Fellow Clean Car Supporter

It's been a pleasure to deliver this newsletter to you. I am handing the helm of Plug In America's presidency over to board member Daniel Davids. Dan's tireless commitment to plug-in electric vehicles will be apparent as we continue to grow the movement!
-Linda Nicholes

O'Neill Foundation Supports Plug In America

Thanks to a generous grant from the William J. and Dorothy K. O'Neill Foundation, Plug In America will be upgrading our website over the coming year. We're already the go-to destination for the latest news and information about electric vehicles. Soon our website will be even better. Plug In America owes a big "Thank you" to Carolyn Coquillette of San Francisco's Luscious Garage (a specialist in hybrids and plug-ins) for introducing us to the O'Neill Foundation.

Carolyn Coquillette of San Francisco's Luscious Garage

Changes at the Top

As some of you may have heard, Plug In America has a new board president - Daniel Davids - as well as a few other changes to announce. We're thrilled to have Dan at the helm. He continues to be a tireless researcher, speaker and champion of the cause. Our former president, Linda Nicholes, remains on the board and we send another big thank you to Linda for her work at the helm during the past 18 months.  Meanwhile, Paul Scott has stepped up as our new vice president and we elected Mike Kane as treasurer. Richard Kelly remains our board secretary. Alexandra Paul has stepped down from the board, but remains an active member of our support network. We likewise thank Alexandra for her tireless advocacy over the years.

Vote for your Favorite Charging Spot 

Where would you like to see plug-in electric vehicle charging? Please email your favorite hang-out, shopping venue, restaurant, park, wherever...and we will start an outreach wish list on your behalf to share with target location owners and emerging charging companies. 

A big hearty THANKS to Earl Cox for donating a Tesla rapid charger.  We are considering locations in one of two places: 1) about half way between Los Angeles and San Francisco CA, or 2) about half way between Los Angeles and Las Vegas! Feel free to weigh in your preference by emailing info@pluginamerica.org

Grants to Build Racy Plug-Ins

Plug In America announced $60,000 in grants this month to help California engineering students design, build and race plug-in hybrids in the 2009 Formula Hybrid International Competition. The $15,000 grants to four schools are intended to encourage engineering innovation at California colleges and universities. The funding comes from the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

"We are proud to make these grants to outstanding student teams at Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, UC Irvine and UC San Diego," said Jay Friedland, Plug In America's legislative director. "We were particularly impressed with the rigor and ingenuity of this year's projects and gratified to see the growing interest in electricity use for transportation."

From left to right:

Student: Khieu Hoang, President of Cal Poly Pomona Formula Hybrid Racing; Dr. John Caffrey, Professor, Mechanical Engineering and faculty advisor for the Formula Hybrid Racing team; Plug In America Vice President Paul Scott; Dr. Edwin Barnes, Cal Poly Pomona, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Plug In America board member Paul Scott presented an oversized check to Cal Poly Pomona faculty and students at a ceremony celebrating the donation. Without the grant, "I don't think we could do this program," John Caffrey, professor of engineering and faculty adviser to Cal Poly's formula hybrid team, told the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.

The bulk of Cal Poly's funds will go to building a plug-in hybrid car, which students there, as at the other schools, will race in the competition, May 4-6 in Loudon, New Hampshire.

Formula Hybrid is an offshoot of the highly successful Formula SAE, a program sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers in which collegiate teams design, build and compete with formula race cars. It is organized by the Dartmouth College Thayer School of Engineering.

Paul drove his RAV4 to the event, and Plug In America Executive Committee members Stefano Paris and Earl Cox both drove Tesla Roadsters.

"Twenty years from now," the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin quoted Paul as saying, "you'll be hard-pressed to find a vehicle that's not a plug-in." Because this technology is far more environmentally friendly and reduces the nation's dependence on foreign oil, "you're solving a lot of problems all at once."

Charged Up About the Future

By Linda Nicholes

I recently had the pleasure of traveling to Santa Ana High School in my Tesla Roadster where I spoke to the school's Social Action Club at the invitation of teacher Deborah Teal. The students got a charge out of seeing the car at close range after seeing the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?"

The club's students were the most respectful, intelligently engaged kids I have ever presented to and they peppered me with questions. These young activists understand what the mass-production of plug-in cars can mean to their future. Indeed, the club and classmates sent 75 signed letters to local dealerships demanding electric car production:

Students from Santa Ana high school and board member Linda Nicholes

"When it comes time to buy a car, we -- the students and staff at Santa Ana high school -- would like to have a car that uses cleaner, cheaper, domestic electricity as fuel. "We want affordable all-electric cars." Perhaps America's transportation future lies in better hands with take-charge, youthful EV enthusiasts like those at Santa Ana High.

Call for Bloggers

Would you like to help correct misinformation about plug-in technology in the blogosphere? Plug In America is forming a team of bloggers and others who want to fight online ignorance. We?ll provide a stockpile of responses to common myths. To join the team, email Jay Friedland at info@pluginamerica.org.

Square Dance for Electric Vehicles

The EV-driving Tucker family, Bonnie, Bruce and 12-year old Molly, recently staged a square dance at Carden Conejo School in Westlake Village, CA to benefit Plug In America. Molly adeptly played the fiddle, Bonnie called the dances, and Plug In America members Zan Dubin Scott & Paul Scott, Linda Nicholes, Stefano Paris and Alexandra Paul showed up to party hearty. The jamboree raised $340 and a rockin' good time was had by all. Yee ha! We thank the Tuckers, who some might recall helped us hold vigil at GM's Burbank facility in a 2005 effort to save some 78 EV1s. The Tuckers also organized a screening of "Who Killed the Electric Car?" the following year.

If you have an idea for an event or anything creative that you would like to do for Plug In America, don't hesitate to email events@pluginamerica.org

PBS Special Invites Answers from Plug In America

Can America move away from fossil fuels? How? The PBS TV special and website Planet Forward asked these questions and flew Plug In America board member Sherry Boschert to Washington, D.C., to help provide answers. Boschert and other guests sat down with Carol Browner, President Obama's chief advisor on energy and climate issues, to discuss plug-in vehicles and other solutions to fossil foolery. The show aired April 15.

Plug In America's Sherry Boschert (center) before the filming of Planet Forward with Richard W. Talipsky, a wind power expert, and panelist L. Hunter Lovins of Natural Capitalism Solutions.

Thanks to all our supporters who rated Sherry's video about plug-in cars highly on the Planet Forward website! Your votes helped get her invited on the show.

New Office Wish List

Plug In America has a new office in San Francisco and a few fantastic interns starting soon.  We could use your donations to start equipping the office, so we've created a Wish List and could use the following items (in youthful, working condition, please):

* Video camera

* Desktop and laptop computer (MAC or PC)

* Fax machine

* Printer

To make one of our wishes come true, please contact managing director Jeanne Trombly: jeanne@pluginamerica.org. Thank you!

Upcoming EVents and Join Us!

Plug In America board members are appearing and speaking at venues all over the country.  Please visit our calendar for a more complete list that is regularly updated. Two examples include:

Marc Geller is a featured speaker at the University of Wisconsin/Whitewater's earthday conference on April 22nd.

Sherry Boschert is moderating a panel at the May 27 - 28 conference in San Francisco, Opportunities in Grid Connected Mobility 

Not yet a member? Support Plug In America's work by becoming a member for as little as $25. Join here. Together we'll accelerate the shift to plug-in vehicles.