Brammo at the Alt Car Expo - 2010

[Brammofan]

Here ya go:
IMG_0118 by ESX Motorsports, on Flickr.

There are many more pictures of the booth and the people gawking at the Enertias but this is one of the best.  I really like that they stripped a bike of its panels to show the world what's underneath.

[Kelly Olsen]

Brammo had a great booth and a lot of people looking at the Enertias.

It was a great show with an exciting array of EV's that are actually going to be in showrooms in a few months. This was the fifth Expo and the first Expo that had cars (other than the costly Tesla) that were no longer concepts or prototypes!

It would have been nice to see more e-motorcycles and scooters but Brammo had the monopoly this year.

I drove seven electric 4 wheel vehicles. They were:

Honda Clarity - Hydrogen fuel cell
Mercedes F-Cell - Hydrogen fuel cell
Toyota - Hydrogen fuel cell
Chevy Volt - Hybrid electric plug-in
BMW Mini - Electric plug-in
Think - Electric plug-in

And the last, BUT the best in my opinion.

The Nissan Leaf - Electric plug-in

The Leaf was a pure joy. It is really a great car and I want one very much.

There were hundreds and hundreds of people over three days test driving the Leaf. Nissan had a very impressive exhibition with portable buildings housing cut-aways of the vehicle showing the battery pack withing the bottom of the frame, visual presentations, interactive screens where you could map out your commute and it would show how much juice you would have left to drive, etc.

They are going to sell everyone they can make. The Leaf is really built well and very comfortable. I'm 6 ft 4 inches, and I had enough room to were a Brammo hat without hitting the roof. Nice room in the back and good trunk space. Easily fits four and I actually saw a family of five get into one. And you can pre-cool the car with a smart phone. Just tell it to turn on the air-conditioner a few minutes before you are ready to drive away and you get into a car that is not unbearable which would normally require you to over crank the AC and use up more power.

You can also regulate the amount of charge you want while at a mall or out eating. So if you are walking back to the car but see something in the window of a shop or want to go and eat instead, you just use you smart phone to have the charger continue for another 30 minutes or set it to achieve a certain percentage of charge. I suspect that this can be done with other cars as well since this is likely to be a function of the charger but it is still very cool.

Right now here is very little infrastructure in place to charge away from home, but more and more will be popping up in major population areas very soon. But had you driven to the Expo in an EV you could have parked in our municipal parking structure next to the event and parked at a charger, which is fed by solar panels on the roof and do it for FREE.

The City is giving away electricity for EV's for the time being since it cost nothing to produce (other than the already built infrastructure). While waiting to test drive the Leaf I talked to a woman in line that told me that her company already had four J-1772 (the new universal standard) chargers in their parking garage.

And at worst case scenario, you can trickle charge on a 110 outlet. It will take 18 hours for a full charge on a 110, but that can work for many that don't drive everyday or only drive a few miles a day. It would work for me because I only use the car about 4 days out of the week and only go about 5 miles on most days.

EV's of all types are going to be hitting the streets in a major way within months and it is going to be a revolution. And you current Enertia owners can say that you were ahead of the curve!

[Gavin]

gah, you're killing me Kelly...

First, I'm jealous that you got to check out all those sweet rides.

Secondly, I am very torn right now about the LEAF.

I have a deposit and order in for the LEAF. Already set up and it will be delivered to the states and available to me this January. I also have number 137 on order for the Fiat 500...it will be available around March.

I am torn because the car I really want is the Fiat 500 EV coming in 2012. I want to support EVs and so I figured I could get the LEAF and keep it for a couple of years and then trade it in for the 500 EV. And I like the LEAF, but I don't need seating for 5 and all that. I would like a tiny city commuter...which is why I love the Fiat 500.

So when I had the opportunity to get one of the first 500's in the states, well I figured maybe I would get that and change it for the 500 EV in a couple of years....

Still the 500 is gas, and I would like to have no gas (a Brammo and city car EV would be perfect for me). But the 500 gets about 50 mpg so that is pretty good for a gas car...and getting the 500 would help me know if I like it enough to get the 500 EV (which i would then keep till it falls apart in 20 years...like me )...

The Nissan will be a great car...my best car ever was a freaking Sentra I bought in 1987...not a days problem with it. And it would get me using electrons only sooner. And I like it, I just don't love it. Grrrrrrr

Leaning toward the Fiat, but haven't yet canceled my LEAF...I could go either way. The LEAF will be available sooner, so that is a plus for it. The Fiat will be cheaper, so that is a plus for it.

Knowing I will be trading either in will favor the cheaper car....I have never traded a car in before...I have always ran them to death or given them to my kids.

But good to hear you liked it...the third option is buying the LEAF and running it for two years and then giving to my daughter...but that is easier to do with a 6 year old VW Golf that is paid off  (the last car I gave her) than a 2 year old LEAF that has quite a bit of payments left (I am middle-class....if I was rich it would be a no brainer ) I could also give to my wife, but she is thinking of getting the prius plug in in a couple of years...that way she can be gas free for daily riding, yet we would still have a car that goes on long trips.

Gavin

[Kelly Olsen]

Gavin,

The Fiat 500 looks interesting. I just think they are two (not too) different experiences in transportation. I have vowed to never buy a vehicle that has crude oil as its main form of propulsion. However, 50 mpg is still better than most and is a reduction of fossil fuel use. My question is; Have you driven the Leaf or any other plug-in?

My crass comparison, at least for most guys would be this. Driving a pure electric is much like sex. After experiencing it, it is difficult to go back to being a virgin again. It something you get excited about and want to keep doing.

The thought that I would almost never have to pull into a gas station again for gasoline (other than using my gas car for very long trips, which is maybe once a year) and be able to choose clean electricity from my power supplier is a very exciting concept. Going to point B from point A and getting there on the energy of the sun or wind or water from a hydroelectric plant is absolutely liberating and seems like science fiction.

If you have not driven the Leaf yet, I'd suggest you do so before buying any other gas powered car. But I'm not knocking the Fiat. 50 MPG is incredible for a gas car. I'm just looking at it from being in my shoes.

In addition to the vehicles I drove last weekend, I have driven the GM EV 1 (which was my deflowering) and the Toyota RAV 4 EV, so I have now driven 9 EV's. I have driven many cars, including a new Rolls Royce Phantom which I spent about 5 hours driving. And I can honestly say that the electrics are by far the most thrilling. But again, this is my predilection.

I'm certain you'll make the right choice for your circumstances. The good news is that for the first time you now have the choice!

[Brammofan]

My crass comparison, at least for most guys would be this. Driving a pure electric is much like sex. After experiencing it, it is difficult to go back to being a virgin again. It something you get excited about and want to keep doing.

1.  Please be careful - this forum is supposed to be G-rated.
2.  Something tells me you don't get out much.

LOL

[Kelly Olsen]

My crass comparison, at least for most guys would be this. Driving a pure electric is much like sex. After experiencing it, it is difficult to go back to being a virgin again. It something you get excited about and want to keep doing.

Something tells me you don't get out much.

You are correct, however, my "getting out" is regulated by a doctor and two men in white coats.