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Smart EV/ED

Why can’t I get a Smart EV?

In terms of range and top speed (70 miles and 70 miles per hour) the Smart EV blows everything else away. They will become available in January on lease here in London, but only to a very select few businesses. Regular Smarts are all over this city – I cant believe the EV wouldn’t be a roaring success (particularly with better infrastructure but people are working on that – slowly). I met a man from Cenex recently who’s getting 5 in January. Cenex has been ‘set up with the aim of assisting UK industry to build competitive advantage from the global shift to a low carbon economy’. Seeing as Smart are the first mainstream manufacturer to promote an EV here it would be great to see them on the roads, so why cant we buy one? Click on the image to view video.(6 meg QT)

Links:   ev cenex

Categories
Wrightspeed

Wrightspeed

Us Reva drivers get a bit of flack for crawling along at times. You get the odd impatient car sending you towards the verge as they accelerate past, safe in the knowledge that electric cars are just another milk float. Time to roll out the Wrightspeed video. An electric car beating a Ferrari 360 Modena and then a Porsche Carrera GT hands down. YES PLEASE. Click on the image to view video -its a windows media file for a change (10meg wmv). Thanks to Wrightspeed for the footage.

Links: ev

Categories
G Wiz Our Electric Car

Batteries

George Monbiot has written an article in the Guardian today entilted "Save the planet in 10 steps" – here’s point 7:
"Oblige all chains of filling stations to supply leasable electric car batteries. This provides electric cars with unlimited mileage: as the battery runs down, you pull into a forecourt. A crane lifts it out and drops in a fresh one. The batteries are charged overnight with surplus electricity from offshore wind farms. Timescale: fully operational by 2011." Garage forecourts are completely alien right now. I drive in and try and get hold of some water for the batteries every now and again and usually fail. People are buying electric cars as quickly as they can get hold of them and the infrastructure isnt there by any means. Click on the image to view video. 3.7 Meg QT.

Links: ev

Categories
NICE

NICE. No Internal Combustion Engine

A couple tried to hail me this morning. They thought I was a black London cab! Love to have seen them climb in the back for a fare… Anyway back to serious matters. This is the New "Nice", which stands for No Internal Combustion Engine. It has a 50 mile range and starts at £9995. London’s electric car releases continue and this one’s a nice little runabout (excuse the pun). Shame about there only being 2 seats again.
It’s great to see new vehicles here in London but it begs the question – will the major manufacturers actually ever release an EV? I’d be amazed if Smart offer more than the 200 they are promising and whether we will ever be able to buy one. Click on the image to view video. (6.6meg QT)

Links:   ev

Categories
Smart EV/ED

Smart EV

Went to see the new Smart EV at The Motor Show last week. There are some great things about this car. It’ll run for 75 miles between charges. It has a top speed limited to 70 miles per hour and it has better acceleration than the standard petrol car! Not only that but it carries all the same safety features of the standard smart car with 2 airbags and so on. "Where can I get one" I hear you say. Well, you can only lease it for £380 a month as a fleet driver. Shame that. If it takes off perhaps they will produce more than the 200 they are planning at the moment. Click on the image to view video (9.8 meg QT).

Links:   ev

Categories
Elektromotive

On street charging bays

With the congestion charge and high parking costs, London is fast becoming a leading electric vehicle city. There’s a total of six models due to be on the roads here soon. With all these electic cars buzzing about, there’ll be a significant need for charging bays. Enter Elektromotive. You drive up to one of these little beauties and plug in right there on the street. The first intallations will be in Islington and Covent Garden in central London. Click on the image to view video. (5 meg QT).

Links:   ev

Categories
Maranello

Maranello4

The GWiz has a competitor on the streets of London. The Maranello4 is a 2 seater and is available in pure electric or hybrid electric versions. The electric model has a top speed of 30 mph, a range of 45-50 miles and starts at £9950.  Masterpark (the Westminster owned car parks where we get to park at a reduced rate) had an electric vehicle event yesterday and I got to have a good look at the car. Click on the image to view video (2 mins 20 sec. 10.7 meg QT)

Links:   ev

Categories
G Wiz Our Electric Car Reva

Electric car sfx

There’s been alot in the press recently about women driving these cars. In an attempt to give myself a bit more presence at the lights,  I got a CD made up of some sound effects. Click on the image to view video ..(1.8 meg QT).

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Categories
G Wiz

New G-Wiz Forum

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Mike Boxwell, a soon to be G-Wiz owner has started an excellent new forum for the Reva in the UK. With plenty of subject headings there’ll be a chance to really discover what the car is about rather than listening to my incessant drivel! Now that there are 500 cars on the road here, it seems like a good time for an online resource. Check it out at http://www.g-wiz.org.uk/

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Categories
Vlogging

Permissions please

Did an interview with CNN last week as part of a piece on the G-wiz. They wanted to film me driving around in ‘the style of my vlog’. I asked if I could host it on my site for all and sundry – but to no avail – they wanted £1000 for the usage. Didn’t even need me to sign a release form. Talk about the media giants ignoring alternative distribution methods…

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Categories
G Wiz Our Electric Car

One year in our electric car

We’ve had the car for almost a year now so it’s time for a review. The files come out pretty big (6.9meg) so I’ll sum up here for those of you without a broadband connection.

Pros.

Apart from the obvious environmental considerations it compares well as a general small purpose vehicle that is very suitable for urban living.

It is more robust than I thought it would be.

It’s nippier than I thought it would be.

Parking it is a gift because it’s both small and free.

It can fit my whole family in it, though I’m not sure for how much longer…

It really is cheap to run compared to a normal car.

Cons.

Range in winter is lessened. (25 miles)

Charging for 16 hours every month can be problematic to equalise the batteries if you don’t have a garage.

Safety, compared to a normal petrol engined car is questionable. Though I think it’s a better bet than a motorbike or a bicycle in London. I cycled for 17 years here and stopped after one accident too many.

All in all, I’m a big fan (as you probably guessed) who would recommend it to anyone who lives in a city such as this. Once range increases to get us outside the M25 the world will be our oyster! Click on the image to view video.

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Categories
G Wiz Our Electric Car

Exclusive: The Queen drives an EV!

We are delighted to bring you this exclusive footage of Her Majesty the Queen driving an electric vehicle around London earlier today…Click on the image to view video. (3 meg QT)

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Categories
G Wiz Tango

Goin Green

Tango

People sometimes ask if I’m associated with Goin Green in any way. I’m not. I just thought it might be fun to start vlogging and sharing my experience of electric vehicle ownership with anyone who might be interested. Having said that, I’ll happily take a Tango from Prodrive for a while….

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Categories
G Wiz Our Electric Car

Drunk

Those of us who drive a quadracycle – are we subject to the same rules as a normal car driver? Click on the image to view video. (2.7 meg QT).

 

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Categories
G Wiz Our Electric Car

How safe is my Reva?

Taking the car on a fast road can be a pretty hairy experience. It is classed as a quadracycle – perfect for urban streets, but how does it fair on a three lane carriageway? I’ve had emails from people asking about use on a motorway. Don’t think I’ll be vlogging that one…Click on the image to view video (3.8meg QT)

 

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Categories
EV Events G Wiz Our Electric Car Reva

Camden Green Fair

Happy New Year to one and all. Now that winter is truly with us, (reduced range and all) my thoughts have turned to summer. Back in June we went on a green rally. This was a chance for all the electric cars in London to show some muscle (a load of Revas and an electric scooter). Camden council hosted it in Regents Park and there was music, entertainment and general fun to be had. Thumbs up to Camden for hosting this but I reckon they could take a leaf out of Westminsters book if they really wanted to encourage use of the EV in London. Keep an eye out for the boy laughing. I think he’s amazed at our embracing of a green future (he is, isn’t he..?). Click on the image to view video. (3.3 meg QT.)

 

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