SEMA: Ed Begley Jr. says SEMA can help with electric vehicle's image problem
Surrounded by millions of fossil-fuel-thirsty horsepower in the great hall of SEMA, Ed Begley Jr., the reigning poster boy of environmental activists, asked himself, "The electric vehicle rally was last month. Burning man has come and gone, what are you doing here?"
Heeding the advice of Michael Corleone (Keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer), Begley was promoting the Phoenix Motorcars sport-utility truck and seeking SEMA guidance in the cool factor.
"SEMA has style, innovation and engineering," said Begley. "We need SEMA. We need to work with all the aftermarket to give style to this vehicle. That's what's been lacking in electric vehicles."
Begley touted the benefits of electric vehicles and hybrids, focusing on the economic benefits. "Forget about the environment," he said, noting that it cost him $12 to drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. "It fits my pocketbook."
The Phoenix SUT is based on a rolling platform from an undisclosed Korean automaker. It's fitted with a 200-horsepower Enova motor and powered by Altairnano NanoSafe rechargeable nano-titanate batteries. Altairnano says this technology has advantages over traditional lithium ion batteries, the least of which is generating less heat. The company also says the battery can handle thousands more recharging cycles, so durability and battery life are much longer. The Phoenix SUT is designed with a range of 100 miles and can be recharged in 10 minutes with a fast charger. Otherwise, it takes about 7 hours with a conventional outlet. Top speed in the 3,800-pound truck is 95 mph. The GVWR is 4,800 pounds, which gives the SUT a 1,000-pound payload.
Dan Reigert of Phoenix says fleet operators are the first target as the vehicle starts with a planned 500-unit production in 2007. Vehicles are currently assembled by Boshart Engineering in Southern California. If the technology can be transferred effectively to Korea, production could expand to 6,000 the following year and ultimately to to 100,000 by 2010. Initial starting price is $45,000 but Reigert says the gasoline equivalent operating cost is 30 cents to a gallon of gasoline.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jeff Banks 6:30PM (10/31/2006)
I really like this little truck...reminds me of the Subaru Baja. Even though everyone always thought that it was kind of stupid, I have always wanted one.
Reply
Terranismo 6:39PM (10/31/2006)
The Phoenix SUT and SUV are based off of the Korean Ssangyong Actyon.
Reply
Sgt. Hulka 6:38PM (10/31/2006)
Yeah man. Ed Begley. Just the hairy-chested Hollywood type I want as front man for my trucks.
Reply
roadster 6:41PM (10/31/2006)
Ssangyong Actyon SUT is the "unnamed" vehicle. A face only a mother or car hater like Begley could love.
Reply
chris 6:45PM (10/31/2006)
Add two hundred miles to that range and I will sign on the dotted line.
Reply
Lee Gibson 7:07PM (10/31/2006)
Wow, Ed. Yeah, you DO need some help in the style department. Maybe you could get some of those door handles that look like Klingon fighting knives.
Reply
Mike Z. 7:30PM (10/31/2006)
a) It's Ugly
b) I'm start to really warm to the idea of electric cars. After all if it gets 100 miles range, and they can improve the range by 15% a year, you get 350 miles range in 10 year. Plus the cost per mile is simply amazing.
Reply
laserwizard 8:14PM (10/31/2006)
Wow! Begley as a spokesperson. I guess an animated Tampax would have cost to much to draw so instead they find a used on, the Begley Brand, to showcase the ugliest vehicle made since the Pontipuke Aztek.
Perhaps Begley could share with us how many pounds of cat litter he can carry in the litterbox on the back of that thang.
Reply
J P 8:22PM (10/31/2006)
so... why can begley succeed in bringing a form of a car usually seen only in foreign markets- a ssangyong- to the the U.S. now, when old Malcolm Bricklin still hasn't brought over his famed chinese cars that are supposed to be oh so amazing value for the money
Reply
Steven Lough (Pres. Seattle EVA) 9:09PM (10/31/2006)
Geezzz! Doesn't any on this BLOG read international news. Global Warming will cost the PLANET more than the First, and Second World War, and the Great Depression put together !! We here in Seattle have Also gone into the "Lions Den" as it were... Our biggest Annual EV Show is in the Middle of the States Largest Hot Rod and Custom Car show on Greenwood AV. each year... "Gasless on Greenwood" we call it. HATS OFF to my friend Ed, for going where "angles fear to tread"
Reply
Cervus 9:48PM (10/31/2006)
Steven:
The Sterns Report tries to make projections over two HUNDRED years based on projections from very unreliable climate models. It would be like going back to 1806 and telling Robert Fulton not to bother because his steamboat will just end up killing the planet.
As for EVs in general, battery technology is progressing. The above can recharge in ten minutes with the right charger. But the range is still anemic at best, and unsuitable for long roadtrips. When I can get one for under $20k with a 250 mile range, we'll talk.
Reply
Ed 10:45PM (10/31/2006)
What seems to be absent from these comments is that Begley is right - every EV so far has been ass-ugly. If they're ever going to be commercially viable, they'll need a little more aesthetic appeal.
That said, most of the stuff at SEMA looks like the notebook doodlings of a 16 year old boy. Gaudy, expensive, "2 Fast 2 Furious" aftermarket bolt-on crap. Going to SEMA to get style points is like asking Mark Foley to babysit your kids.
Reply
ruggels 10:53PM (10/31/2006)
"12. What seems to be absent from these comments is that Begley is right - every EV so far has been ass-ugly. "
Really?
The Telsa is ass ugly?
http://www.teslamotors.com
The Fetish is ass ugly?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venturi_Fetish
Those are just the EVs u can currently buy, I could link you to a half dozen other attractive electric cars not currently sold but in limited release for evaluation.
So what's your definition of non ass-ugly if the Telsa, Fetish and myriad of limited release Nissans, Hondas, Toyotas, et-al don’t count?
Reply
GhostDoggy 5:23AM (11/01/2006)
I think Mr. Begley is the black-eye of the electric vehicle's image. Want to improve that image? Lose Mr. Begley. He's noted and viewed as a crackpot well beyond what perception of electric vehicle presents. Sorry, Ed, but go home.
On a side note, why doesn't he spend time trying to get a national yearly emission test put in place, and hold all vehicles regardless of age held to year-built EPA emission standards? Oh, that would be too difficult, I guess.
Reply
adb 8:10AM (11/01/2006)
Steve @ EVA,
While I am concerned about global warming, I am equally concerned about spokespeople for the environment who neglect to use their handy tools for checking spelling, grammar, and punctuation ("where angles fear to tread"?) which is why said spokespeople might be viewed as less than reliable sources of information. Let's face it--you can make your case better if you sound professional.
That being said, I wouldn't mind considering an EV if the technology were advancing as fast as other fields. Yes, the Tesla is cool, but an $80,000 two-seater is still a niche product, and a $50,000 four-seater (which I think is what is planned next) is still not mass market. Remember that Toyota lost anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000 (depending on who you talk to) for the first couple of years on every Prius sold; most companies can't afford that longterm investment.
Reply
kent beuchert 10:48AM (11/01/2006)
While there would be net CO emission reductions simply because electricity is inherently cleaner, the major benefit from electric cars and plug-in hybrids will be elimination of crude imports. The Altair batteries lifespan is well over 20 years, over 40 years in terms of daily full rechargings. On a per year cost basis, the Altair batteries are cheap, but their initial cost high. While they weigh twice as much as li ion batteries, they weigh only half as much as nickel metal-hydride batteries. The time to recharge is limited only by the amount of power on hand - a dryer outlet (240Volts, 60 amps) could produce 14.4 kilowatt hours per hour. The battery pack for the 100 mile range vehicle will have a capacity around 25 kilowatt hours, requiring 1 hour 45 minutes
to recharge the battery pack from complete discharge state. It will actually be less, since some juice will still be present at start of charging.
Reply
kent beuchert 10:47AM (11/01/2006)
The problem with Begley in my view is that he's been a
unmitigated liar in the past when he's pushed electric cars - as in "Who Killed the Electric Car?", when he said that "the electric car is not for everyone, it only meets the transportation needs of 90% of the drivers." Apparently those drivers never need to travel to destinations 40 miles away, never go on vacation, have $40,000 available for a grocery-getter, etc. The Altair batteries make a viable electric car possible for the very first time - we now have a battery that will outlast your next 4 cars, that can be recharged in a few minutes, which gives the car unlimited range. The quick recharge capability and everlasting batteries is what makes a viable electric car possible.
I remind you folks that this pickup is aimed at
commercial fleet owners, like utility companies and
mainteneance companies. They are not designed for
cheerleaders. They also have an SUV that doesn't look half bad and will be out next Spring.
Reply
Devin Lussier 10:58AM (11/01/2006)
That's UGLY! I'll wait for the Tesla sedan thank you very much, or maybe they can come out with something not based on an already-hideous Ssangyong.
Reply
Very Suspicious 6:42PM (12/20/2006)
Just remember the people trying to down-play this electric car are 99% paid oil or auto industry workers.
Everyone knows that GM and Texaco Bought controlling stock of the NiMh battery technology and immediately banned sales of the large NiMh Electric vehicle batteries in North America.
I wonder how long it will be before they buy up this technology and ban it too??? We should all keep watch for when (not if) it happens.
Very Suspicious
Reply
EEtechnolgy 12:02PM (8/22/2007)
kent beuchert, you have been figured out pal. I know who you are and I hope your stock in oil goes to pants. Have a nice life being poor buddy in the next few years.
Reply