Space Eagle Productions

When I was 13 years old, I was looking forward, as all boys do, to that magic-day when I'd get my driver's license. I wanted a car - -but I didn't want what everyone else drove -- and I knew (even back then) that there was a TCO to consider (that's 'total cost of ownership', for those who might not know the acronym).

What I learned was simple -- gasoline cost money; electricity could be mooched from any available outlet, and it was doubtful that my parents would have said anything.

I hit upon an idea - an electric car....

Now the concept was sound -- you charge a battery; run a motor; recharge a battery -- but the functionality of that situation was directly proportional to working out some engineering challenges, mainly (1) what would I use for a motor, and (2) how do you get that many batteries wired together and running the motor?

Then, I saw my salvation - in the form of an advertisement in Popular Mechanics for military-surplus starter-motors for propeller-driven aircraft (Only 48 volts! Hundreds of uses!) I'd already figured out that the best 'platform' for my new vehicle would be the chassis of a VW bug -- I mean; people were converting them to fiberglass-bodied whatzits with abandon -- why not an electric car?

48 volts -- the specs were in; I could use a total of twelve 12vt. car batteries wired in parallel to achieve the necessary amperage, and with an inverter/recharger (also available commercially), I could recharge the batteries.

Existing technology would require that I build my own body. My Dad, who LOVED things like this - figured that we could make some forms; cast the fenders, hood, and trunk from fiberglass, and make the body from marine-grade mahogany plywood with ash 'runners'. The forms for the doors could be used from the existing VW. Gauging would be different, and the gas pedal would amount to a foot-operated voltage-control, but it would WORK -- our figures indicated that the car could be built for around $800; would take around six months to build; and would get 40 miles between charges (give or take a few miles ).

My humble little two-seat coupe would look for all the world like a mahogany boat turned upside down with a hole in the bottom, but she'd be WAY COOL -- nothing like it; guaranteed -- and I'd never have to pay for gas.

Even to a 13 year old, this made a LOT of sense!

Two problems reared their ugly heads, almost immediately - first; the required six months of construction time would cut WAY into my burgeoning musical career, and (more cogently) the sum of $800 exceeded my net-worth by about $775.

I reluctantly shelved the project. Dad eventually bought me a third hand 1959 Dodge Custom Royal Convertible, which, while it was unquestionably the coolest set of wheels ever owned by any of my circle of confederates, drank gasoline like the Astor's on the Titanic. (A 383cid engine with twin 4bbl carburetors which looked like the mouths of twin-volcanoes accomplished this feat rather nicely; I used to say that she'd 'pass anything but a gas station', and I was largely correct).

I kept an after-school job and started landscaping in the summertime to pay for this beast -- a lesson-by-reacquaintance which we have all relearned of late.

So, the question -- Whatever happened to the electric car?

Not mine -- although it would still work, the theory is my interest now. It happens that I'm not the only one to have that thought of late.

These folks --> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489037/trailers-screenplay-E27417-10-2 have rather eloquently asked the question in documentary form.

My question: Why aren't we DEMANDING something like this from the major automakers?

I'm not a conspiracy-theory nut -- I don't think there's a vast conspiracy, which the film seems to imply - but I DO believe that the more of us who demand a vehicle like this, the sooner we'll have one. Simple. Direct. Supply and demand at its best.

You decide. Me? I'm going to go see the film....