EV Business

Maybe some people here would want to take their knowledge and set up an electric bicycle or scooter repair business. I think about it sometimes. Anyway, here's an interesting article along those lines.

http://campfire.theoildrum.com/node/5976

Writing on Wired's Autopia blog Daryl Siry is reporting (on Nov 15) that over the weekend a management shakeup occurred at Aptera resulting in the ouster of two company founders and the firing of many people. The move is apparently aimed at preserving capital, slow down the burn rate while waiting for approval for an expected DoE loan. Clearly when a company ousts senior management there is likely another story about strategic or tactical disagreements, as Siry's article describes. Daryl Siry is the former marketing chief at Tesla with years of experience in the entrepreneurial startup company climate. His reporting appears to be based on discussion with sources inside Aptera and tracking chatter on a discussion forum. His report at this time cannot be independently verified and Aptera has not made an announcement of their own.

That's the opening paragraph of the current draft of article I'm about to post on examiner.com ... sources:

Aptera Founders Ousted in Boardroom Showdown
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/11/aptera-founders-ousted-in-boardroom-showdown/

More on the trouble at Aptera, cash may be running out
http://green.autoblog.com/2009/11/16/more-on-the-trouble-at-aptera-cash-may-be-running-out/

Aptera Founders Ousted in Showdown With Auto Vets: Report
http://earth2tech.com/2009/11/16/aptera-founders-ousted-in-showdown-with-auto-vets-report/

Found this story about a Scooter manufacturer starting up in Texas...

http://www.dailysentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2009/10/22/scooters_102309.html?imw=Y

James told The Daily Sentinel that he is hoping to break ground next March on a scooter manufacturing plant and corporate headquarters after he secures some federal grant money and finalizes negotiations to purchase a portion of Twist N' Go Scooters, based in Seattle, Wash. The company could be pumping out fuel efficient and electric vehicles right here in Nacogdoches by March of 2011....

...The manufacturing side of the company will be moved from China to Nacogdoches, as will nearly every other aspect of the business, including product design, engineering and marketing. He estimates that there will be at least 60 jobs created by the National Scooter Company by the end of the third year, and by the end of the seventh year, James estimates that more than 100 jobs will be created directly and indirectly with domestic suppliers. The short-term employment gain from the construction phase is estimated to add 50 jobs for nine to 12 months.

In other words - they're looking to get some federal funding, and do all the manufacturing at a plant in Texas rather than import stuff and assemble in the U.S. or rather than import complete bikes made elsewhere. The article refers to how Harley-Davidson got federal funding to turn around.

@skadamo is reporting on plugbike.com that Patmont Motor Works has suspended work on their Shocker electric motorcycle. He quotes the following from PMW's message board:-

I wish I had good news. The Shocker R&D project is presently on standby for better economic conditions. We are hoping to license the “Kanti-Link” (aka CIDLI) suspension technology and patents to one or more international motorcycle brands.

The interesting thing about this bike is the dual swingarms where both front and rear are swingarms which do not use the normal style with shock absorbers.

Via http://plugbike.com/2009/10/30/pmw-shocker-spooked-by-recession/
Via http://wwwatts.net/item/plugbike-pmw-shocker-spooked-recession

I was very happy and excited to be at a press conference yesterday, October 21, for the announcement that Bannon Motor Cars, of Long Island has entered into an agreement to produce REVA electric cars in a factory to be located in Onondaga County (Syracuse) New York, beginning in 2010.

The story was picked up be the NY Times, so you can find a link to it there or the Syracuse Post-Standard paper/website.
Besides the obvious excitement over a couple hundred new jobs to the area, the true measure of success will hopefully be spin offs into the local economy and a new sense of 21st Century progress.

Central New York (as we call it) has much to offer and I am hoping this venture becomes a catalyst for much more.
Although we lack the clear weather to make solar collection the main-stay, we do seem to have an abundance of wind and now several hundred commercial wind generators in place.

This is a PDF by Ed Benjamin which I found on Blue Planet Vehicles' web site. It's a very interesting thought piece on the potential for LEV's. Ed does important research etc on light electric vehicles

http://www.blueplanetvehicles.com/downloads/FutureofLEVs.pdf

Claim: "there simply is not enough money, land, or materials for everyone to have a car. And this is before the problems created by air pollution and environmental costs of car industry."

Hurm, that's a big claim which goes against some of the prevailing economic "wisdom". But it's an idea that I tend to agree with.

What's true however is that a light EV makes less land impact, less resource impact, uses less energy, is simpler, ..etc.. hence light EV's are a greener way of transport than big vehicles of any kind.

Did anyone follow the A123 systems IPO last week? It was crazy. I don't know much about the market, but the stock started trading at $16.50 and is at 23 bucks right now. I would image thats pretty good...

See:-

http://www.examiner.com/x-14333-Green-Transportation-Examiner~y2009m9d17-The-State-of-Colorado-offering-an-incentive-program-for...

http://www.colorado.gov/energy/index.php?/policy/category/motor-vehicle-incentives/

An observation from reading this ... http://visforvoltage.org/blog/glperham/7468

First, you're not the first to have frustration from X-treme's scooters. It's sad that so many are having sad experiences. However there's another truism in that maybe we only hear about the sad experiences because those are the ones where people want to speak up, kick, scream, shout, etc.. maybe we're not hearing about the positive experiences of people riding their scooters every day with no problem.

In any case what strikes me in that specific blog post is the desire to have a local service shop that can fix the bikes. I suppose the question is: Car owners have local service shops.. so why not electric scooter owners?

Obviously X-treme has a different business model - where they only sell via online stores. It's nigh on impossible to do local service for this sales model.

Seems to me the better approach for us consumers is to buy from a local dealer rather than buy through an online dealer.

I just came across an issue between Aptera and the DOE concerning a loan program meant to incentivize clean vehicle production. Aptera's cool looking non-car and the DOE loan program loans

The issue is the law enacting the program meant for it to support automobile manufacturers. And because the Aptera has three wheels it's technically not a car (automobile) but a motorcycle. That despite having a cabin and lots of other car-like features.