EVLN(Orange County an EV use & charging trendsetter)

[Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter <BruceDP@iname.com>]

EVLN(Orange County an EV use & charging trendsetter)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV informational
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 --- {EVangel}
EV - Orange County Business Journal (OCBJ) Cities, agencies leading OC
to EVs 03/15/99 Copyright UMI Company 1999. All Rights Reserved. 
Copyright Orange County Business Journal Mar 15-Mar 21, 1999

In Orange County, often considered a trendsetter for automobiles, you
can find vestiges of an electric-car industry here and there. 
Irvine-based Alyn Corp. makes cradles and other parts for GM's new
electric vehicle. Packard-Hughes Interconnect, Irvine, is making
electrical connectors to help run an EV's power steering and window
heater.

Some companies, like Costco stores, AMCTheaters and Fashion Island,
recently installed charging stations for their customers. Edison EV, a
subsidiary of Edison International, generated nearly $5 million in
revenue this past year installing charging stations in California. 
Southern California Edison is the largest OC entity using EVs, with 30
vehicles on hand, mostly for meter reading and general errands. A
handful of other companies are testing them, including Disneyland,
Arco, Orthodyne Electronics, Irvine, and Duffy Electric Boat Company,
Costa Mesa.

Saturn of Santa Ana has leased 80 electric vehicles and is gearing up
for the next generation, expected to be on car lots this month.  If
anyone's setting a trend, it's government entities, which are mostly
driven by state and federal incentives. Orange County cities such as
Newport Beach, Anaheim, Brea and Seal Beach have leased a total of 32
electric vehicles.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District is funding a network
of charging stations around Orange County and an electric-vehicle
rental program offering the cars to drivers for about $40 a day.
(These vehicles will be available at Budget RentA-Car locations at
airports, including John Wayne.)

The city of Anaheim is the lead entity in a group of nine cities to
install 40 charging units at 18 sites around Orange County, including
at Fashion Island and Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach and Disney's two
hotels in Anaheim. The $300,000 program, which was completed in
December, was partially funded by the AQMD and partially by the
companies involved. Anaheim also has four electric pickups for use by
city personnel. This summer, it plans to lease up to 12 electric
vehicles to facilitate travel between train stations and employment
areas.

Proponents of EVs often compare them to technologies that took a long
time to become popular, such as VCRs that were invented in the 1950s.
And electric vehicles are about as clunky as one might expect a VCR
from the 1950s to be.

"If you hot-foot it and it's cold and rainy, you can go about 40
miles" before an electric vehicle needs a new charge, said John
Campbell, owner of Santa Ana's Saturn dealership, which leases EVs. 
"If you're driving on freeways and it's warm, you can go about 80
miles." Campbell said that even though his dealership has leased all
of its 80 electric vehicles, sales have been disappointing for GM.

"They expected that this is the land of smog and people were going to
snap them up quicker than they have," Campbell said.  Now Campbell is
waiting for GM's newest EV model, which is scheduled to arrive this
month. The new vehicles are expected to have twice the EV I's range,
thus reaching the level of 80 miles to 100 miles per drive available
in Hondas and Toyotas.  "There seems to be an increased level of
interest in that car over the previous one," Campbell said

____________{Statements may not be my Employer's}  BruceDP@iname.com 
  ____         http://members.aol.com/brucedp/    EV List News Editor
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'@----- @'---(= Get Amp'd   'Electric cruis'n the Santa Clara Valley'
SJEAA EVents officer        Renewable Energy News contributing Editor
http://members.aol.com/sjeaa/  EAA Board member  http://www.eaaev.org