Post-Workshop Bits and Pieces

Wow, these two weeks have flown by, filled with family obligations and vacations. Next week Bill and I will be putting our heads together on completing the battery enclosures, doing our range-testing and benchmarking, and arranging for van refurbishment, all in preparation for rolling out the 2009 version of the e-Van at the Energy Fest sponsored by our friends at the Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Association. Click on the poster below for festival details!

Meanwhile I have some catching up and thanks to express to the class participants of 2009. Bill and I have gotten some wonderful emails and photos from students, all of whom say they had a terrific time at the workshop. We are so grateful to all of you for the outpouring of enthusiasm!

A shout-out to Chris for surprising me with the new blog logo up top! Chris also posted the first video of e-Van 2009 rolling -- see it whiz by so quietly you can hear us talking in the background!

Rudy also took a ton of photos during the class, including the 2009 group portrait which you can see in miniature to the left, but which I'll also post here:

Inexplicably missing from the class photo is Matt, who deserves acknowledgment for contributing permanent engraved identifying plaques for all the van's e-drive features -- quite an improvement on the old sharpie-on-masking-tape labelling technique!

Below, a few photos courtesy of Rudy from the van's successful trial runs and our subsequent celebration.

Bill gives JJ how-to-drive-an-EV instructions prior to the initial run around the parking lot.

Vincent has that EV grin.

After the test drives, a toast and a cheer ...

and acknowledgment of a job well done by all.

Next week, the promised "Hitches and Glitches" post, as well as the final budget summary. Till then, thanks for following along!