GEM NEVs lack "the right stuff"; Army decides aganst electric cars

Six months into trialing 3 GEM neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) at the US Army Garrison Grafenwöhr (in Germany) it has been decided that the small utility vehicles just don't have "the right stuff." The decision has nothing to do with the plummeting price of oil or the lack of cool add-ons. Apparently, not only was their range deemed insufficient, but they reportedly suffered from a reliability problem as well. Said Tom Hays, Grafenwöhr's director of public works, "They broke down too often and didn't have enough range". Definitely not characteristics desired in a military working environment.

The Army hasn't given up completely on the idea of electrics and say that improved batteries, and therefore better range, would be a compelling reason to try again. Perhaps they should check out the 70 mile Nemo. Heck, the Ruff and Tuff has that kind of range as well and comes already painted in camouflage! Thanks for the tip, Evan!

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30 already electric models

Better place minifesto

3 pillars

A world living free from oil.

A planet healing and thriving.

And our environment and economy brought back into balance with each other.

This is the vision of Better Place: As consumers, we can continue our love affair with cars, and even rekindle that relationship by experiencing transportation as a sustainable service. As nations, we can redefine the economics of transportation by breaking the connection with oil. And as a global population, we can see our environment flourish because of our economic growth and prosperity.

Think of it like this: The plug we use to charge our electric cars, the people who drive those cars, the planet we live on, and our mutual prosperity are all interconnected.

PLUG: When we recharge our zero emission electric cars, we’re plugging into a “smart” mobile transportation service that eliminates our addiction to oil.

PEOPLE: When we drive, we’re still in the cars we know and love. The only things that change are how much less we pay, how much more we’re benefiting our world, and how much better we can feel about driving.

PLANET: Together, we achieve global oil independence, reduce greenhouse gases, and create new markets for renewable energy.

PROSPERITY: As we build the infrastructure to lessen our dependency on oil, we create a carbon-free economy that generates new jobs, levels the global playing field, and creates sustainable and environmentally beneficial growth for future generations.

Our cars cannot run on oil and gas forever. The resource is running out, the price is crippling us, and the continued use of it is harming our planet.

Many technologies are jockeying to replace the internal combustion engine. We’ve studied them all, and have decided that the electric drive train is the world’s best option. It could transform our cars into vehicles that produce economic prosperity in harmony with the environment, and end our addiction to oil.

That’s why the battery-powered electric vehicle is the centerpiece of the Better Place vision for sustainable, zero-emission transportation as a service.

Please explore this section to see why we chose this technology over other low- and zero-emission alternatives, how the infrastructure for the electric car is already being built, and how this vision is already becoming a reality, today.

Introducing Zapino Electric Scooter

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Better Place negotiating lease on Tel Aviv property

The electric car operator will use the new center for staff training.
Dubi Ben-Gedalyahu15 Oct 08 11:51
Project Better Place is negotiating to rent the old drive-in near the Tel Aviv Exhibition Grounds, which the company will use to train staff ahead of next year's planned deployment of its battery recharging and replacement stations. The old drive-in will be used to train staff with the batter recharging equipment, service personnel, and possibly fleet managers and maintenance teams of electric car leasing companies.

Better Place initially wants to rent the 70-dunam (17.5-acre) site for a few months from its owner, the Tel Aviv municipality. Better Place said in response that the drive-in is one of several possible sites which it is negotiating to rent.