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Posted on 01/10/2011 10:08:50 AM PST by llevrok
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash. – The lack sales for Byron Holcomb's new business hasn't clouded his vision.
"This is the future right here," he said, leaning against a four-wheel drive battery-powered buggy. "The electric car is coming and it's going to be the dominant means of transportation in the U.S."
Holcomb, a retired attorney, opened Go Green, Bainbridge Island's one-and-only car dealership, in October. And in true Bainbridge style, all the cars are electric, and the showroom is a slick little Winslow storefront that could have just as easily been an art gallery. Actually, it's that too. Abstract originals adorn the walls, and an espresso bar is in the works.
Go Green hasn't sold any of his electric cars, but Holcomb says interest is growing.
"You can't believe the amount of foot traffic here - 50 people an hour," he said.
People stop in, ask questions about the cars - which look like cross between a Jeep and a golf cart - and occasionally take a test drive.
The 14-horsepower cars can go up to 25 mph and have a 20-mile range on an overnight charge, which Holcomb said amounts to about 35 cents on the electrical bill.
Besides the highway, most roads on the island are fairly low-speed, and the island's shops, parks and other destinations are well within the car's battery range.
"They're ideal for the island - going to the ferry, going shopping, picking up the kids from school," Holcomb said.
The cars require little maintenance beyond battery and tire replacements every eight or so years, he said.
The sticker price is just under $11,000, or $10,400 for a bare-bones model.
The cars are manufactured by Bad Boy, an Arkansas-based company that has built a reputation for heavy-duty riding mowers. The company's catalog features endorsements from famous country music singers and glossy photos of electric all-terrain vehicles tackling farm fields and hunting grounds. The street-legal model Go Green offers is a fairly new Bad Boy product.
Holcomb admits Bad Boy might not initially seem like a good fit for Bainbridge Island. For one thing, the cars have no doors.
"You can't expect people in the Northwest to drive a vehicle without doors, especially with our cold and rain," he said. "That's one mistake. I would have sold any number if I had doors."
Holcomb made the issue known to Bad Boy, which is now developing attachable doors that should arrive at Go Green in the coming months. Anyone who buys now will get their doors shortly, Holcomb promised.
"Maybe it's not the style the island wants," he said. "They want a car that's going to be able to go on the freeway and shows prestige. These cars show prestige a different way. They show you're concerned about the environment and the community."
Holcomb says his cars reduce dependence on foreign oil, help cut down on air pollution and supports an American automaker.
And the cars can help make roads safer, he said, because they can't do much damage if they're traveling under 25 mph.
Parents of beginning drivers might want to take note.
"They're perfect for teenagers," Holcomb said. "They can't go very far or very fast or hurt many people."
And drivers who like to mix sports and shopping should sign up for a test drive, he said.
"If you're a golfer, you can play 18 holes and then go to Safeway - all in one car," he said.
Holcomb bristles at the notion car-buyers may prefer new electric car models produced by Chevy and Nissan that can go faster and travel farther.
His competitors' greater distance is only achieved with ideal driving conditions, few hills and lightweight passengers, he said.
Holcomb learned about the Bad Boy cars while on a plane trip from Las Vegas. A Bad Boy sales manager leaned in from the neighboring aisle and gave Holcomb his pitch.
"I thought it was a fascinating idea for the island," he said.
Holcomb had been looking for a post-retirement career. He's written a novel, and thought he might try starting up a business.
He toured the Diaz, Ark., plant were the Bad Boys are made, and spent three months trying out showroom locations around Bainbridge. The sales team includes his wife, Karen, who is also a co-owner, and their son, Pete.
After living on the island for nearly 40 years, Holcomb has seen interest grow for earth-friendly living and alternative means of transportation. He thinks his business will prosper once islanders begin replacing secondary vehicles - the ones that are mostly used to run errands around the island.
Holcomb has begun adding electric-assist bicycles to diversify his lineup. But he's not giving up on his dream of electrifying the island's roadways.
"This whole island will be all electric," he said. "And we'll be the oldest car dealership when that happens. We're in it for the duration."
Say WA? Evergreen State ping
Quick link: WA State Board
FReepmail sionnsar if you want on or off this ping list.
Ping sionnsar if you see a Washington state related thread.
He's selling golf carts.
Quick!
He needs a government subsidy!
He should charge admission - at least he'd have a chance at some revenue.
While I despise the environmentalist Wackos I can’t help but feel a little sympathy for him.
How can you say that? Obama's mother was raised there.
ping
Well, sh!t....I guess as long as a teenager only kills himself or just one other unlucky bastard, it's okay.....
Logic like this is why he tried to sell open air golf carts in the wet north east.
http://www.badboybuggies.com/
Same circus banter could be heard at Electric Dealerships not selling anything 100 years ago in 1911!
Bainbridge Island, if you can’t make it there, you can’t make it anywhere.
It’s the bluest, big blue, bluesman, blues brothers, blue man group, blue meanie outpost there is. I mean, it’s like, blue.
Accurate or not, I see four guys lined up on the wood boardwalk across the street whittling and taking turns spitting into spittoons. One doesn’t even look up or to the others as he says, “Yep, didn’t see this one comin’” The others respond with, “Yep...”, spittoey.
LMAO
Byron’s getting a lesson in economics. If people actually wanted to buy his little pieces OS they would have. Car purchases are extremely emotional and having people stop by ain’t gonna cut it. There isn’t a car dealer on earth that ever lets a customer walk out the door. #1 rule of thumb is “don’t let ‘em get away”. Poor Byron.~sarc
Burning more coal is environmentally more responsible now.
What next?
I live in an island town and these things are everywhere. People pay a lot of money for something that in my (and many others ) opinion,are a rolling deathtrap. The first time one of these gets in a real bad accident will finally be the reason the city bans them. People stack babies and toddlers in these things and act oblivious to the fact that they are dangerous. Some renters are even drinking while operating them.
Glorified golf carts is what they are and it’s unfortunate that more folks don’t realize that they are dangerous when they are in traffic with trucks,buses and the like.
Forgetting how important doors would be in Seattle is a mistake that makes for a good laugh. I’ve seen these little buggies in my area of SoCal. They’re cute and look fun, but only for the most basic of transport and not in cold, rainy weather.
Sales for the Volt and Leaf are slow, too...
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