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New content added January 4th, 2009

‘83 KURBWATT FOR SALE ON EBAY

This is a rare, aluminum bodied electric vehicle that the U.S. Post Office originally ordered. It would be ideal for delivery from a local bakery, pizza or dairy business in a future of scarce and expensive fossil fuels.. If you are aware of Peak Oil you might want to check out this vehicle.

Here it is on ebay:  Kurbwatt

Or paste in this ebay Item Number: 130279329595

FOR SALE: ELECTRIC ATV

I used an ATV like the one above all summer to pull a trailer with which I watered cows
out in the pasture. It never failed me, charges up quickly, goes 35 mph and pulls
about 1,000 lbs.
Call Hayes Batten, Union, ME 207-785-5683

ATV Specs Here

More Stuff for Sale Here

FALMOUTH DEALER OFFERS $4,000 OFF MILES ELECTRIC TRUCK

It is just like this one.

To read more about these trucks Click Here

Contact KAL at 207.233.9970 if you’re interested

www.maineev.com

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

WINTERIZING THE EVMAINE.ORG PROJECT CAR

Well, I didn’t get it finished this past summer, so it’ll go into the shed for the winter
where I will continue to work on it. I will put it on the road in the spring. The rear swing arms,
running gear, fenders, lights and a roof will come next. A solar panel is planned for the roof.

The box under the driver’s seat is where the six 12 volt batteries will be and a
swing arm suspension system will be on the back end.

The EVMaine.org Electric Car Project Blog

The Newly Updated Blog Starts Here

SEE THE ELECTRIC CARS AT THE PARIS AUTO SHOW

The Nissan NUVU battery electric car. Many of these are concept cars that
will never see a road in the same form as at the shows.
 However, most major auto companies outside the U.S. are working on electric vehicles.

Click Here

IS THIS MAN MAINE’S NEW HENRY FORD? Art with his original 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 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 Another view of this same vehicle with the factory building in the background MAINE OFFICIALS ARE NOW ALLOWING ELECTRIC VEHICLES ON THE ROADS This LOW SPEED LICENSE PLATE was recently issued to the first SUNNev electric car to be registered in Maine. The Maine State Police had no problem issuing the VIN number, and then the Bureau of Motor Vehicles promptly issued the registration and license plates. And the owner says that insurance is only $200 a year and gasoline cost is $0. Here’s Iver in his new vehicle. A car trunk replaced the truck bed before the vehicle was registered. GREAT NEW VIDEO FROM TEXAS THE PROUD OWNER OF A NEW SUNNev SOLAR TRUCK THAT WAS MADE RIGHT HERE IN MAINE Click Here For Her Web Page See Her YouTube Video Here This is the New TV Commercial for Sunn Electric Vehicles A PREVIEW OF SUNNev’s LATEST PROTOTYPE HERE’S THEIR NEW 3-WHEELED, SOLAR-POWERED,  PEDAL / ELECTRIC SUNNev “SPIRIT” BEING TESTED This is the bare chassis. Skowhegan High School students, under  the direction of teacher Iver Lofving, are helping to design this project. Here they are attaching the solar panel on the roof This photo shows the windshield and the tilting solar panel on the roof The SUNN Electric Car Company 300 Father Rasle Road Norridgewalk, Maine 04957 art@sunnev.com VISIT HIS WEBSITE www.sunnev.com (EVMaine.org is not affiliated with the SUNN Solar Car Company)

EVMaine.org had a Table Display at The Energy Action Day, Nov 14th
 at the U of Maine. We frequently participate in such events.

If your organization or event would like a Table Display or a PowerPoint
 Presentation about electric cars in Maine please contact us:
 director@evmaine.org
 

Maine Electric Vehicle Laws and Incentives

EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR LOW-SPEED ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN MAINE

Click Here

OPERATION OF LOW-SPEED ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN MAINE

Click Here

Alternative Fueling Infrastructure Tax Credits

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. Click Here

State Laws and Incentives

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. Click Here and Click Here

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. Click Here

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. Click Here    

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.       Click Here

All Maine Motor Vehicle Laws are found Here  

Special Section MAINE ‘ZAPS’ FIRST ELECTRIC 3-WHEELED TRUCK REGISTRATION State refuses to allow Maine’s first 3-wheeled 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 Tom Joyal’s ZAP Truck ZAP stands for Zero Air Pollution. These trucks are not 25 mph Low Speed vehicles which Maine Law already allows, but are vehicles that have a top speed of 40 miles per hour. Click Here For the MaineToday Article   Two Followup Stories The following videos are 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 State Police Vehicle Inspection Manual. However, ‘Autocycles’ are not included in the Maine Vehicle Laws, so they are not yet legal on Maine roads. WCSH Report Click Here Second WCSH Report Click Here   Here is Tom Joyal’s Own Website with Much Related Info http://oldhouseparts.com/ZAP.htm   There will certainly be more news about this issue of not allowing this type of economical, no gasoline, Zero Emissions vehicle just when Mainers need them most. The State has promised to look into this issue promptly to update the rules as necessary, making sure that public safety is alwaysparamount. Therefore it would not be surprising if the upcoming session of the Maine Legislature passed a law allowing such so-called “Medium Speed” vehicles on Maine roads.   THE VEHICLE SAFETY INSPECTION MANUAL OF THE MAINE STATE POLICE (pdf file) Manual Here (Note of clarification: Although the above Inspection Manual does list ‘Autocycles’ as a category of vehicles with specific inspection standards for them the Maine Vehicle Laws do not include ‘Autocycles’, therefore such vehicles are not currently legal on Maine roads. So the only vehicles with 3 wheels that are currently legal are motorcycle ‘tricycles.’ -ed.)   ARE 3-WHEELED ZAP VEHICLES POPULAR ELSEWHERE? This was the opening of the 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.   ZAP ONE STEP CLOSER TO BUILDING ELECTRIC CAR FACTORY IN KENTUCKY Click Here   PENNSYLVANIA DOT GIVES DEALER GREEN LIGHT TO SELL ZAP ELECTRIC CAR Click Here   ZAP ELECTRIC CAR GETS A FREE RIDE IN LONDON Click Here   CALIFORNIA TO GIVE $1,000 ZERO EMISSIONS REBATE TO RESIDENTS PURCHASING ZAP XEBRA SEDANS AND TRUCKS CARB, the California Air Resources Board, 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 clean air incentive check from the State of California. Click Here   THIS IS THE ZAP IMPORTER/DISTRIBUTOR’S HOME PAGE (ZAP Motors is in Santa Rosa, California) www.zapworld.com   THIS IS THE WEBSITE OF MAINE ELECTRIC CARS IN FALMOUTH, MAINE, WHICH SELLS ZAP AND OTHER ELECTRIC VEHICLES www.maineev.com   WANT TO SEE ZAP VEHICLES IN ACTION? www.youtube.com (and search for the word Xebra)

THE SECOND MAINE ELECTRIC CAR ENTHUSIASTS
POTLUCK BBQ IS HISTORY

It was fun, free 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.

This is a one-of-a-kind vehicle. There are no plans to produce it commercially.

See more photos of this vehicle here

Breaking News: This vehicle will soon be changed to a 4-wheeled vehicle
to facilitate its registration in Maine

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

More photos soon...

LOTS OF USED ELECTRIC CAR PARTS FOR SALE

FROM TOM GOCZE, LONG-TIME ELECTRIC CAR GUY

AND THERE’S MUCH MORE

Click Here

HERE ARE TWO CUSTOM ELECTRIC TRIKES SHOWN 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

Now featuring Miles, Zap and Zenn Electric Vehicles SPECIAL PRICING ON THESE MILES TRUCKS 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)

Here is a very practical idea MAINE’S OWN JOHN HOWE, RETIRED ENGINEER, 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! Click Here to See His Website Click Here for His Youtube Video

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:

Click Here

MAINE CLEAN AIR TESTIMONY

Chapter 127 New Motor Vehicle Emission Standards Zero Emission Vehicle Sales

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

Click Here

INSURANCE COMPANIES FOR BATTERY ELECTRIC CARS IN MAINE

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

Click Here

THE MAINE ELECTRIC VEHICLE OWNERS’ PAGES

Coming Soon

If you are building, converting or driving a battery
electric vehicle in Maine show it 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

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 in 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 when the grid system needs it.

Emergency Home Power: An electric car can also be used instead of a generator 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 2009.

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 battery electric cars.

See this classic documentary on DVD that proves
battery powered 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?”



Click Here

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

SEND YOUR MAINE BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE NEWS AND PHOTOS TO US

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webmaster@evmaine.org

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Affordable, Fun, and Zero Emissions Driving in Maine

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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 as an affordable, fun and zero pollution lifestyle choice. more...