was in attendance, with his solar music ensemble, in case the sound system was needed. About 10, the PA showed up, and at 11 the festivities started. Eyewitness TV and many papers showed up, the American Lung Assn. and many others helped. 02/17/2005 23:25 doug [email protected]

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