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As debate continues over whether to mandate some form of environmental cap-and-trade legislation, one mechanic and entrepreneur from Central Kansas says converting cars to electric power is part of a more rational approach.
Like many, Wayne Alexander is a critic of proposals to create a carbon trading system. “All cap-and-trade is going to do is to make five to six people very wealthy,” he says.
In his view, some combination of nuclear, wind and solar power generation is the answer, along with reducing reliance on imported oil.
Alexander has converted more than 100 conventional gas autos to run on electricity and has been doing it longer than anyone else. He first began doing conversions while living in Florida, back when the Arab oil embargo hit in the 1970s. Today, his Electric Blue Auto Conversions is based out of an unassuming garage along Highway 50 about five miles east of Newton, Kan., where he lives with his wife.
He moved to Kansas to be closer to a business partner in Wichita with whom he entered into a military aircraft refurbishing business that ended with the hijackings of 9-11 and the imposition of new aviation restrictions.
He’s not shy with his opinions. When asked about the new documentary film FUEL, featuring a car powered by an algae product, he’s not impressed. “You are still putting pollutants into the air,” he says. Using hydrogen energy to fuel a car isn’t energy efficient and doesn’t make sense from a business standpoint, he adds. On the other hand, he is a fan of the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car?
Alexander says there were actually more electric cars than gas-powered cars prior to 1914, but the mass production of gasoline engines and automobiles changed all that. Electric cars aren’t popular politically because they eliminate gasoline use — and gas taxes — as well as routine maintenance at dealerships and auto repair shops.
An estimated 70,000 of the 240 million vehicles on U.S. roads are electrically powered.
Those numbers are likely to increase substantially. The big automakers plan to introduce electric powered models late next year, starting at around $40,000 for a Chevy Volt to more than $100,000 for sportier models. President Obama has pledged to help bring the costs of a new electric car closer to $30,000 by subsidizing the expense of the batteries.
Alexander charges about $12,500 to convert a vehicle to electric. Half-ton pickups in particular are the ideal model because they are designed to carry the extra weight of the battery packs. But he works on all kinds.
Other than the high capacity motors he gets from his native city of Chicago and the controllers, Alexander can build the other parts he needs himself. On a typical car or truck, he removes the gas engine and installs a smaller electric motor plus a vacuum pump to run power brakes and steering. The electric power comes from a bank of auto batteries (usually somewhere in the range of 24 to 45 of them) installed in a rack in the trunk or under the truck bed. The batteries are so safe they can cut insurance costs, he says. “These are gel batteries that you can cut in half and they won’t leak,” he notes.
The gas gauge is replaced by a couple of meters, which monitor available amperage and voltage. Maintenance is almost nonexistent.
The vehicles are good for about 50 to 55 miles of daily driving, before they need to be recharged by plugging into either a 110-volt or 120-volt outlet. They recharge in about five hours.
He admits that electric cars aren’t for everyone since they limit range and speed. However, they work for the typical American who drives on average 18 miles a day. He jokes that they are good choice for a kid’s school car. “It’s like putting a leash on them,” he laughs.
He has sold them to farmers who find them useful in rural settings.
“They are using their vehicle to buy feed and go back and forth from the farm to town,” he says.
They have also gone to simple living enthusiasts who are already completely off the grid and generate their own electricity from the sun or the wind. Many of his customers are retired and do most of their driving close to home.
Battery technology continues to improve, expanding range and reliability, he adds.
A combination of federal and state incentives can virtually eliminate the costs of the conversion, he continues. Coloradoans can get almost 90 percent of their money back for doing a conversion. At the federal level, the American Recovery and Investment Act included a new credit of 10 percent of the cost of converting any motor vehicle, new or used, to a qualified electric one up to a maximum of $4,000 per vehicle.
For a list of financial incentives on a state-by-state basis, go online to http://www.dsireusa.org.
Interest in conversions has a strong correlation with prices at the pump. Despite fluctuations, Alexander’s business is still going strong. He’s in his garage working nearly every day. “I’m making a good living,” he says.
And like others, he has no doubt gas prices will be a long-term motive for change. “Under cap-and-trade, gas prices are bound to go up,” he observes, noting they could reach levels of $5 a gallon-plus seen in Europe. Just this week, crude oil prices peaked for the year, briefly topping $80 a barrel and sending U.S. gas prices higher.
Now in his mid-60s, Alexander says he would be willing to sell his enterprise to someone who wants to continue it. He believes the business has a bright future. About two-dozen companies do conversions nationwide.
“There’s going to be more of this,” he says. “Additional states are looking to offer money back for doing it.”
For more information about his business, go to www.ev-blue.com.
As debate continues over whether to mandate some form of environmental cap-and-trade legislation, one mechanic and entrepreneur from Central Kansas says converting cars to electric power is part of a more rational approach.
Like many, Wayne Alexander is a critic of proposals to create a carbon trading system. “All cap-and-trade is going to do is to make five to six people very wealthy,” he says.
In his view, some combination of nuclear, wind and solar power generation is the answer, along with reducing reliance on imported oil.
Alexander has converted more than 100 conventional gas autos to run on electricity and has been doing it longer than anyone else. He first began doing conversions while living in Florida, back when the Arab oil embargo hit in the 1970s. Today, his Electric Blue Auto Conversions is based out of an unassuming garage along Highway 50 about five miles east of Newton, Kan., where he lives with his wife.
He moved to Kansas to be closer to a business partner in Wichita with whom he entered into a military aircraft refurbishing business that ended with the hijackings of 9-11 and the imposition of new aviation restrictions.
He’s not shy with his opinions. When asked about the new documentary film FUEL, featuring a car powered by an algae product, he’s not impressed. “You are still putting pollutants into the air,” he says. Using hydrogen energy to fuel a car isn’t energy efficient and doesn’t make sense from a business standpoint, he adds. On the other hand, he is a fan of the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car?
Alexander says there were actually more electric cars than gas-powered cars prior to 1914, but the mass production of gasoline engines and automobiles changed all that. Electric cars aren’t popular politically because they eliminate gasoline use — and gas taxes — as well as routine maintenance at dealerships and auto repair shops.
An estimated 70,000 of the 240 million vehicles on U.S. roads are electrically powered.
Those numbers are likely to increase substantially. The big automakers plan to introduce electric powered models late next year, starting at around $40,000 for a Chevy Volt to more than $100,000 for sportier models. President Obama has pledged to help bring the costs of a new electric car closer to $30,000 by subsidizing the expense of the batteries.
Alexander charges about $12,500 to convert a vehicle to electric. Half-ton pickups in particular are the ideal model because they are designed to carry the extra weight of the battery packs. But he works on all kinds.
Other than the high capacity motors he gets from his native city of Chicago and the controllers, Alexander can build the other parts he needs himself. On a typical car or truck, he removes the gas engine and installs a smaller electric motor plus a vacuum pump to run power brakes and steering. The electric power comes from a bank of auto batteries (usually somewhere in the range of 24 to 45 of them) installed in a rack in the trunk or under the truck bed. The batteries are so safe they can cut insurance costs, he says. “These are gel batteries that you can cut in half and they won’t leak,” he notes.
The gas gauge is replaced by a couple of meters, which monitor available amperage and voltage. Maintenance is almost nonexistent.
The vehicles are good for about 50 to 55 miles of daily driving, before they need to be recharged by plugging into either a 110-volt or 120-volt outlet. They recharge in about five hours.
He admits that electric cars aren’t for everyone since they limit range and speed. However, they work for the typical American who drives on average 18 miles a day. He jokes that they are good choice for a kid’s school car. “It’s like putting a leash on them,” he laughs.
He has sold them to farmers who find them useful in rural settings.
“They are using their vehicle to buy feed and go back and forth from the farm to town,” he says.
They have also gone to simple living enthusiasts who are already completely off the grid and generate their own electricity from the sun or the wind. Many of his customers are retired and do most of their driving close to home.
Battery technology continues to improve, expanding range and reliability, he adds.
A combination of federal and state incentives can virtually eliminate the costs of the conversion, he continues. Coloradoans can get almost 90 percent of their money back for doing a conversion. At the federal level, the American Recovery and Investment Act included a new credit of 10 percent of the cost of converting any motor vehicle, new or used, to a qualified electric one up to a maximum of $4,000 per vehicle.
For a list of financial incentives on a state-by-state basis, go online to http://www.dsireusa.org.
Interest in conversions has a strong correlation with prices at the pump. Despite fluctuations, Alexander’s business is still going strong. He’s in his garage working nearly every day. “I’m making a good living,” he says.
And like others, he has no doubt gas prices will be a long-term motive for change. “Under cap-and-trade, gas prices are bound to go up,” he observes, noting they could reach levels of $5 a gallon-plus seen in Europe. Just this week, crude oil prices peaked for the year, briefly topping $80 a barrel and sending U.S. gas prices higher.
Now in his mid-60s, Alexander says he would be willing to sell his enterprise to someone who wants to continue it. He believes the business has a bright future. About two-dozen companies do conversions nationwide.
“There’s going to be more of this,” he says. “Additional states are looking to offer money back for doing it.”
For more information about his business, go to www.ev-blue.com.
