Electrovair II

In 1966, Chevrolet created the Electrovair II concept car. It was an all-electric car that would go 40-80 miles before recharging, and had a top speed of 80 mph. Note that a specialized silver zinc battery pack was used. This promotional film details the engineering features and technological advancements of the Electrovair II, an electrically powered version of […]

Bolt vs Volt

The Chevy Volt is inherently practical at this point in our journey. It’s a rare consumer who can survive with only a short range, all-electric vehicle. Not being able to make it from Portland to Salem (Oregon) or Burbank to Victorville (California) limits ownership to families with a second vehicle, urbanites with eclectic tastes and […]

Mr. LINKVOLT & I

I am pretending to interview Neil Young, the socially conscious artist who moved a 15 year-old to sing “old man, look at my life, I’m a lot like you were…” I have to pretend, because I actually haven’t tried to interview the man who made such a great impression on me then, and who continues […]

Fisker Failing, Detroit Rising

Henry Ford didn’t revolutionize the automotive industry by launching one of the most expensive cars on the market. But in 1908, the technology was simple and the marketplace in its infancy. Nonetheless, the “car for the great multitude” was priced for success and more than 15,000,000 were sold. Fisker faced a much different world when […]

How Far Can You Go?

The Holy Grail of every electric vehicle is range. From the promised 300+ mile range of the Tesla Model S to the potential 73 mile range of the Nissan Leaf, the average driver wants to know how far the vehicle can go before it has to be recharged. (Not that he will very often go […]