Plug In America’s Inaugural Parade – A Huge Success! Sunny skies and the sound of electricity filled the air on Saturday, Januarary, 17th in Santa Monica, CA.

With 100-percent participation, Plug In America pronounced its inaugural plug-in parade a total success, confident that President-Elect Obama himself will hear the message the event’s participants sent: America needs one million plug-in vehicles by 2010 and 10 million by 2016.

All 74 freeway-capable vehicles that signed up for the 2-mile parade through downtown Santa Monica showed up for “Inaugural Parade West, Plug In, America!” Electric Vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) participated in the Jan. 17 event. See the full list below, followed by speaker line up. More coverage here: http://arcwire.org/content/view/102/1/

“It was astounding, even for us in the movement , to see ‘old-time’ RAV4 EVs—one of which had some 160,000 miles on it—parading beside prototypes from Ford and Mitsubishi, beside four Tesla Roadsters, beside a 50-ton truck and a PHEV school bus,” said Plug In America spokeswoman Zan Dubin Scott.  “We even had an all-electric Hummer H2. The moral of this story is that EVs can meet any need.”

Roughly 250 drivers, spectators and supporters attended the parade, preceded by a press conference next to the City of Santa Monica’s 40-kW solar carport equipped with EV chargers.  Edward Kjaer, director of electric transportation for Southern California Edison, said that nobody should think that plug-in technology isn’t ready.

“It is so ready,” Kjaer said. “The country is ready, the market is ready, the people are ready and news flash, the technology is ready.”

Southern California Edison is testing the two prototype vehicles it brought to the parade: a Ford Escape PHEV and a Mitsubishi iMiEV.

“Journalists and bloggers continue to ask if there really is a market for plug-ins, now that gas is back to $2-per-gallon,” said Plug In America co-founder Paul Scott. “That question was answered unambiguously yesterday at this history-making parade.  Those in attendance, like Americans nationwide, would tell anyone, ‘yes, we all want to drive on renewable electricity instead of on foreign oil. Just sell us the cars!’ “ 

Vehicles that attended the parade:

Made to be EV or PHEV:

40 Toyota RAV4 EVs

4 Tesla Roadsters

1 Solectria

1 Balqon 50-ton truck

1 eBox by AC Propulsion

1 PHEV school bus by IC Enova

1 PHEV Dodge Sprinter Van

3 Zero Motorcycles

1 Brammo

1 prototype PHEV Ford Escape (in testing at SoCal Edison)

1 prototype Mitsubishi iMiEV (in testing at SoCal Edison)

2 Phoenix SUTs

1 SolarCity SolarTaco (only gas car, affixed with solar panels)

2 Vectrix

2 Chevy S-10s

Conversions, All EV except where stated:

3 PHEV Prii, converted by Plug In Hybrid/Andy Frank, Plug In Conversions Corp and EnergyCS

1 Jeep by REVConversion

2 Porsche

1 VW Jetta by AC Propulsion

1 Ford Escort

1 Hummer H2

1 Miata

1 Geo Metro

1 Suzuki

Speaker line up from the event:

·         Chris Paine, director, “Who Killed the Electric Car?”

·         Ed Kjaer, director of electric transportation, SoCal Edison

·         Kevin McKeown, Santa Monica City Councilman

·         Jordan Howard, Youth Leader of Green Ambassadors

·         Sen. Fran Pavley, California state senator

·         Paul Scott, Plug In America co-founder/board member

Plug In America is leading the nation’s plug-in vehicle movement. The nonprofit organization works to accelerate the shift to plug-in vehicles powered by clean, affordable, domestic electricity to reduce our nation’s dependence on petroleum and improve the global environment. For more information: http://www.pluginamerica.org.

2009 North American International Auto Show - Detriot, MI.

Detroit, Mich., in January is often frozen tundra. But this year, in the basement of Cobo Hall, the home of the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), you’d think it was summer. With the exception of overhead spotlights substituting for a radiant sun, beautiful landscaping surrounded a mini road course where you can drive an electric or hybrid vehicle indoors. Nearly every manufacturer had an electric, hybrid or fuel-cell concept vehicle to showcase their wares. One thing is clear. The electrification of the automobile is the second generation of the industry. Here is a look at what’s to come.

General Motors: The Chevy Volt is the most anticipated car from General Motors that isn’t a Corvette. Unveiled two years ago, the Volt is scheduled for a 2010 release. Volt is a plug-in hybrid that primarily runs on battery power. When the charge is depleted, a small engine automatically engages to finish trips beyond 40 miles. If you have a short daily commute, it’s possible you may never have to burn a drop of fuel in the Volt during its lifetime.

2010 Chevy Volt

Ford/Mercury: Ford expands their hybrid lineup with the 2010 Fusion and Mercury Milan. Both models receive redesigned front and rear fascias in addition to revised interiors. The new hybrid sedans from Ford are expected to deliver as much as 700 miles on a tank of fuel in city driving conditions and can be driven at up to 47 mph on battery power alone. The instrument panel has a special graphic that displays an increasing number of green leaves as you drive more economically. One interesting way the Ford hybrids receive excellent fuel mileage is by using an electric air-conditioning compressor.

Ford Fusion

Honda: Honda’s Insight returns to dealer showrooms this spring in five-door form. The very Prius-looking hybrid hatchback utilizes a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine with an Eco Assist electric motor for hybrid functionality. Early fuel mileage estimates are 40 mpg city and 43 mpg highway. The Insight features an Econ button that automatically adjusts vehicle functions ­— such as reducing air-conditioning output —  to help maximize fuel economy. Like the Ford Hybrids, the Insight also features a leafy green display to monitor your green driving habits.

2010 Honda Insight

Toyota/Lexus: Prius, the car that started the hybrid craze, is redesigned for 2010 and gets a fuel mileage rating of 50 mpg for a combined city/highway average. The new Prius features enhanced performance, and an interior that is quieter and roomier than the ’09 model. The electric motor is lighter for 2010 and the new body design boasts the world’s lowest drag coefficient (.25) for a passenger car. A plug-in hybrid version of the Prius will arrive in late ’09 to fleet customers. Lexus introduced the HS 250h, the entry-level hybrid for the line. The hybrid drivetrain incorporates a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, and other green features such as an exhaust heat recovery system that shortens warm-up time and a windshield that filters infrared rays to lessen air-conditioning use.

2010 Toyota Prius Hybrid Plug In

2010 Toyota Prius

 

Chrysler: Assuming Chrysler is around in the near future, they have a few hybrid models they want you to see, all in concept form. The 200 C is a beautiful sedan that you’d wish were available today, hybrid or not. You’ll have to wait until this concept gets a decision for production. The 200 C will go 40 miles on electric charge alone and 400 miles when the small displacement engine (yet to be determined) helps out. The Chrysler Town and Country mini-van, and Jeep Patriot and Wrangler models all have hybrid powertrains in concept form and deliver the same range as the 200 C. The Circuit is an all-electric sports car with a range of up to 200 miles. Of these five models, the first will be produced in 2010 with three others to follow in 2013. While they haven’t announced which models match the production dates, the Town and Country hybrid is most likely to hit the streets first.

Chrysler Town & Country EV

Fisker: The 2010 Fisker Karma was unveiled and announced with a starting price of $87,900. The luxury plug-in hybrid can travel up to 50 miles from the electric motor alone and up to 300 miles with the help of a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder Ecotech engine from General Motors. The Karma posts a 0-60 time of 5.8 seconds and a top speed of 125. The four-door, four seat Karma will be the hottest looking hybrid on the road with styling that hints at the BMW Z8 and Aston Martin. Fisker also unveiled the Karma S convertible hardtop concept that shares the same powertrain with the sedan. Sedan models will be available this fall.

2010 Fisker Sedan

2010 Fisker Convertible

The American International Auto Show in Detroit, MI (Jan. 11th-25th) 

Plug In America’s Inaugural Parade in Santa Monica, CA (Jan. 17th)

We’ll be posting interviews, images and comments on each event related to EV and Hybrid Vehicles.

See you back real soon.

We will also feature home made electric vehicles created by innovative individuals.

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