Here are some EVS-23 pictures — I wish I had taken some more actually, like of the Envision Lifeport and the Challenge X cars being test-driven. But here’s what I have (the first shot is of EnergyRush producer/cameraman/inventor/editor extraordinaire, Eric Bishop, who will be pissed when he sees I put him on the blog…hahaha):

Here’s a shot of the dining area that the Anaheim Convention Center had set up — it was HUGE! And they catered a lunch to everybody attending.

And of course, the Piece de Resistance:

Finally, Paul Steinbroner was very insistent that this picture be taken to prove that there are handsome guys working for Tesla. The broad on the cute guy’s right is yours truly (don’t blame me for looking boring; the dress code for the event was ‘business casual’, which sort of made me laugh, but also made me put on gray woolen trousers).

Anyway, I certainly enjoyed being there, and I hope these shots pique your interest — I hope the story will air on EnergyRush Soon!

–Refined gOil

Yay! I can finally upload pictures again…Take a look at these from Gadget’s workshop:

I’ll put some up from EVS-23 tomorrow!

–Refined gOil

…from EVS-23. I did probably close to 10 full interviews, and we only skimmed the first millimeters of the surface of what was actually on display at that convention. And everyone I talked to who had been there in years past said that the event is just getting bigger and better every year. The most interesting display for me was probably Envision’s LifePort solar carport/rec room/partybarn/whatever you want it to be. It would take up too much space to describe the awesomeness here, so just click on the link and read about it. And I think EnergyRush will be working with Envision in the future; and that’s a good thing. We’ve covered vehicles so much, I think it’s time we looked at what Envision is doing, and what the implications are for the average dude or dudette — pretty much anyone can go solar now, if they want to. I think we’re really seeing the dawn of a new age.
–Refined gOil

Today is EVS-23 for me…I hear that I might actually get to drive a Tesla! Now I just have to get from Culver City to the Anaheim Convention Center and cross my fingers that by 9:30 the traffic won’t be so bad. Speaking of Anaheim, I wonder how much electricity Disneyland uses on any given day…

–Refined gOil

So, we also spoke to the Reverend Gadget, of Left Coast Electric in Culver City, CA. Basically, Gadget is the coolest guy I’ve ever met. He and his partners convert ANY car to electric — and they’re on the verge of employing some breakthrough lithium ion technology. For years they’ve been satisfying customers like Tommy Chong with lead-acid battery conversions — now they want to kick it up a couple hundred notches with the lithium technology. But the coolest thing about Gadget and Left Coast Conversions, is that the future is built into their long-term business plan. They’re trying to standardize everything so that as even hotter advances in electric vehicle technology come along, they’ll fit right into the current systems the company employs. From no major automobile manufacturer have I ever heard such a philosophy; Gadget actually seems to want the very cars he works on now to have a life through the evolution of electric tech. Maybe that’s because one of his major beliefs is that nothing should ever have to go into a landfill. Okay, I could go on and on about this guy — he is the antithesis of ‘greenwashed’ thinking. His ideas are wide ranging (like his plan to use water hyacinths to purify water and undergo a process of pelletization, which will extract the water and produce burnable organic pellets), and they take into account that old time arrow in a way that’s difficult for the mere mortal to comprehend. I found myself speechless at different moments during the interview (WORSE than with Dr. Frank), because some of his ideas were so novel and astonishing, and yet so clear and sensible. He also has giant parties in his garage, the themes of which are reflected in the changing murals painted on the floor — the space also sports a kitchen and a full bar, and it has the cozy appearance of some of the co-op living spaces I became familiar with in Vermont. People stride through wearing paint-splattered aprons. There is an ancient piano in one corner, a porsche in another, a papier-mache looking cheshire cat face suspended from the ceiling, and detritus everywhere lit by big overhead flourescents and the occasional coiled energy-efficient bulb. It looks like a paradise for an inquisitive mind. I could’ve stayed there for hours past the extent of our welcome just admiring Gadget’s playground. Maybe I’ll get to go back, and hopefully I won’t stand around looking like Sandra Dee after getting hit on the head with an anvil.

–Refined gOil

P.S. Here’s Gadget’s own website: reverendgadget.com

WOW. So, two days ago, we covered the X Challenge cars leaving the Petersen Automotive Museum. I actually got to drive Mississippi State’s car — I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT! It was so friendly and smooth. One of their coolest features was an (I assume LCD) screen on the dash with all the car’s stats, clearly visible. Mississippi’s car performed SO well at higher speeds, and they also employed a regenerative breaking system (that’s when energy is recycled within the car, because at stops, the engine switches off — of course, I had no idea that technology was called “regenerative breaking”. And the car I drove was just one of many impressive alternative power vehicles that were competing and the challenge. A GM spokeswomen we interviewed said that some of the technology she was seeing with these student-built cars could very easily end up on the market in the future — that’s how smart and slick these student competitors were! And, a highlight for me: I finally got to meet Dr. Frank. Poor guy…I was totally star-struck and stuttering, but he was very gracious, and let me conduct a stumbling and googly-eyed interview anyway. Looks like I’ll be seeing him in the future again! Now, I just have to get rid of the butterflies and convince myself that I’m looking at a real human when I’m talking to him and not a genius from on high (even though that’s sort of what he is).

–Refined gOil

We just scored an interview for tomorrow with Dick Messer, the director of the Petersen Automotive Museum! X Prizers are leaving at 8:30 am from the museum — we’ll be up early to cover it. And look for a possible story on Hollywood Goes Green later in December…

–Refined gOil

While I was letting the turkey digest, I decided to visit the Petersen Automotive Museum on Wilshire and Fairfax, to get a jump on a possible story next week — the X Prize cars are supposedly celebrating by ceremoniously leaving the Petersen to travel to Anaheim for the EVS-23 convention. I had heard that the Petersen is also doing an alternative fuel vehicle exhibit right now, so I wanted to check that out, but I wasn’t too thrilled about the idea of a car museum in general — I mean, a car is a car; it’s a utilitarian machine, and I don’t like the idea of glorifying it too much after all the trouble it’s caused. But I tell you, I was drawn in by the first cars in the lobby before I even bought my ticket, and became more fascinated as I went on from exhibit to exhibit. It’s obvious that the creators of the museum have a love for vehicles that encompasses history, hard work, innovation, ingenuity, along with an appreciation for changing body styles, colors, and horsepower. It took me a good long while to even get up to the alt. fuel exhibit — and when I did, it was awesome and thorough and let me in on a couple of alternative energy options I didn’t even know had been experimented with for automobile use (turbines, jet engines, rocket engines, steam!). And they actually have an EV1 on the premises, which I never thought I’d get to see, so that made my day. There’s also an entire section of the museum devoted to ‘Hollywood cars’ like Herbie the Love Bug, lots of models driven or donated by Steve McQueen (that guy loved his cars and motorcycles) and the Michael Keaton-era Batmobile. Oh yes, and how can I forget the little custom pink number from 2 Fast 2 Furious the movie? In the end, I felt myself pulled towards a beautiful old car, with contrasting deep navy-looking body and cream-colored chopped top. I looked at it for a few minutes, and then began to read the placard in front of the exhibit. It was the beautiful customized car Clark Gable had given to Carole Lombard shortly before her death — and I actually got choked up. What a softy!
–Refined gOil

The EnergyRush video “On the Road with Professor Andrew Frank” sort of tickled my imagination from the start, because of the involvement of younger people in Dr. Frank’s projects. While I’m grateful that anyone is conducting research and making advances in the sustainable energy/fuel fields, there is a serious lack of coverage of the under 40 set. I’m hoping that our upcoming stories on the Solar Decathlon and EVS-23 will reveal some fresh faces. The fact that Dr. Frank works out of UC Davis and not some sort of national conglomerate — and is still producing the most cutting-edge technology around — should be a big happy flag for all of us seeking out the presence of a younger crowd, and an indicator that the top players in the green fuel movement are a mixed bag. For a while, I had the feeling that people pushing for green (and enjoying some mainstream success) were mostly borderline yuppies of a certain age who were tapping back into their hippie roots while using the marketplace knowledge they gained during the freakfest we like to call “The Eighties.” Not so. Team Fate, the brainchild of Dr. Frank, made its entrance in 1971 at the University of Wisconsin, and then migrated with its papa to UC Davis in 1985. Young People have always served as the base of Dr. Frank’s vision (well, that’s my assumption, but knowing that Dr. Frank is a teacher, I don’t think it’s too inaccurate). Anyway, you can read about Team Fate’s history, check out their blog, learn about Challenge X, and read up on the UC Davis’ Hybrid-Electric Vehicle Center (under the direction of Dr. Frank) on the Team Fate page. Enjoy!

–Refined gOil

John describes the current environmental awareness climate as “the end of the beginning”. Alternative energy is on the tip of the tongue of many people who knew little or nothing about solar, biodiesel, methane or geothermal energy possibilities 10 years ago. Now that there’s a general awareness about options, John predicts a shift into a phase of action, a “biofuel adolescence.” He excitedly told me about attending Opportunity Green over the weekend, a ‘sustainable business conference’ at UCLA that sported the banner phrase “Being green and being profitable.” The conference boasted an impressive list of speakers, including Kevin Wall, founder of Live Earth, and Johnathan Greenblatt, co-founder of Ethos Water and Senior X-Prize Advisor.

“If we’re not getting the response we want from the marketplace, we can create our own solutions, and the market will respond”, said John. He asked me if I knew what the term “externality” meant. Having neglected to complete any sort of economics course ever in my life, I had to admit my ignorance. Externalities are issues (for our purposes, environmental ones) not taken into account in market planning. The goal for greenies now is to move external issues like sustainability to the forefront, so that businesses will include them in their plans on the ground floor. John cited Ethos water as an example of how sustainability and responsibility can be built into a business plan from the start — and the venture will see a truly successful outcome.

On the other hand, the icky sticky buzzword that John introduced me to is “greenwashing” — which is an unfortunate reality as we approach a paradigm shift in the way we use and view energy. It’s possible that opportunists may misuse ‘greening’ in any number of ways. The best way to prevent this is by getting the hard facts out there about options available to both individuals and businesses. Contractors and advisors are now specializing in “green” planning, which is still a dicey thing in itself — as I’ve blogged before, there is no rule book, no definitive guide. But luckily there are proven and budding experts in the field.

As we move into a new phase of green technologies, we’re already faced with issues of quality and supply. Anyone can make biodiesel. But will it be reliable, safe and sustainable? For John, Green Depot’s mission is to see those criteria met for any prospective energy source: “If it’s sustainable, we want to make it available.”

–Refined gOil