The repaired Zivan charger is back in. Immediately the controller started running hot on test drives! So I ordered another heat sink, and Saint Bill went to work remounting the controller with cooling fans on top (since hot air does rise).
Seth Rothenberg of the NJ Electric Auto Association took a train through that blizzard and appeared in this elegant appraisal of the advantages of EV's in cities ...
http://tinyurl.com/leafgas
while this one is more for active Leaf junkies (5 and a half minutes to get a complete tour)
http://tinyurl.com/infoleaf
and this one is of an actual drive review of the Leaf (from England)
http://tinyurl.com/FirstDrivesLeaf
I am not usually one to post actual breaking production EV news -- that is the role of esteemed Eastern Electric Vehicle Club member Daniel Monroe, whose weekly news update last week included the delightful information that Toyota plans to bring out a new RAV4-EV in 2012.
http://tinyurl.com/rav4ev2012
Stay tuned for further breaking news on the e-Van (and -- we hope -- sooner rather than later on the refurbishment of our 1991 Dodge Colt, which was converted when it was brand-new 19 years ago and is desperately in need of an upgrade!). Can't promise that there won't be summer lulls, but work is already afoot by the dedicated elves of the Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Association to bring us all another wonderful Pennsylvania Energy Festival, and so I too am beginning to round up cars and make plans for a weekend celebration under the Alternative Fuels Tent. The annual high point for me is the Q&A panel with all the exhibiting EV driver-owners and long-time EV experts on the premises assembled. It's a privilege to moderate such a wealth of experience and scary-deep technical know-how!
With mainstream production vehicles in the pipeline and the DIY community energized and gaining national attention (Mike Brown of Electro Automotive was just interviewed on NPR! http://tinyurl.com/EVsonNPR), it is an exciting time to be an EV advocate. I hope you will be joining us at the Energy Fest this year!