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New content added August 18th , 2008

Breaking News Story!

STATE ‘ZAPS’ ELECTRIC 3-WHEELED TRUCK REGISTRATION

State refuses to allow Maine’s first Zap Xebra electric truck buyer to register
his vehicle unless it has ‘handlebars’ instead of a steering wheel. The mixup is because
of caution about old regulations that need to be updated to allow new electric vehicles
on the road.

This is a Zap Truck Like Tom Joyal’s

Click Here For the MaineToday Article

Followup Story

This video from WCSH Channel 6 TV about this now-unregistered Zap
electric truck in Kennebunk. Its owner claims that it is an “Autocycle”,
which is a category of vehicle that is already described in the Maine vehicle laws.

WCSH Report Click Here

There will certainly be more news about this issue of not allowing this economical,
gas free driving just when Mainers need it most. The State has promised to look into
this issue promptly to update the rules as necessary, making sure that public safety is
always paramount.

READ IT FOR YOURSELF:

THE VEHICLE SAFETY INSPECTION MANUAL
OF THE MAINE STATE POLICE (pdf file)

ARE 3-WHEELED ZAP VEHICLES POPULAR ELSEWHERE?

This was the opening of th\e new Zap factory in China about a year ago that produces 4,000 Zap Xebra vehicles per month. Over 700 Xebras have been sold in the U.S. so far.

CALIFORNIA TO GIVE $1,000 ZERO EMISSIONS REBATE TO
RESIDENTS PURCHASING ZAP XEBRA SEDANS AND TRUCKS

The State of California recently thoroughly tested the Zap Xebras, and
declared them the first fully Zero Emissions vehicle on California’s roads.
So every California resident who buys a Zap Xebra car or truck will now
receive a $1,000 incentive check from the State of California.

This is the Zap Vehicles Home Page (from Santa Rosa, California)

www.zapworld.com

WANT TO SEE ZAP VEHICLES IN ACTION?

www.youtube.com (search for the word Xebra)

THE SECOND MAINE ELECTRIC CAR ENTHUSIASTS
POTLUCK BBQ IS HISTORY

It was fun, and we had two battery electric vehicles on hand for all to see.

Here’s a look under the hood of Walter Guinon’s Electric Ford Focus

Here’s Walter (blue shirt) showing it to some of the BBQ attendees

The other vehicle on display was the EVMaine.org 3 wheeled
electric car that is still under construction

Here’s the dash that conforms to several legal requirements, as does
the rest of the vehicle, especially concerning safety.

See more photos of this vehicle here

Hope you can make it to our next BBQ

MAINE ELECTRIC VEHICLES HAS SPECIAL PRICING ON THESE MILES TRUCKS

Last Chance at 2008 Prices - Save $1,600

Call Kal at 207-233-9970 or email him at MaineEV@gmail.com

Maine Electric Vehicles, LLC
"Driving Maine's Green Future"
183 US Route One in Falmouth, Maine

See their new website at www.maineev.com

HERE’S PAUL WEISS ON HIS NEW ZAPINO ELECTRIC SCOOTER
IN CUMBERLAND, NEAR PORTLAND, MAINE

More photos soon...

More Progress: Art Haines’ Latest SUNNev Solar Vehicle
at His Production Facility in Norridgewalk, Maine

The pickup truck body will be added to complete it for its new owner, Iver Lofving, a well-known teacher and environmental activist in Maine

Here’s Iver in his new vehicle

(See more about Art’s operation further down this page.)

The EVMaine.org Electric Car Project

The Newly Updated Blog Starts Here

The Latest Photos Here (Latest photo post July 24th, 2008)

GREAT NEW VIDEO FROM TEXAS

OF A SUNNev SOLAR TRUCK MADE HERE IN MAINE

Maine Electric Vehicle Laws and Incentives

State Incentives

Alternative Fueling Infrastructure Tax Credit

A tax credit is available for up to 25% of expenditures incurred for the construction, installation of, or improvements to any fueling or charging station for the purposes of providing clean fuels to the general public for use in motor vehicles. Clean fuels include compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, hydrogen, alcohol fuels containing at least 85% alcohol by volume, and electricity. This tax credit is available for tax years ending on or before December 31, 2008. Any portion of unused credits may be carried over into subsequent years as needed. (Reference Maine Revised Statutes Title 36, Section 5219-P)

State Laws and Regulations

Alternative Fuel and Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Promotion

A responsibility of the Energy Resources Council is, in coordination with the Department of Environmental Protection, to evaluate the costs and benefits of state government actions to stimulate an increase in the use and production of alternative fuels, including biofuels, and the use of AFVs in the state. (Reference Maine Revised Statutes Title 5, Section 3327; Title 35-A, Section 3211-A; and Executive Order 11, 2004)

Low-Speed Vehicle Access to Roadways

Low-speed vehicles may only be used on roadways with posted speed limits of up to 35 miles per hour. Low-speed vehicles must be registered and meet specified state and federal safety equipment requirements. (Reference Maine Revised Statutes Title 29-A, Sections 1925 and 2089)

Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) and Fueling Infrastructure Loans (Includes charging stations for electric vehicles)

The Clean Fuel Vehicle Fund is a non-lapsing revolving loan fund managed by the Finance Authority of Maine and may be used for direct loans to finance all or part of any clean fuel vehicle project. The Finance Authority of Maine may also insure up to 100% of mortgage payments with respect to mortgage loans for clean fuel vehicle projects. (Reference Maine Revised Statutes Title 10, Sections 1023-K and 1026-A)

Provision for Establishment of Clean Fuel Vehicle Insurance Incentives

An insurer may credit or refund any portion of the premium charged for an insurance policy on a clean fuel vehicle in order to encourage its policyholders to use clean fuel vehicles, if insurance premiums on other vehicles are not increased to fund these credits or refunds. (Reference Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A, Section 2303-B)

All Maine Motor Vehicle Laws are found Here

THE ELECTRATHON ELECTRIC CAR COMPETITION AT BEECH RIDGE SPEEDWAY

LOTS OF USED ELECTRIC CAR PARTS FOR SALE

FROM TOM GOCZE, LONG-TIME ELECTRIC CAR GUY

AND THERE’S MUCH MORE

“CATASTROPHE AWAITS MAINE”

FORMER MAINE GOVERNOR ANGUS KING SPEAKS OUT

“New Energy Sources Urgently Needed”

(Better get a fur coat for next winter - Ed)

$$$ $$$
Never Buy Gas Again!

Instead, drive a clean battery-powered electric car for pennies

HERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT ELECTRIC TRIKES SEEN ON JUNE 14, 2008 AT THE
SECOND ANNUAL CALAIS INTERNATIONAL ANTIQUE AND CUSTOM AUTO SHOW

Above: Mainer Fred Thorne on his 3-Wheeler

Above: Mainer Dennis Smith with his 3-Wheeler

For more photos of these vehicles: Click Here

Want to see a very practical idea?

MAINE’S OWN JOHN HOWE AND HIS SOLAR POWERED TRACTORS

Wasting acreage, time and effort creating your own biofuels is crazy
when the sunlight can directly power your tractor. And certainly don’t
expect french fry oil to be free forever!

MAINE’S SHAME

Solar panels can be used to recharge electric cars to make them 100% zero emissions, but
Maine’s Solar Photovoltaics Rebate Program has been out of money for years. In addition,
Off-Grid systems should be included in the rebates because they do just as much to save the
environment as those systems that are connected to the electrical grid. And why not a rebate for wind turbines too to encourage their use?

The politicians know all of this, but evidently saving the environment isn’t a priority for them.
Somebody should kick them in the pants and wake them up!

Latest News June 1st, 2008

Now featuring Miles, Zap and Zenn Electric Vehicles

Maine Electric Vehicles, LLC is Maine’s first exclusive battery electric car dealer. Contact them for their latest offers.

Call Kal at 207-233-9970 or email him at MaineEV@gmail.com

Maine Electric Vehicles, LLC
"Driving Maine's Green Future"
183 US Route One in Falmouth, Maine

See their new website at www.maineev.com

(EVMaine.org is not affiliated with Maine Electric Vehicles, LLC)

Last Revised July 12th, 2008

Peak Oil, Electric Cars and the American Future
Editorial by Bill Drinkwater, Director, EVMaine.org

Transportation, as we currently know it, is coming to an end soon.
Think subcompact electric cars, bicycles and yes, even shopping carts!

To continue reading click HERE

IS THIS MAN MAINE’S NEW HENRY FORD?

Art with his prototype car

THE EVMAINE.ORG INTERVIEW WITH ART HAINES ABOUT HIS SUNNev SOLAR KIT CARS

Click Here

AND THEN WATCH THE EXCELLENT VIDEO CALLED ‘INFINITY MILES PER GALLON’ ABOUT THE BUILDING OF THIS PROTOTYPE ON YOUTUBE.COM

Click Here

The model below was shipped to the UK a while ago

TAKE A PEEK AT THE FRAME OF HIS SECOND GENERATION SUNNev SOLAR KIT CAR RECENTLY UNVEILED AT THE COMMON GROUND FAIR

Click Here

And here’s a recent solar electric pickup

See the new video from Texas of one of Art’s Happy Customers who now owns the above vehicle

Click Here

And here’s his latest vehicle about to get its pickup truck bed.

These are kit cars that can be put on a pallet and shipped anywhere

The SUNN Electric Vehicle Company

300 Father Rasle Road

Norridgewalk, Maine 04957

art@sunnev.com

VISIT HIS WEBSITE

www.sunnev.com

(EVMaine.org is not affiliated with SUNN Solar Vehicles)

CITY OF SACO GOES GREEN WITH ELECTRIC CAR PURCHASE

Global Climate Change and Electric Cars

Editorial by Bill Drinkwater, Director, EVMaine.org

Electric cars are no longer a novelty. Battery-powered electric vehicles are the only practical zero emissions transportation technology available to the public today, and they can help mitigate the climate catastrophe that is rushing toward us.
The United Nations says that we are facing more severe floods, droughts, storms, forest fires and sea level rise, plus out-of-control population and disease migrations in a much hotter climate-- if we don’t act NOW! We must quickly reduce the billions of tons of pollutants being spewed into our (only six miles thick) atmosphere, or its over, Charley!

Oh, and I almost forgot - the world’s limited oil supply can no longer meet the demand.

more...

PARTICIPATE IN THE STATE OF MAINE’S CLEAN CAR PROGRAM

When you buy your next car in Maine make sure it is the
cleanest suitable one by looking for this sticker. More details at:

MAINE CLEAN AIR TESTIMONY

Chapter 127 New Motor Vehicle Emission Standards Zero Emission Vehicle Sales

FINANCING FOR ELECTRIC CARS NOW AVAILABLE IN MAINE

The www.electric-cars-are-for-girls.com website states the following; E-Loans has volunteered to provide auto financing for all Neighborhood Electric Vehicles and Zaps, including SmartCars and Xebras.”

This is a big deal, because auto loans for electric cars were not readily available in the past - but they are now, and the State of Maine is on the E-Loan list.

RUNABOUT’S 2008 SPINCYCLE TEST RIDE VIDEO

The engineering and quality of construction of these pedal/electric vehicles is absolutely top notch. They manufacture them right in their nearby Massachusetts factory

AND THIS IS THE LINK TO THEIR WEBSITE

(EVMaine.org is not affiliated with Runabout Cycles, Inc)

SEE PHOTOS FROM THE 2007 BELFAST ‘ELECTRIC CAR DAY’

Click Here

CHARGED UP ABOUT EVs

This is a BangorMetro Magazine article about the state of electric vehicles in Maine

Click Here

EVMAINE.ORG IS BUILDING A SIMPLE, ECONOMICAL, ONE-PERSON, 3-WHEELED ELECTRIC CAR, AND BLOGGING THE PROCESS

Because it has 3 wheels this vehicle is classified as a “Specially Constructed Motorcycle” (Autocycle) so it will not have the 25 mph maximum speed restriction of 4-wheeled ‘Low Speed’, or ‘Neighborhood Electric Vehicle’

Below: New photos of recent construction

Photo above shows the battery box (for six 12 volt batteries) under the seat

Photo above shows the front end with the swing arms widened five inches, and the front bumper.

Here’s the back of the front bumper showing the brackets. It is wooden with an air-filled boat bumper attached to it.

The two photos above from July 7, 2008. More photos soon...

Below: A link to the beginning of this updated car-building blog featuring photos of many other similar vehicles

Click Here

Below: A link to photos of the backyard solar ‘gas station’ for this car

Click Here

To see the latest photos of it thet were posted on August 18th, 2008

Click Here

WANT TO TALK ABOUT ELECTRIC VEHICLES?

Here’s a great electric car forum for do-it-yourselfers

READ ALL ABOUT BANGOR HYDRO’S ELECTRIC TRUCKS

INSURANCE COMPANIES FOR BATTERY ELECTRIC CARS IN MAINE

If you have an electric vehicle in Maine and need insurance for it

CHECK OUT THE FREE EVMAINE.ORG BUY AND SELL ADS

THE MAINE & CANADIAN ELECTRIC VEHICLE OWNERS’ PAGES

If you are building, converting or driving a battery
electric vehicle in Maine, New Brunswick or Nova Scotia

Show Your Vehicle Free On These Pages

Send Us Your Info and Photos Now - We’ll be Happy to Post Them

webmaster@evmaine.org

General Battery Electric Vehicle Information Below

A Reader’s Question Answered

What are the Differences Between Battery Electric Cars and Hybrid Cars?

by Bill Drinkwater, EVMaine.org

The Answer:

Battery Electric Cars are cars that have only an electric motor for propulsion that is powered by onboard batteries. They are mechanically simple, low maintenance, zero pollution, low-cost-to-drive and convenient to charge. They do not require buying or burning gasoline, ethanol or any other polluting, carbon-based or liquid fuel.

Although today’s Low Speed battery electric cars are a bargain, larger, highway-capable battery electric cars are still relatively expensive, until mass production brings their prices down in the near future.

Because battery electric cars run on electrons, instead of gasoline, they are not subject to price increases at your local gas station, more...

THE MANY ADVANTAGES OF A BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE (BEV)

by Bill Drinkwater, EVMaine.org

Cleaner - zero local air pollution: “Battery electric vehicles do not produce any tailpipe emissions. They can be up to 99 percent cleaner than conventional vehicles, even when power-plant emissions are included.”
Source of Quote: The Union of Concerned Scientists at http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/cars_pickups_suvs/batteryelectric-vehicles.html
On the other hand, each gasoline vehicle emits its weight in pollutants annually!

Less Global Warming pollution ”Commercial electric power plants are the only source of global-warming pollutants from battery electric vehicles. When BEVs recharge using renewable energy sources, they do not cause any global warming emissions at all. Even if BEVs are recharged using fossil fuels, they can cut global warming emissions by as much as 70 percent.”
Source of Quote: The Union of Concerned Scientists at http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/cars_pickups_suvs/batteryelectric-vehicles.html

Only one source of pollution to clean up, if any: If an electric car is recharged from a fossil-fueled power plant, it will be much easier to clean up and monitor the pollution levels from that one power plant, than to monitor and clean up the pollution levels of millions of gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles.

Less noise pollution: Quieter and more relaxing to drive.

More energy efficient: Lighter and with electric motors that are much more energy efficient than gasoline or diesel-powered engines, electric cars require less energy to propel them.

Lower fuel costs: “Comparable fuel costs for battery electric vehicles are about one-third those of a gasoline-powered vehicle.”
Source of Quote: The Union of Concerned Scientists at http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/cars_pickups_suvs/batteryelectric-vehicles.html
Most low speed electric cars only cost a penny or two per mile to operate.

More convenient: The ‘gas station’ for most electric cars is the nearest 110 volt outlet. Some larger battery electric cars use stronger chargers to more quickly charge their batteries at home, or in public charging stations. Hydrogen-powered vehicles have almost no installed infrastructure, and it will cost hundreds of Billions to install it country-wide.

Ideal for town and city driving because you can’t travel at high speeds in town anyway, and the need for reducing air pollution is greatest in built-up areas. Many European cities encourge electric vehicles by offering free partking, free battery charging and no city congestion fees.

New battery technologies already provide up to two hundred miles per charge (the Tesla electric sports car), and mass production of several different chemistries of new, more efficient batteries already exist that will soon be affordable for all electric vehicles.

Recharging electric cars at night from the power grid actually improves the efficiency of the grid because a lot of today’s nighttime-generated electricity is wasted.

You can ‘gas up’ for free, and be totally zero polluting if you have your own backyard solar, wind or other alternative power system.

Electric motors are completely off whenever they are not moving and therefore they don’t pollute or waste expensive gasoline when at stoplights or stuck in traffic, like gasoline and diesel-powered cars do.

Electric cars are so simple that you can build your own for much less than buying a brand-new one if you are handy with a few tools, plus electric vehicles allow you to do most of your own vehicle maintenance, unlike today’s high tech, computerized gasoline-powered vehicles.

Electric vehicles that have been converted from gasoline-powered vehicles are the ultimate in recycling. You are taking a major source of pollution and recyling it into a zero-pollution clean vehicle.

Less maintenance: Electric vehicles are more reliable and cost less to maintain because they are much simpler mechanically than gasoline-powered vehicles.

Electric cars don’t require oil changes, eliminating the need for expensive and messy oil changes
Electric cars don’t have a cooling system, so there’s no radiator to repair and no expensive and poisonous antifreeze to be handled or disposed of.
Electric cars don’t have an expensive catalytic converter or an exhaust system
Also, no air cleaner, no valves to adjust, no pollution controls to replace or adjust, no spark plugs, no timing to go awry, etc.

You can do your own maintenance on an electric car. You cannot do it on a hybrid or plug-in hybrid because they are so complex and high tech that specialized tools and proprietary diagnostic computers are required.

Most electric cars have no transmission which makes them more efficient, lighter and does not require expensive repairs as on gasoline-powered cars.

In Vehicle-to-Grid systems (V2G) an electric car can actually help to beef up the electric grid system by giving back some of its stored energy during times that the grid system needs it.

Emergency Home Power: An electric car can also be used to keep the lights on in your home during temporary power outages.

Low Speed, Neighborhood Electric Vehicles are available today, and can be a perfect second family car to do local errands, which is about 80% of Americans’ everyday car use.

Several full size, highway speed electric cars will become available in the U.S. market starting in 2008.

Less Worry: You can forget about rising gas prices and future gas shortages if you drive an electric car.

More Energy Security for America. We don’t need to pay our enemies for oil to run our electric cars.

See this classic documentary on DVD that proves electric cars are viable today

Who Killed the Electric Car?

“General Motors had a great little electric car in 2003 that the public loved, but what happened to it?”

We have this movie for public viewing, contact us - webmaster@evmaine.org

Info about this Website below

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What is EVMaine.org?

We are a free, public service website encouraging the building, conversion, buying, driving and enjoyment of battery electric vehicles in Maine (and everywhere else) as an affordable, fun and zero pollution lifestyle choice. more...

We’re Green! The EVMaine.org computer is now solar-powered

EVMaine.org is non-political, we just advocate electric transportation

With the end of affordable fossil fuels in sight, what are you going to do?

Go Electric!

and you’ll never have to buy expensive gasoline again!

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