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 ...
A driving range of 100 miles (maybe) certainly would not allow for family vacation trips or long range driving. Topping it off, the "Greenies" want to double our electric rates AND gasoline rates. If they think the economy is in a tailspin now, just wait until they begin to foist this upon us!
Electric cars - a definitive guide
Snip: and will have a projected range of 100 miles.
Cap and trade tax would double utility rates, Wilson says
Rates “would double under the cap-and-tax program. Additionally, gasoline costs would double,” he said.
Based on his Facebook friends,I suggest the cat litter business.
Oh noooooooo loss of green jobs.
Has anyone ever ventured a guess how much your home electricity bill would go up with the addition of an electric car?
As a quarter million mile motorcyclist I would actually feel
safer on my bike than in this thing. No speed or handling to
avoid an accident, and just enough sheet metal to trap you
if you have one.
Electric cars receive their energy from power plants that are controlled by a central authority eventually nationalized.
Electric cars are about control not logic.
I think you will find your statement more true than ever soon.....if this administration gets their way....we’ll ALL be needing more wagons and wheels....
The really odd fact is these phonebooths on wheeels are not cheap!
Any car that can't go at highway speeds for a couple hours before refueling,and can't refuel in 10 minutes or less at thousands of convenient locations is just not suited for 99% of Americans.
Living in Austin, I’ve seen one or two on the highway. From the back, they look a normal-sized car. It’s when you try to pass one (they can’t keep up with traffic) that you realize how tiny it is. I guess it takes some chutzpah to take on on the highway, but I wouldn’t try it. They ain’t cheap, either!
I was in SF last month. Fun town to visit. Observed a trackless trolly—at least that’s what called them in Phillky when I was a kid. Looks like a bus, but is electrically powered via overhead wires.
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.
If you’re planning to visit SF be prepared for very frequent and aggressive pan handling.
Natural gas powered cars would be actually “greener” ,have better range,comfort,safety,use proven technology,and be cheaper to operate.
“Natural gas powered cars would be actually “greener” ,have better range,comfort,safety,use proven technology,and be cheaper to operate.”
And make a pretty kaboom in an accident. No thanks.
I reworked them to 96 volts by adding two batteries and replacing the 400 amp controller with a 750 amp.
They would cruise at 60 mph no problem and were quicker off the line than most cars.
I got about 65 mile range of daily driving. The cost was about $15 a month more on the Edison bill.
Drawback was ZAP Motors Inc sucked.
I had orders for over twenty of them and I couldn't get any delivered to me.
I finally just gave up on ZAP.
Three lies in one sentence.
not to mention the glare of the sun - and, in winter, would make ‘black ice’ seem safe in comparison.
Truly, the lunatics are in charge.
Just as I was getting out of my car, the owner came up and as he opened the door of this atrocity, without thinking, I sneered. (Purely involuntary reaction.)
He looked perplexed but stumped as to a reaction - I'm a white haired ole great granny. I guess he thinks of himself as a savior of mankind.
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