- Popular Mechanics takes the Aptera futuristic electric car for a test drive. They also take you into the factory for an inside look at the vehicle components.
- Got some spare reading time this weekend? Check out Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008. A somewhat interesting section for us can be found in Section 201 where they propose some rather nice tax credits for electric cars, uh, as long as they also have a gas engine inside (i.e. plug-in hybrid). For those with a regular EV? You don’t qualify. Here’s a list of Senators on the committee.
- Did that simply wet your appetite for government documents? Here’s another analyzing the feasibility of PHEVs and the power grid.
- After all of that is said and done Congress doesn’t totally ignore EVs. No, they think they are too quiet and want to create a noise standard.
Amazing car. I have mine preordered already
Todd
vis a vis the sound effects? I want mine to make the same sound that the Jetsons car made…
Here ya go, just need to find a little audio player and hook it to some external speakers: Jetson’s Car
Since we are still in the early phase of people accepting electric cars on the motorways, perhaps a sound modulator could be used.
Of course those who are constructing their vehicle on a budget won’t want to front the expense for sounding like a Harley; they might opt for a Honda.
http://www.bmcycles.com/harleyVShonda.swf
the concern about noise reminds me that 100 yrs ago there were some stupid laws for motorists, such as one law saying that a driver had to stop at an intersection, get out, look both ways, shout out loud, blow a trumpet, ring a bell & do some other dtupid things – all because horses get spooked.