Ferrari Eats EV Dust.
A few weeks ago I was filming some on-board video from my Electric-Echo on the way home from work for a little project I have in mind, when I came upon the finest of Italian engineering and styling, a little red Ferrari (is there any other colour?). Well, I couldn’t help myself and just had to show him what the finest of backyard EV engineering could do to his sorry little red tail! 
OK, so the idea is a little desperate and the production is very corny but it was fun to make!
June 12th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
Fantastic!
June 14th, 2007 at 11:03 pm
Go Bro - wonderful effort, so clever just like your sister
June 15th, 2007 at 3:06 am
Great mount on that video camera. Makes the E-E almost as smooth as a Bentley.
June 15th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
Zoom, zoom, zoom….
Go electron man!
Sooooo… can you feed us any spoilers on the ‘little project’ under development?
:)
June 15th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
Thanks Folks.
Paul, it’s the camera itself, remarkable how it does it really, just a little Sony Handicam, more superior Japanese engineering. I borrowed it from…err…a Paul! Is that you??
Alex, yep, I’d love to add a little bit of “rice” to the Echo to keep it looking modern, just haven’t done the homework yet.
June 16th, 2007 at 2:32 am
Great video of the echo performing well on the M1.
…but not sure if I would want to show the whole world how to get to my place!
June 16th, 2007 at 7:51 am
Yeah, thanks for the backhander “Dufus” but I’m a big boy now and am well aware of what I’ve done. It was a choice between keeping it “real” or playing the paranoia game that keeps the commercial news media in business.
There is plenty of other information on this website that “exposes” me, I’m just not into anonymity, I see it as anti-community. It’s us “well adjusted” folk that run this world not the tiny minority who have anti-social disorders.
June 16th, 2007 at 11:27 am
Oops, sorry Alex I’ve just realised I’d misread your post, you mentioned spoilers and it was getting late…
Nup, I ain’t telling ya nuttin’, you’ll just have to keep dropping back here to keep my web stat’s up.
June 16th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
Please don’t let my insecurities about the internet detract from your fantastic project… I think I’ve been watching too much Oprah and am now paranoid about the internet!
I am in awe of what you have achieved and have taken great interest in your EV, regularly following it’s progress on your excellent, informative website, hoping some day to replicate what you have done.
To see “The Echo” roaring down the M1 overtaking other traffic is a sight to behold.
Cheers
Dufus
June 17th, 2007 at 8:12 am
“Dufus”,
You might like to consider a new pseudonym, it’s common practice to use derogatory words as aliases as a form of half-smart cowardly insult. Just the kind that bristles the fur on the back of my neck!
On the assumption that you’re a local (M1 reference); if you ever feel inclined, drop me an email sometime and we’ll arrange a real-life demo, at least you won’t have any trouble finding me…
June 20th, 2007 at 7:27 pm
Thanks for the invitation. Think I’ll take you up on that! Yes I am local, albeit Northside.
Ever considered an “EV Open Day”?
My “pseudonym” predates the internet when they were known as nicknames and was unfortunately not chosen by myself and it stuck! Might have to re-christen myself
Looks like Mitsubishi will beat me to building an EV:
http://www.motorauthority.com/cars/mitsubishi/mitsubishi-i-electric-car-to-enter-production/
Surely a step in the right direction for the Auto industry
Cheers
:D
June 20th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
Hah! A Northsider, that explains everything!
You’ll find my email address under the Who button on the E-E home page.
An “EV Open Day”, that’s an idea, a problem would be the limited number of joy rides available with my range but I’ll give it some thought if I see some interest.
What the heck, keep the nickname, it got my attention didn’t it!
Mitsubishi have always been very consistent with their timeline for this vehicle, much more credible than GM and their “EV-that-runs-on-press-releases”, the Chevy Volt.
If they do go into production and I could import one for under $40,000, I’d buy one.
June 21st, 2007 at 7:59 pm
Hey Shaun, long time no post.
Nice video. Goes pretty fast, for a non existent car - I wonder if the fact that your car doesn’t exist would get you off a speeding ticket?
Sorry, but the real reason I’m back it make sure you and all your readers don’t miss this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDjSbWTJbdo
Here’s what I emailed the SMH today:
Dear Editor,
Here’s your chance, Sydney Morning Herald, to be the first Newspaper in Australia to report on the breakthrough technology that will save Earth. It’s called vehicle-to-grid or V2G. As I wrote repeatedly back in March, V2G creates a symbiotic relationship between renewable energy and electric cars, turning both into more than viable propositions. Critically, it will allow coal (the enemy of the human race) to stay where it belongs, underground.
All I ask is that you point Stephanie Peatling and Wendy Frew in the direction of the following Youtube link. V2G now has the backing of Google, so it will succeed. The question is, will Australia be leaders, profiting handsomely, or late followers, paying dearly? It requires a modicum of understanding of the nature of energy to see that V2G is the missing piece in the sustainability puzzle. It’s the answer to peak-oil, climate change, air quality, national energy security and grid quality. If V2G isn’t newsworthy, then I can’t imagine what is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDjSbWTJbdo
Regards,
Carl Sparre
Eastwood
Maybe you should send Google your resumé?
I’ll check back soon to see what others think of V2G.
Cheers
June 22nd, 2007 at 9:45 am
Guys
C-Smart have been trial-leasing an EV version of their popular Smart fortwo car to 100 or so clients in Britain since November last year!
Hopefully Smart Australia will follow suit - the specs of the Smart fortwo EVS are not as good as the Mistsubish i electric tho - but it is available now, kinda…
http://www.topspeed.com/cars/smart/smart-fortwo-electric-vehicle-ar11018.html
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:56 pm
Carl,
Friggin’ awesome video!
(Ahhh…Chelsea Sexton…)
I keep forgetting about V2G, hav’n enough trouble convincing people about E2E.
I was only browsing Google’s job site yesterday, wondering what they’d be like to work for, you’re spooking me again Carl.
Not sure they’re ready for me yet though.
A123, Hymotion, Prius, Google, V2G…I’m getting excited again!
Thanks mate. I’d just read about Google’s plug-ins but hadn’t seen this video. I should post it…but I’m too lazy.
(The spam swallower nearly gobbled your post again today, do you have a dark and mysterious background or what?)
July 4th, 2007 at 3:39 am
Way cool! Can’t wait till my Saab is rolling along on electric power!
www.saabrina.blogspot.com
July 4th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
Nice job with the vacuum setup Mark, what model Square D vacuum controller did you get?
July 10th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
You better hope you don’t run up against one of these…
http://www.zapworld.com/ZAPWorld.aspx?id=4560
!!!!
July 10th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
RE: above…
100% Electric; 4 electronic wheel hub motors sporting an aggressive 644 horsepower with super capacitor energy bursts
Speed
0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds with top speed of 155 mph
Mileage & Range
350 miles per charge; about 1 cent per mile; rapid 10 minute re-charge; 9,000 life cycles
July 11th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Run against one?! I’d steal one!
August 23rd, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Dude… That rocked
Now I’m tempted to go buy a Toyota Yaris and ditch my Minor EV conversion!
October 9th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
Today I was sitting in the carpark looking at all the fuel cars. I spotted an echo, and thought they are cool, I drove mums for many years and that got me thinking. I recken an echo would be the best to strip down and turn into and EV. I came home and googled away, what do I find a fellow brisbaneite who has done such thing. I think when mum is ready to part with her 03 i think im gonna do a convert. Thank you for confirming this brainstorm of the carpark
In the end how much does yours weigh compared to the 1.3l fuelie
March 5th, 2010 at 2:49 am
I’m sending you some positive energy! thanks so much.
June 13th, 2010 at 7:21 am
I believe that peak oil is true and that we are now past the point of peak oil. I understand many of the current events have to do with this understanding and it won’t be long before the main stream media and population wake up and understand what is going on. For me and my family, we are preparing for the next generation.