Fellow Clean Car Supporter,
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) may have become irrelevant to our cause. But electric cars are inevitable. The question is when, not if. With a little pressure from consumers (and advocates), we could well see a healthy assortment of plug-in cars even sooner than CARB thinks possible.
Plug In America Legislative Update
PIA has been working closely with state legislators and their staff since CARB voted to gut its Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Program in March. We are watching a variety of bills as they move through the legislature and taking every opportunity to educate lawmakers on the critical impact electrification of transportation can have on real greenhouse gas reductions.
We helped write SB960, which would restore the ZEV Program and require, commencing January 1, 2015, that 0.5% of new passenger vehicles sold in California be ZEVs and that 2.4% be plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The bill would also make the program law rather than regulation. We applaud Sen. Elaine Alquist for the courage and foresight to introduce the bill.
We are also working to ensure that both battery electrics and plug-in hybrids are included in all related legislation. We have been successful on two bills which are likely to pass, HR22 and AB109. HR22 establishes Alternative Fuel Vehicle Awareness Month and AB109 provides funding for AB32, the Global Warming Act of 2006. This bill allocates DMV funding to support low-carbon alternative fuel demonstration projects and consumer incentives.
We will keep you posted as these and other key bills move forward.
Tesla Flagship Store Opens
Linda Nicholes, President, Plug In America
Plug In America members joined Tesla Motors on May 1 to help the revolutionary electric car company celebrate the grand opening of its first showroom, a 10,000-square-foot flagship facility near the busy corner of Santa Monica and Sepulveda Boulevards in West Los Angeles.
Revelers walked the red carpet into the sprawling showroom to ogle three gleaming roadsters, one radiant red and one sterling silver, as well as a twilight blue beauty. All comers were treated to an open bar, hors d'oeuvres and a bountiful buffet table, although the biggest charge came from test-rides with a Tesla employee in one of three speedy chariots lined up and ready to go. And GO they did!
"The driver behaved himself on side streets until he was able to get out on Sepulveda with no one in front of us for a couple of blocks," said PIA co-founder Paul Scott. "Then, Bam! He hit the accelerator and the adrenaline shot through my body providing me with a jolt that my first martini couldn't begin to dampen. All I could think about was how I could get my hands on one of the roadsters."
For me, this historical evening was unlike any May Day I have ever known, and provided much more of a kick than my glass of sparkling champagne. I couldn't get over the fact that I was actually standing next to a gorgeous, sleek and powerful EV in a snazzy store devoted exclusively to the sale and maintenance of nothing but electric cars. When was the last time such a business opened its doors in L.A.? Probably never. Now where's that glass of champagne? I propose a Tesla toast . . . until the sun comes up over Santa Monica Boulevard.
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For another write-up of this exciting EV milestone - plus an array of photographs - please click here to check out a post by PIA's documentarian Stefano Paris.
PIA Test Drives Toyota's Plug In Hybrid Prius 
Jay Friedland, PIA's Legislative Director, recently enjoyed the rare opportunity of driving a prototype Plug-In Hybrid Prius. Jay took the wheel at the Formula Hybrid Student Competition (sponsored in part by PIA) in Loudon, New Hampshire. The car contained an additional stock NiMH battery pack for a total of 2.4 kWh of energy, and was engineered to allow EV-only mode for up to nearly 62 miles-per-hour before letting its internal combustion engine turn on.
The car's total all-electric range (AER) is just over 7 miles. Jay confirmed this; he was able to drive it in EV mode at full highway speeds until the engine kicked in at 7 miles. The true goal of these first prototypes is to test the car's control system and user experience. There has been much discussion of using Lithium for the next-generation Prius pack (in plug-in and non-plug-in hybrids), so clearly the foundation for that is being set.
In fact, the 400 fleet PHEVs expected for 2010 will use the first Toyota/Panasonic LiON batteries that come off the next generation battery production line, according to Bob Wimmer, Toyota's national manager for technical & regulatory affairs in Washington D.C. The current car also uses an electric air compressor instead of a spare tire, for obvious space and weight savings.
Jay's overall impression? "Smooth, quiet, a well-executed EV. Fleet-PHEV Prius drivers have something truly exciting to look forward to."
Of course, actual timeframes for full-production release to showrooms were not disclosed.
For additional information, see the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/14/business/14plug.html.
Executive Director Search
Plug In America has been flooded with dozens of applications for the job of Executive Director. We've been busy interviewing outstanding candidates and expect to fill this leadership position by early June. We'll be sharing the news as soon as that happens.
Meanwhile, we've added more talented, passionate volunteers to our ranks. Their bios are below. Please consider stepping up to help PIA. Whether you devote a few moments per week or a few hours a month, we're always grateful for the inspired assistance.
New On Board:
Colby Trudeau
My name is Colby Trudeau. I have been a member of Plug In America for about two months now. I am 17 years old and a senior at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego. I have always been fascinated by clean cars, especially electric cars. Most people who know me try to stay away from the subject of alternative fuels, knowing that once I start talking about them, I will not shut up. After watching "Who Killed The Electric Car?" I decided that I needed to do my part to help get these cars back on the road. I joined PIA and read "Plug In Hybrids: The Cars That Will Recharge America."
I also printed out CalCars' PHEV petition and got over 50 signatures. After that, I was not sure how else I could help out. I decided that the best thing I could do was to help PIA online. I contacted Chelsea, who pointed me to Ted Flittner and Richard Kelly (PIA's IT masters), who gladly accepted my help. By the end of March, I had finished my first page for the PIA website (Contact Automakers). Since then, Richard, Ted, and I have been making small improvements to the website. I am happy to be getting even more involved in the organization.
I want a plug-in car really, really bad. My next car will have a plug, whether this future auto is a conversion, OEM EV or PHEV. Who knows what my needs will be in a few years, but right now a 30-mile EV could cover 95% of all my driving. I think that plug-in cars can be a long-term solution (especially with extended range and fast charging) that can help keep our country clean and safe.
Susan Christian Goulding
Veteran journalist Susan Christian Goulding has also joined PIA as a volunteer and will be helping with PIA's media outreach. A former Los Angeles Times staff reporter, Susan writes a popular column for the South Bay Daily Breeze in L.A. and is a regular correspondent for People magazine. Her stories have appeared in The New York Times, the Orange County Register, Reader's Digest and numerous other publications.
Become a member of Plug In America
Become a member of Plug In America today (click on the sticker) and receive one of these timely new stickers.
More than anything, we hope and anticipate that you'll be able to slap it onto the bumper of your new EV or plug-in hybrid EV within a year or two. Your $25 membership will help bring about this inevitable reality sooner than later. Specifically, it will help us cover such expenses as website hosting, printing, advertising, media outreach and our participation in public events and conferences. You can contribute online or by check. Please click here to find out how. PIA Thanks you!
How Your Donations Help: Plugging in the Money
Here are some of the ways Plug In America puts your hard-earned dollars to work:
• PIA works to help craft and pass legislation supporting the purchase of private and public plug-in fleets. We are determined to see legislation to create a Plug-in Vehicle Partnership on par with the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership. Our Legislative Update in this newsletter provides more examples of our political efforts.
• PIA participates in numerous demonstrations, rallies, trade shows, conferences and other events to educate consumers, educators, legislators, investors and automakers about EVs.
• PIA members attend screenings of "Who Killed the Electric Car?" around the country and speak to audience members about the film and the rapidly advancing state of EVs.
• PIA speaks with media seeking comment from the EV community and our members are often quoted in outlets ranging from the Detroit News to Wired.com. We also conduct proactive media campaigns.
• With your dollars, PIA purchases the pamphlets, banners and audio equipment that we use for our various activities.
• PIA constantly canvasses for new volunteers and members to help meet our goals.
Every dollar helps move us closer to the not-so-distant future when plug-in transportation becomes the norm and is no longer considered an alternative rarity. We thank you for helping PIA!
Sincerely,
Chelsea Sexton
Plug In America
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