The city of Santa Monica, CA is the first to receive the first light duty, all-electric Ford Ranger for use in its public works fleet. Santa Monica was selected due to its commitment to sustainability and will serve as a hub to highlight the benefits of electric vehicles including lower operational costs and a reduced carbon footprint. The Ford Ranger was converted from gas to electric by Santa Monica based Gas to Electric, Inc.
The success comes on the heels of a legal dispute between company President Paul Pearson who last year had legal action taken against him by the city for converting gas cars to electric without a license. All charges were dropped and today, the company is working with the city to further its sustainability initiatives.
“Santa Monica has shown not just the environmental benefits of green technology but the economic benefits as well,” said Pearson. “I’m confident that more cities will begin to emulate the model they’ve created. It’s a ‘win-win’ for everyone.”
According to Pearson, the converted Ford Ranger uses a standard AC wall outlet to charge and utilizes a low voltage system designed for the safety of fleet maintenance personnel and emergency responders. The vehicle retains all the original manufacturers’ safety equipment, such as ABS brakes, seatbelt sensors and fully functional airbags and the 35 mile range allows for a top speed of 55 mph. Pearson estimates the operational costs to be 2 – 3 cents per mile and as the motor has only 3 moving parts. Conversion is done with all American made parts and is funded in part with grants and numerous Local, State and Federal tax incentives.
Currently, the conversions only allow city use and limited freeway access making them well-suited for city Maintenance and Landscape Departments, Facilities and Parks and Recreation Departments.
American manufacturing giant General Electric is striking some big deals in the alternative energy field, especially wind power.
Yesterday, I told you how electric vehicles were all the rage at this year’s 
Jurors stressed that the Fusion hybrid drove more like a “normal car” than many hybrids, but still had strong fuel efficiency.
As a guy who is from the Upper Midwest, I can tell you that the kind of cold that the Dakotas, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota have experienced the last couple of weeks was a “special” kind of cold. Forty or 50 below zero is Jack-London-Call-of-the-Wild-spit-freezin’-in-mid-air kind of cold. So, it’s no wonder that the cold has put Minnesota’s 5 percent biodiesel mandate … the only cold weather state with a requirement that aggressive … on hold, at least until it warms up.
In today’s 
One key for the giant exhibition, traditionally a showplace for production vehicles, is the addition of a 37,000-sq-ft display area called Electric Avenue. The new area will serve as an expo for 12 manufacturers of electric vehicles, ranging from traditional automakers, such as Nissan and Mitsubishi, to entrepreneurial firms, such as SSI Racing and Saba Motors. Electric Avenue will be sponsored by Dow Chemical Co., which is involved in the development of electric vehicle battery technology.
Company investigators say they have found the cause of the explosion last month at the Imperium Renewables biodiesel plant near Grays Harbor, Washington state.
