Mechanical Engineers meet the Electric Vehicle

American Society of Mechanical Engineers Tallahassee Section hosts Tallahassee Area Electric Vehicle Association

By David Byrne

Tallahassee – June 26, 2009 – As if an all-you-can-eat lunch at the Ole Times Country Buffet wasn’t enough reason to attend, the three dozen attendees at the ASME monthly “lunch-and-learn” meeting had the opportunity to hear a technical discussion from TAEVA chapter president Andre Smith and also see a half-dozen or so electric cars, trucks, motorcycles, scooters, and hybrids on display.

Even a couple of the wives showed up.

A mostly technical group of ASME members and Electric car enthusiasts came to learn about the benefits of EVs, learn about converting cars to electric, and express their own opinions – and they definitely had their own opinions of what types of vehicles are best suited for travel, economics, and environmental impacts.

As is typical, the owners of the EVs were happy to show off their handiwork – many had done all the work on their own to convert a standard gasoline car into an efficient, quiet EV. After the lunch, the group went out to the parking lot where the weather was hot (100 deg), but no one seemed to mind – because the cars were too! Some of the notable vehicles were:

- Ford Ranger pickup EV conversion, which was unveiled by City of Tallahassee Fleet Management on May 13, with a nice vinyl logo wrap. (http://www.talgov.com/communications/newsdetail.cfm?id=1896)
- S-10 pickup, which was also recently converted by the City
- Dodge Caravan – converted by TAEVA president Smith.
- Motorcycle – converted by Bill Desautel, who did all his own welding and machining
- Scooter – shown by Andy Reich, owner of Falcon EV (http://www.falconev.com/), which is perfectly suitable for rides around town, and the only vehicle at the site that utilized high capacity Lithium-Ion batteries.

Conversation on the hot lot did focus on issues with batteries. All the car-owners recognized the range limitations of the lead-acid batteries they are using. But the current cost of lithium-ions makes building an EV with them far too expensive. Some reports have projected that the cost will be half, or even a third, as much a year from now, and EV owners are looking forward to the opportunity to extend vehicle range. For example, Desautel’s motorcycle can run about 20 miles. With lithium-ion batteries, he could make the entire ride from his home in northeast Tallahassee to his job in St. Marks, recharge it there, and ride back home.

EV conversions may be a way to create green jobs while protecting the environment. Smith talked about the possibility of starting local businesses that “recycle” old cars with worn engines and convert them to electric. Sponsorship from local businesses is one way to assist with the cost of battery upgrades. Also, Smith recommended membership in the local chapter as a way to keep up on the latest technology and business ideas. Check TAEVA at http://www.taeva.org/ or the Tallahassee ASME at http://sections.asme.org/tallahassee/ .