CalCars
Origins | 2002 |
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CalCars (also known as The California Cars Initiative) was a charitable, non-profit organization founded in 2002 to promote plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) as a key to addressing oil dependence and global warming both nationally and internationally.[1][2] It was active until 2010, when the first mass-produced PHEVs arrived. CalCars envisioned millions of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, charged by off-peak electricity from renewable energy sources, and with their internal combustion engines powered by low-carbon alternative fuels, as a way to significantly reduce greenhouse gases that come from transportation.
History
CalCars worked with allied organizations to build buyer demand for PHEVs in the United States and promote commercial production of plug-in hybrid vehicles by major automakers.
CalCars engaged in public education through its web site calcars.org. It displayed its +100 miles per US gallon (2.4 L/100 km; 120 mpg‑imp) PHEVs at public and private events, showed promotional videos, and makes presentations to different audiences, including political leaders and opinion-makers.
CalCars also promoted technology development for PHEVs by building example plug-in hybrid vehicles, and maintaining open-source documentation of technological information about its prototypes. In its technology development, CalCars was closely linked with the work of Professor Andrew A. (Andy) Frank and the Team Fate design group at the University of California, Davis.[3]
After the first handful of Prius+ conversions, the PHEVs were displayed at multiple locations and events around the country, including the US Congress.[4] Interest in the PHEV concept swelled, and building conversion kits for DIYers or commercial conversions took off as many small and large companies entered the space. Calcars worked closely with journalists and the media to further stoke interest.[5] Dozens of books on the topic were released and reviewed by Calcars. CalCars tracked and commented on continuing developments through its listserv from 2005-2013, archived at http://www.calcars.org/news-archive.html
The CC automakers page covered the nume rous developments announced by automakers, and CalCars' analysis of them. It further promoted PHEVs with leaders everywhere by featuring photos of them with their vehicles on its "Influencers"[6] and "leaders".[7] CalCars worked to connect PHEV owners to automakers, and welcomed GM's announcement of the Volt. An attempt was made to get companies to offer aftermarket conversions for most existing vehicles on the road, but little success was had in getting aftermarket converters to form a trade group to secure government incentives for conversions.[8] So after several years the conversion market shrank, and currently has one provider, Plug-in Supply.
In November 2009, Calcars declared a preliminary victory, with mass-produced PHEVs and fully electric vehicles set to arrive shortly.[8] Drivers and advocates were migrated to the Electric Auto Association (EEA), Plug In America (PIA), or the Sierra Club for further promotion of CalCars goal of rapidly electrifying all vehicles.
CalCars built the first PRIUS+ conversion creating the first PHEV based on the 2004 Toyota Prius.[1][2][9] This initial conversion was done with a lead-acid battery pack to prove the concept would work. The build team included Ron Gremban, Felix Kramer, Marc Geller, Kevin Lyons, Andrew Lawton. Others who helped included Tom Driscoll, Michael Geller, Richard Jesch, Les Montavon, Dan Putman, Michael Schwabe, Len Tramiel, Bob Westman, Doug Widney.
Conversions
Prius+ (also written Prius Plus) became the open-source standard on which most plug-in hybrid kits were based.[10] Plug-in hybrid kit manufacturers included: A123 Hymotion, Amberjac Systems, based on EDrive Systems emerged from the original EnergyCS, EETrex, Enginer, Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technologies, Plug-In Conversions Corp, Plug-In Supply [1](still operating), MD-Tech
Combustion vehicle mass conversions
CalCars stated that compared to crushing old vehicles, converting millions of gas-guzzling, internal combustion engine vehicles (pickup trucks, SUVs, and full-size vans -PSVs-) would be a winning energy-saving strategy.[11][12]
Key CalCars personnel
Felix Kramer, Founder, is a marketing strategist and communicator with an entrepreneurial track record with startups; in the environmental realm, he managed major events and run campaigns and organizations. After founding, running and selling a small Internet company, he volunteered his time to CalCars frm 2001-2009.[13] Since 2009 he has written articles and worked on projects involving climate change and clean energy, based at his website, BeyondCassandra.org
Ron Gremban, Technology Development Lead for PRIUS+, moderator of the PRIUS+ [10] Plug-In Hybrid Conversion Group,[14] and electrical and software engineer involved in sales of solar energy systems, has long experience with electric cars—he helped design and drive the Caltech entry in the transcontinental 1968 Great Electric Car Race.[15] He has been the lead EE since 2012 at Brillouin Energy in Berkeley, seeking a commercially useful form of LENR (Low Energy Nuclear Reactions).
Gail Slocum, Senior Advisor, former Mayor, Menlo Park and Regulatory Attorney at Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
See also
- Andrew A. Frank, the creator of modern plug-in hybrids
- Cash for clunkers
- Charging station
- Electric Auto Association
- Plug-in electric vehicles in the United States
- Government incentives for plug-in electric vehicles in the U.S.
- RechargeIT (Google.org)
- Plug-in electric vehicle (PEV)
- PHEV Research Center
- Plug-in hybrid vehicles
- Plug-in hybrids in California
- World Electric Vehicle Association
References
- ^ a b Inslee, Jay; Bracken Hendricks (2007). "Apollo's Fire". Island Press, Washington, D.C.: 36–40. ISBN 978-1-59726-175-3Template:Inconsistent citations
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(help)CS1 maint: postscript (link)See Chapter 2. Reinventing the car. - ^ a b Sherry Boschert (2006). "Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars that will Recharge America". New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, Canada: 49–66. ISBN 978-0-86571-571-4Template:Inconsistent citations
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(help)CS1 maint: postscript (link) See Chapter 3. Felix Flirts with Hydrogen. http://www.sherryboschert.com/?page_id=607 - ^ Dr. Andrew A. Frank, Director, http://www.team-fate.net advanced hybrid vehicle research center (which has built 9 plug-in hybrid proof-of-concept vehicles), Professor, University of California at Davis; see a 2003 interview in EVWorld, part 1 and part 2 and a 2006 Wall Street Journal profile.
- ^ "PHEVs & CalCars on Capitol Hill May, 2006". calcars.org. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
- ^ "CalCars in the News 2004-2005". calcars.org. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
- ^ "Influencers & celebrities". calcars.org. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
- ^ "CalCars.org".
- ^ a b "Join the Campaign to Electrify World's 900+ Million Vehicles". calcars.org. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
- ^ The PRIUS+ was CalCars first PHEV Prius, its homepage can be found at http://www.calcars.org/priusplus.html, Photos, Commercializing Plug-In Hybrids presentation (2MB PDF)
- ^ a b "CalCars' PRIUS+ Plug-In Hybrid". Calcars.org. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
- ^ "Should We Crush Gas-Guzzlers? Or Convert Them to Plug In? An Analysis". Calcars.org. 2008-04-21. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
- ^ "Plug-In Endorsements: Inauguration + Senate '09 Freedom Act". Calcars.org. 2009-01-16. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
- ^ See Kramer Communications and Felix Kramer Bio, his Feb. 14, 2005 OpEd on global warming, Kyoto and Beyond, and Power, Plugs and People, his new blog>.
- ^ "PRIUS+ Plug-In Hybrid Conversion Group". Groups.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
- ^ See Ron Grembans out of date bio.