Toyota RAV4-EV and Honda EV+ (honda ev plus) Electric Car -- Electric Vehicles for everyone

The EV1 on the left was crushed, the RAV4-EV on the right was allowed to live.

Plug-in Electric cars and solar rooftop power
can eliminate the need for foreign oil imports.

The electric system is subject to "peaks" of demand during the day, and "valleys" of low usage at night. EV use this cheap off-peak power.

The rooftop solar array helps feed power into the grid when it is most needed -- in the daytime. Together, the EV charging overnight and solar electric rooftop array smooths the demand curve.

When you have a solar electric array on your roof, you generate excess power during the peak periods, which feeds back into the grid. The power is made where it's used, and this lowers the peaks, also smoothing the usage curve.

EVs and Solar Power together provide a dynamic, powerful solution to air pollution, energy "shortage", and the problem of single-car commuting to work. Even more benefits: refinery emissions, auto exhaust, brake lining and tire particles, and oil droplets, which fall to earth and form part of our toxic "urban runoff" problem, are virtually eliminated by daily use of EVs. Use of cheap, reliable EVs for commuting could reduce our oil usage by 30% or more, and reduce our energy consumption correspondingly.

EVs do not contribute to the bogus California "electricity crisis" which was created by speculators and out-of-state brokers who bought up our generating plants. A typical EV holds about 25 kwh of power, the energy equivalent of about two-thirds of a gallon of gasoline, on which many people can commute to work for an entire week (about 140 miles). EVs place pollution control at the generating plant and dramatically lower our total energy usage --
EVs ARE CLEAN AND USE LESS ENERGY.

Driving an Electric car 1000 miles per month takes about 250 kilo-Watt-hours of electric energy -- about a third of the average home usage, and the amount of energy you could produce with an $8,000 (before rebate or tax benefit) 1.3 kW solar system on your rooftop -- only taking up 6 to 15 square yards, about the size of the kitchen -- 150 square feet.

An EV is not a "Prius" or "Insight" so-called "parallel hybrid", which still get all of their power from the gas pump. Only grid-connectable battery-powered EVs give the clean air and low power use benefits needed to lower pollution and reduce our excessive dependence on foreign oil -- IF YOU CAN'T PLUG IT IN, YOU DON'T GET THE CLEAN CAR BENEFITS.

Money we save not buying gasoline makes our monthly car insurance bills much easier to manage.

Electric cars need insurance, just like all other cars. Getting a car insurance quotes comparison is the easiest way to minimize cost.

www.DrivingTheFuture.com vision of an oil-free future

Despite efforts by the auto makers and oil company groups to discourage people from driving Battery Electric Vehicles,

EV DRIVERS, and WOULD-BE EV DRIVERS,
LOVE THEIR NON-POLLUTING Electric Vehicles!

proving every day that

Electric Cars are practical, economical, and fun to drive!

We've driven our Honda EV+, GM 1997 EV1, GM 1999 EV1, Ford EV Ranger(click for EVRanger website) and Toyota RAV4 EV to work each and every day for tens of thousands of miles without significant problem and with great enjoyment. We often refuse to drive our one gas vehicle, which sits dusty and forlorn in the driveway month after month. EVs are sufficient for the transportation needs of a family that drives a total of 50,000 miles per year!

Experiences with the HondaEV+, EV1, Ford Ranger, Toyota RAV4, etc., prove that Electric Vehicles are an exciting, efficient solution to the single-occupant commuter problem, help the grid, and are reliable, fun cars to drive. I drove one to work every day for 10 years, flawless fun clean driving with energy we made ourself on our own solar rooftop system.

We've driven the Honda EV+ to Eugene, OR, Tahoe, Vegas, SF, Sacto, and the EV1 to SF, Vegas, Toronto and NY, and the RAV4 to sacramento. From the first, EV drivers have "pushed the limits", proving EVs are

Driving the Future!

Recharging off peak -- An EV charges SLOWLY overnight during off-peak periods of electric usage at a special low rate using off-peak electicity. It starts out every morning completely full, no more smelly gas stations!. The average car sits idle 23 hours per day -- fast charge not needed.
Quick and fast --- The electric motor delivers its maximum power at a standing start, leading to quick acceleration. Maximum speed is limited electronically to: 85 for EV+, 80 for EV1, 78 for Ford Ranger EV, 80 for Toyota RAV4 EV.
Ample Range --- EV+, about 120 miles, 1197 EV1, about 110 miles, 1999 EV1, 140 miles, Toyota RAV4 EV, about 105 miles ... or up to 200 miles per day if you "plug-in" at work.
Take it anywhere --- No exhaust fumes, no smog checks, oil changes or leaks. Fewer brake particles due to electric braking, regen braking sucks the energy of motion back into the battery instead of burning brake linings!
Quiet --- No start up engine roar, just concentrate on driving. Great traction for driving on snow or muddy ground.
Reliable --- Brushless motor has one moving part, no wrist pins, fuel pump, rods, cams, valves, carb, smog pump, gas tank, transmission, clutch, flywheel, starter motor, distributor, spark plugs, crankshaft, head gasket, oil seal, oil pump, valve lifters, piston rings, pistons, etc., etc. -- thousands of things that cannot go wrong with an EV! An EV can be powered by hi-tech lead acid batteries (up to 110 miles range) or Nickel Metal Hydride ("NiMH") batteries (120 to 140+ miles). Early versions of the NiMH battery (1990) carried the Solectria Sunrise 220 miles!
Regenerative braking -- When you take your foot off the accelerator, the motor becomes a generator, sucking the energy of motion back into the battery. ABS brakes are automatically applied in emergency stops. Energy spent climbing uphill is recovered on the way down, rather than wasted burning up brakes. Regenerative braking makes driving in stop-and-go rush hour traffic smooth and effortless. Coming down from Big Bear, we're recharging our Electric car, while all around us brakes are burning!
EV uses no power when stopped --- Gas engines are inefficient at low speed, but an EV motor has no need to idle.
Zero smog --- Modern hi-tech natural gas power plants are about 97% cleaner than the cleanest conventional car (Cal AQMD, Cal Energy Commission).
Easy to drive --- No clutch, no gear shift, full power is available as soon as you step on the pedal. People who take a test drive, just start driving! You just concentrate on steering and stopping, there is no engine to start, no clutch to engage, no difficult hill-side starts, no problem with stalling, no tense parallel parking episodes.
All Driver Training courses should use EVs.

There's no reason to drive anything else for commuting, errands, and local trips!
That's where most of our gasoline is burned, and our treasure drained off to pay for that "drug".

About the Car

About us

Charging

Experiences

Links

Honda EV+
(A great car, Honda took them back, cancelling leases and converting the frames to other uses. None are being produced, and none will be allowed apparently to remain in the hands of the public. Shame on Honda for destoying these beautiful and beloved oil-free cars)

Ordinary tasks

Other
trips

If car makers had really tried to produce EVs, improving them each year, nurturing instead of killing customer interest, leaving them on the road, then we would have a big EV component in our everyday commuting crowd -- and gasoline would fall to less than $1, and there would be little need for imported oil.

Now, in 2011, Nissan is making the effort to produce and sell an all-electric car, the LEAF, although unable to use proven Nickel batteries. While the first 20,000 LEAF are already sold, get on the waiting list, and use your solar system to fuel your Electric car!

DrivingTheFuture.com videolog

Comments on this page, broken links, etc: call Doug Korthof 562-430-2495

Search the web for Electric cars


The EV1 on the left was crushed, the RAV4-EV on the right was allowed to live.
Plug-in Electric cars and solar rooftop power can eliminate the need for foreign oil imports.
The electric system is subject to "peaks" of demand during the day, and "valleys" of low usage at night. EV use this cheap off-peak power. The rooftop solar array helps feed power into the grid when it is most needed -- in the daytime. Together, the EV charging overnight and solar electric rooftop array smooths the demand curve. When you have a solar electric array on your roof, you generate excess power during the peak periods, which feeds back into the grid. The power is made where it's used, and this lowers the peaks, also smoothing the usage curve. EVs and Solar Power together provide a dynamic, powerful solution to air pollution, energy "shortage", and the problem of single-car commuting to work. Even more benefits: refinery emissions, auto exhaust, brake lining and tire particles, and oil droplets, which fall to earth and form part of our toxic "urban runoff" problem, are virtually eliminated by daily use of EVs. Use of cheap, reliable EVs for commuting could reduce our oil usage by 30% or more, and reduce our energy consumption correspondingly. EVs do not contribute to the bogus California "electricity crisis" which was created by speculators and out-of-state brokers who bought up our generating plants. A typical EV holds about 25 kwh of power, the energy equivalent of about two-thirds of a gallon of gasoline, on which many people can commute to work for an entire week (about 140 miles). EVs place pollution control at the generating plant and dramatically lower our total energy usage -- EVs ARE CLEAN AND USE LESS ENERGY. Driving an Electric car 1000 miles per month takes about 250 kilo-Watt-hours of electric energy -- about a third of the average home usage, and the amount of energy you could produce with an $8,000 (before rebate or tax benefit) 1.3 kW solar system on your rooftop -- only taking up 6 to 15 square yards, about the size of the kitchen -- 150 square feet. An EV is not a "Prius" or "Insight" so-called "parallel hybrid", which still get all of their power from the gas pump. Only grid-connectable battery-powered EVs give the clean air and low power use benefits needed to lower pollution and reduce our excessive dependence on foreign oil -- *IF YOU CAN'T PLUG IT IN, YOU DON'T GET THE CLEAN CAR BENEFITS*.
Money we save *not* buying gasoline makes our monthly car insurance bills much easier to manage. Electric cars need insurance, just like all other cars. Getting a car insurance quotes comparison is the easiest way to minimize cost.

DrivingTheFuture.com videolog
Comments on this page, broken links, etc: call Doug Korthof 562-430-2495