The Ile Camera
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Charged up
Electric car gets green light during island visit
PUBLISHED: August 11, 2006
I was half expecting a glorified golf cart. When I slipped into the driver's seat of the EcoV prototype electric car for a test drive I felt like reaching for my 3-wood.
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But as soon as I hit the engine - well, the battery - I knew this vehicle was different. It wasn't like the Dodge minivan I drove to work, but it wasn't like the golf cart I almost drove into a pond a few weeks ago.
Richard Marks, the president and owner of EVTSolutions, brought his new electric car to Grosse Ile this week. And while the car making its way around the island was only a prototype, it's pretty close to what Marks and his fellow engineers, designers and financial backers hope to offer consumers in the near future.
Marks was overwhelmed but not surprised by the positive response to his car that requires no gasoline and virtually no maintenance.
"No one has ever told me that they don't like it," said Marks, who spent 25 years at General Motors before leaving to build and produce his dream vehicle. "This is pretty close to the finished version. We will clean up the styling on it but we believe the size is right."
Speaking of size, the vehicle is a perfect fit for Grosse Ile families, especially those in which only one parent works off the island. The car, which can only go 30 miles per hour, is legal on all public roads with the speed limit 35 mph or lower. With just 50 cents of electricity the car can go up to 40 miles.
Grosse Ile also loves to breath the clean air and this car is a breath of fresh air. It's also a good ride.
The bumps in the road don't jump up and knock you around like you might expect. The turns are effortless to make. The brakes work no different than a gas-guzzling, pollution-spewing car we are all forced to drive.
The cost of the vehicle is very attractive. Marks wants to keep the final cost around $10,000 while still offering all the comforts one would expect in a car.
But the real savings come after you purchase the vehicle. Consider how much money you would save every month without having to pull into the gas station once a week. There are no oil changes required. No tune-ups. Practically no maintenance at all.
Marks plans to market the car to government fleets, commercial and industrial fleets, planned communities and as an urban family vehicle for short trips and commuting around town.
The car also is a lot of fun to drive and is very practical.
"We tried to answer all the questions and address all the concerns people would have with this car," said Marks, who loaned the car to his friend and former co-worker Kerry Diehl, a Grosse Ile resident who also is expected to help with the final design of the vehicle.
"It's road worthy, has good comfort, feels safe and is very practical. I understand that it's not a great fit for every community, but it does fit well in many others."
One of those great fits is Grosse Ile.
More information
Richard Marks is the president and chief engineer of EVTSolutions and created the EcoV Electric car. For more information, log onto www.EcoVElectric.com.
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