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An Interview with Art Haines, Maine’s New Henry Ford? |
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Cont’d from page 1 EVMaine: So you have a design background? Art Haines: Yes, I’m a designer. I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering. EVMaine: What was the most challenging part of designing and building this vehicle with the students? Was it motivating them? Art Haines: Oh no, no. It was keeping up with them, bringing them enough work so they would have something to do. We had about six or eight students and it’s pretty hard to do a group activity with that many students. I divided them up into groups; one put together the steering, another did the suspension, etc. EVMaine: What was the most enjoyable part of the project, other than driving the car after it was finished? Art Haines: When I first meet the high school students, I don’t know the right word, ah, I guess ‘surly’- you know they were not real friendly. After getting to know the students their personalities emerged and that was most enjoyable. They were all different types, which was enjoyable too. The most fun was the day we actually tried the chassis. We got it mostly running. It didn’t have a steering wheel, so we used a pair of visegrips for a steering wheel, and we didn’t have any brakes. We went out in the parking lot and it was tricky to drive, but it was fun. They drove it all around, they all tried it. They went in and got the Principal and he came out and he just hopped right in it and took right off! Hey, there are no brakes, but he didn’t care. He had a big smile on his face after driving it. That was kind of a high point because we had worked so many weeks on it, and all of a sudden it actually moved. EVMaine: So you now own the car? Art Haines: Yes that was kind of my plan - that if I paid for it then I would own it, and there wouldn’t be any hard feelings. The Grange donated money to help with expenses. EVMaine: How often do you now drive it? Art Haines: I haven’t driven it this winter. I just brought it out yesterday, May 1st , but last fall I used to drive it into town three or four days a week. EVMaine: So it is very practical. Art Haines: Oh Yes, and I learned some tricks when driving it in town. Instead of crossing Main Street I just park it on this side in a parking lot and walk across the busy street to go to the hardware store, or whatever. I then leave by the back roads. EVMaine: Here are some questions about your kits. That high school project has now evolved into manufacturing electric cars in kit form for Mainers, is that correct? Art Haines: Well, it could be for anybody, anywhere. I’ve sold two kits so far, one to a guy in Hollis, New Hampshire and another to a man in a small town in Eastern Maryland. He’s going to register it to drive it around town. EVMaine: Are those for themselves, or will they have students build them? Art Haines: The one in New Hampshire, he’s going to build it with the students at the Montessori School where his kids are. The other one is an energy enthusiast and he’s going to assemble it himself, or with some friends and his father. EVMaine: Why did you decide to sell kits, instead of complete, ready-to-go vehicles? Art Haines: I’m still looking into this. If you sell a ready-to-go vehicle you have to give it a VIN (vehicle identification number). I called the State and she said, "We can’t really give you multiple VIN numbers, but call this guy down in Washington at the Department of Transportation and he will explain." So I called him and he said, "The problem is you wouldn’t even want to go there because to get set up to get VIN numbers you would have to go through a giant rigmarole." "So you’re better off selling kits, and do not call them cars, call them kits." It turns out there is a large number of cars built by people that are called "homebuilt vehicles" or specially-built vehicles, hot rods and kitcars. Most states have a procedure for the individual to get a VIN number for their homebuilt car.
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