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Running out of juice: Bay Area electric car dealerships close [San Fran]
San Jose Mercury News ^ | 2/26/10 | Janis Mara

Posted on 02/28/2010 10:02:37 AM PST by ProtectOurFreedom

Marc Korchin thought he had found his mission in life: to benefit the environment and save his fellow Bay Area residents money by selling zero-emission all-electric cars. Two years later, after burning through his life savings, he was forced to close his Berkeley dealership.

And Korchin is not alone. The Bay Area's independent electric car dealerships are in perilous shape, even as electric cars are being hailed as the next big thing by major auto manufacturers.

A number of dealerships, including Zap of Concord, Davis Electric Cars in Davis and EcoMotors in Santa Rosa, appear to have closed within the last two years or so. Ethical Approach Electric Vehicle Center of San Jose has given up selling electric cars and switched to electric off-road vehicles. ELV Motors, in Santa Clara, now markets electric bikes and motor scooters

The phenomenon extends to dealers of conventional brands who offer electric cars on the side. Anthony Batarse, head of the otherwise-thriving Lloyd Wise dealership in Oakland, purchased 10 electric cars in 2008, sold only three and ceased selling the cars. Alameda's O'Connell Electric, the electric division of successful dealership O'Connell Volvo, is barely surviving, said owner Mike O'Connell.

"From the beginning, they were doomed," said Will Beckett, vice president of the Central Coast chapter of the Electric Auto Association. "You can't take them on the freeway. That's why Marc Korchin and his ilk went out of business," said Ed Thorpe, past president of the East Bay chapter of the Electric Auto Association.

"People would come to my dealership and they would see what the car would and wouldn't do," said Korchin. "I'd say, 'Don't you want to help save the planet?'

They'd say, 'Let someone else save the planet. I want something with good speed.' "

(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government
KEYWORDS: automakers; car; climatechange; economy; electric; electriccars; energy; globalwarming; loser; notreadyforprimetime; vehicle
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To: FlingWingFlyer
"500 mile extension cords are hard to find also. Expensive too!"

Lots of broken legs, from folks trip'n over them!

61 posted on 02/28/2010 12:00:34 PM PST by Lockbar (March toward the sound of the guns.)
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To: dools007
At any rate, there was a sign on it bragging that the vehicle did not pollute. I wonder what San Franciscans think generates the juice to make the vehicle move.

They don't pollute... the location of the stupid liberals making such claims. They pollute elsewhere, wherever the NIMBY minded liberals can't see. Liberals want to take all the good stuff we produce and dump on us all their pollution in trade.

62 posted on 02/28/2010 12:03:53 PM PST by JohnBovenmyer
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To: maine-iac7
"Grease spot" indeed...

But you can always mod them for improved safety...

...or go the other direction and just use the back one-third of a Smart Car as your GayMobile...


63 posted on 02/28/2010 12:10:03 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: John-Irish

Yep, judging from that picture I posted of the flipped smart car, it does not seem like there is much weight in the front end at all.

I also understand, although I am not 100% sure on this, that in an effort to reduce vehicle weight, mechanical linkages to the brakes and the accelerator have been replaced by wifi signal.

Considering interference, malfunction, hacking, and things like this, wireless linkages seem like a disaster waiting to happen...along with many other disasters waiting to happen in this poorly conceived, political vehicle.


64 posted on 02/28/2010 12:12:40 PM PST by chris37
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To: chris37

Like I say, I’m amazed the thing is even allowed on the roads. Seriously, I wouldn’t let my wife or anyone of my family drive such an unsafe looking car.


65 posted on 02/28/2010 12:17:38 PM PST by John-Irish ("Shame of him who thinks of it''.)
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To: John-Irish

That’s my wife... ;)

God Bless America!


66 posted on 02/28/2010 12:17:54 PM PST by blackie
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To: blackie

Back ‘at ‘cha’! And Happy Trails to you partner! “Happy Trails to you, until we meet again...’’


67 posted on 02/28/2010 12:23:37 PM PST by John-Irish ("Shame of him who thinks of it''.)
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To: chris37

That pic looks like a glorified golf cart.


68 posted on 02/28/2010 12:26:20 PM PST by Razzz42
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To: Nuc1

They’re way ahead of you...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPQIizRp9ck


69 posted on 02/28/2010 12:28:27 PM PST by Spike Knotts
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To: ProtectOurFreedom
SMUG ALERT!!! Image and video hosting by TinyPic
70 posted on 02/28/2010 12:37:42 PM PST by peggybac
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To: Spike Knotts

“Seriously, if they can’t sell this homomobile in SF...”

Hah. Ironic. I’ve been calling them the same for a while now. They come with changeable body panels so that you can make your car reflect your mood and emotions on any given day.

Not tryin’ to stereotype or insult but that is genuinely, seriously female/homo there.


71 posted on 02/28/2010 12:41:51 PM PST by JoenTX (Don't Tread on Me)
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To: John-Irish

Old curmudgeons love Happy Trails...;)


72 posted on 02/28/2010 12:45:41 PM PST by blackie
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To: blackie

You bet! Used to love watching Roy Rogers & Dale Evans as a kid. Man, that was a life-time ago.


73 posted on 02/28/2010 1:44:45 PM PST by John-Irish ("Shame of him who thinks of it''.)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

No grade ability
they won t go up hill


74 posted on 02/28/2010 1:48:55 PM PST by bert (K.E. N.P. +12 . Tax the poor. Taxes will give them a stake in society)
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To: Nuc1
Check out this video to see what happens. I think you can get this as a kit. Smart car + Susuki GSXR
75 posted on 02/28/2010 1:49:36 PM PST by oldtimer2 (The majority is not silent--The government is deaf)
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To: chris37

I’ve seen some electric vehicles in gated retirement communities. They’re called golf carts. People can use them to drive down the private street to the supermarket and such. They’re convenient for people who no longer have a license to drive a conventional car.


76 posted on 02/28/2010 1:53:49 PM PST by PapaBear3625 (Public healthcare looks like it will work as well as public housing did.)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

LOLOLOL


77 posted on 02/28/2010 1:59:59 PM PST by maine-iac7 ("He has the right to criticize who has the heart to help" Lincoln)
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To: oldtimer2

That looks like fun.


78 posted on 02/28/2010 2:19:18 PM PST by Lurkina.n.Learnin (Waste and fraud are synonymous with gov't spending)
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To: blackie

Nice looking truck blackie. I miss my pickup truck. I would never buy a car unless it had a hatchback or was a station wagon because this mama hauls stuff and sedans aren’t ammenable to the lumberyard-specific projects I have each year. This spring it’ll be a new fence on the other side of the house to keep those pesky (but cute) deer from devouring my garden.


79 posted on 02/28/2010 4:35:29 PM PST by MamaDearest
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Time for another subsidy — free electric cars for everyone. You can pick it up with your Obama money.


80 posted on 02/28/2010 4:45:19 PM PST by dhs12345
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