| Can One Make a Difference? |
Can one person or one company make a difference in the world today? In early
2008 I asked myself that question. There have been those who have. But could the
average person? Could an average middle aged individual really have an impact on the
world around him?
Quality of life is important to me, so much so, that back in 2001 I moved my family
and business from Fresno, California, the third worst air quality district in the United
States, to Shasta Lake, California. Seeking clean air, water, and low crime rates, we
choose Shasta County for all those reasons, plus beautiful views and lots of recreational
opportunities. After spending a number of years in beautiful Shasta County, I realized
that it is only a matter of time and this area too will not have the quality of life I was
seeking. But how does one make a difference? How can I help keep this place a place
one would desire to be?
While reading an article one day, I came across a
statistic by the U.S. Department of Transportation, that said
80% of Americans drive less than 40 miles per day. I thought
that was interesting, and started tracking how much my wife
and I averaged in our daily driving. About this same time,
gasoline was at an all time high, and we were spending
almost as much on gasoline as we were on our mortgage. Plus we were driving less
than the national average. I own a motorcycle and realized what a difference it made to
drive it when the weather was nice. The motorcycle gets an average of 75 miles per
gallon, compared to my Ford Explorer which gets 12 miles per gallon. But then it also
occurred to me that not only was there a cost difference but an emissions difference.
How could I travel my normal routine, save money and decrease my emissions?
While driving to work one morning an idea came to me. How about electricity?
Could you power a car with batteries? I started investigating and found out that electric
cars have been around since the late 1800's. But what is available today? There are
quite a few NEVs (Neighborhood Electric Vehicles) available, but they are slow and look
like glorified golf carts. I wanted something that I could drive on the freeway and that
looked good too. At the time, the only freeway capable electric car I could find was the
Tesla. It's a great car, it looks good, and it will travel at freeway speeds. As a matter of
fact, it will do 0 to 60 MPH in 3.8 seconds. One catch, their pricing starts at $109,000.
That was more than the family budget could handle. What to do? I could make my own.
But I did not want to start from scratch, so how about converting a gasoline car to
electric. According to my research, there are those who have been doing just that since
the 1970's. The only problem for me was that I did not like the looks of the conversions
out there. Sloppy, complicated, and poorly designed, I knew I could do better. Thus
EV4U Custom Conversions was born.
Now it's not like I'm totally new to all of this, I do have a degree in electronics
technology, and my other business has been designing and manufacturing products for a
variety of industries for many years. Plus I have a great team to help make a difference.
What EV4U Custom Conversions is doing is converting customer's gasoline powered
vehicles to electric power. Offering consulting and fabrication service for those who
want to do their own conversions. Plus we are spreading the word about electric
automobiles. Using our custom built marketing vehicle, we are planning to travel around
the western U.S. promoting the use of electric vehicles. In 2009 we visited a half dozen
cities showing others the attributes of an electric automobile. We would like to at least
triple that number for 2010. EV4U Custom
Conversions is funded by the sale of conversions
and by the financial support of van Wyhe's Custom
Engraving. The sole support at this time for our
outreach program comes from van Wyhe's Custom
Engraving, We are looking for individuals and
companies that are like minded and desire to make
a difference in our nation's quality of life, by helping
us reduce air pollution and our dependency on oil.
Can we do it? Yes we can! We have already designed the finest VW Beetle
conversion in the world, and are constantly working on designs for other vehicles. One
day the major auto manufacturers will offer a reasonably priced all electric car, and we
are excited at the possibilities. However, we need to share with the average person the
benefits of driving an electric car for the majority of our commuting now. Through
education and example we are striving to make a difference.
If you would like to help us make a difference, you can donate to the EV4U Outreach
Program. (See below.) You can contact us with questions or comments at
EV4Uinc@yahoo.com
2008 I asked myself that question. There have been those who have. But could the
average person? Could an average middle aged individual really have an impact on the
world around him?
Quality of life is important to me, so much so, that back in 2001 I moved my family
and business from Fresno, California, the third worst air quality district in the United
States, to Shasta Lake, California. Seeking clean air, water, and low crime rates, we
choose Shasta County for all those reasons, plus beautiful views and lots of recreational
opportunities. After spending a number of years in beautiful Shasta County, I realized
that it is only a matter of time and this area too will not have the quality of life I was
seeking. But how does one make a difference? How can I help keep this place a place
one would desire to be?
While reading an article one day, I came across a
statistic by the U.S. Department of Transportation, that said
80% of Americans drive less than 40 miles per day. I thought
that was interesting, and started tracking how much my wife
and I averaged in our daily driving. About this same time,
gasoline was at an all time high, and we were spending
almost as much on gasoline as we were on our mortgage. Plus we were driving less
than the national average. I own a motorcycle and realized what a difference it made to
drive it when the weather was nice. The motorcycle gets an average of 75 miles per
gallon, compared to my Ford Explorer which gets 12 miles per gallon. But then it also
occurred to me that not only was there a cost difference but an emissions difference.
How could I travel my normal routine, save money and decrease my emissions?
While driving to work one morning an idea came to me. How about electricity?
Could you power a car with batteries? I started investigating and found out that electric
cars have been around since the late 1800's. But what is available today? There are
quite a few NEVs (Neighborhood Electric Vehicles) available, but they are slow and look
like glorified golf carts. I wanted something that I could drive on the freeway and that
looked good too. At the time, the only freeway capable electric car I could find was the
Tesla. It's a great car, it looks good, and it will travel at freeway speeds. As a matter of
fact, it will do 0 to 60 MPH in 3.8 seconds. One catch, their pricing starts at $109,000.
That was more than the family budget could handle. What to do? I could make my own.
But I did not want to start from scratch, so how about converting a gasoline car to
electric. According to my research, there are those who have been doing just that since
the 1970's. The only problem for me was that I did not like the looks of the conversions
out there. Sloppy, complicated, and poorly designed, I knew I could do better. Thus
EV4U Custom Conversions was born.
Now it's not like I'm totally new to all of this, I do have a degree in electronics
technology, and my other business has been designing and manufacturing products for a
variety of industries for many years. Plus I have a great team to help make a difference.
What EV4U Custom Conversions is doing is converting customer's gasoline powered
vehicles to electric power. Offering consulting and fabrication service for those who
want to do their own conversions. Plus we are spreading the word about electric
automobiles. Using our custom built marketing vehicle, we are planning to travel around
the western U.S. promoting the use of electric vehicles. In 2009 we visited a half dozen
cities showing others the attributes of an electric automobile. We would like to at least
triple that number for 2010. EV4U Custom
Conversions is funded by the sale of conversions
and by the financial support of van Wyhe's Custom
Engraving. The sole support at this time for our
outreach program comes from van Wyhe's Custom
Engraving, We are looking for individuals and
companies that are like minded and desire to make
a difference in our nation's quality of life, by helping
us reduce air pollution and our dependency on oil.
Can we do it? Yes we can! We have already designed the finest VW Beetle
conversion in the world, and are constantly working on designs for other vehicles. One
day the major auto manufacturers will offer a reasonably priced all electric car, and we
are excited at the possibilities. However, we need to share with the average person the
benefits of driving an electric car for the majority of our commuting now. Through
education and example we are striving to make a difference.
If you would like to help us make a difference, you can donate to the EV4U Outreach
Program. (See below.) You can contact us with questions or comments at
EV4Uinc@yahoo.com
TM
| Classic VW Beetle that runs solely on battery power. |
Help us make a difference in the air quality and the dependency on
foreign oil. Your donation will help support our Outreach Program
which educates the public and supports the use of clean electric vehicles
and green technologies.
foreign oil. Your donation will help support our Outreach Program
which educates the public and supports the use of clean electric vehicles
and green technologies.
For $5.00 Donation
For $250.00 Donation
For $10.00 Donation
For $500.00 Donation
For $20.00 Donation
For $1000.00 Donation
For $2000.00 Donation
For $5000.00 Donation
For $50.00 Donation
For $100.00 Donation
Our marketing/demonstration vehicle is a 1974 Volkswagen Beetle. It uses no gas and
will travel 1,000 miles on less than $30 worth of electricity. We call it B.O.B., which
stands for Battery Operated Bug. If you would like B.O.B. to attend your event, email
us with dates and details.
will travel 1,000 miles on less than $30 worth of electricity. We call it B.O.B., which
stands for Battery Operated Bug. If you would like B.O.B. to attend your event, email
us with dates and details.
Copyright© 2010 by VCE All rights reserved
BOB (Battery Operated Bug) is a trademark of EV4U
Custom Conversions. EV4U Custom Conversions is a
division and trademark of van Wyhe's Custom Engraving
and the sole property of van Wyhe's Custom Engraving,
and may not be used for any purpose or by anyone other
than the owners.
Custom Conversions. EV4U Custom Conversions is a
division and trademark of van Wyhe's Custom Engraving
and the sole property of van Wyhe's Custom Engraving,
and may not be used for any purpose or by anyone other
than the owners.
Electric Cars Scoot, Gas Cars Pollute
TM