FAQ
How
much will an
Electric Blue™
car cost?
Electric Blue vehicles will start at about $20,000.
How
will I finance it?
Just like any other car. Electric Blue will identify
responsive lenders and make the list available on our web
site.
What
about insurance?
Your insurance agent will insure the vehicle just like the
normal gas version. In fact, they do not have any way to
differentiate the engine type in their standard policies.
Is
there a warranty?
We will warranty the car for 3 years. The batteries have a
3 year pro-rated warranty.
How
do mileage costs compare with a gas vehicle?
It takes about 10 Kilowatt hours to charge the Electric
Blue. Kilowatt hours vary in cost from about $.03 to $.12,
depending on where you live and if you are on a day/night
plan and the rates in general. So, it costs between $.30
and $1.20 to go 50 miles. If gasoline costs $3.50 per
gallon, that same trip will usually require 1-2 gallons, or
between $3.50 and $7.00.
Also, unlike a conventional gasoline powered vehicle, the
Electric Blue vehicle can be charged from solar panels or a
windmill which reduces the fuel cost to Zero!
The electric car does not use any power in the drive motor
when it stops in traffic, saving even more!
What are the actual operating costs of an
Electric Blue™
vehicle?
The easiest way to answer this is by mentioning all the
costs you don’t have: there are no tune ups, no oil changes
and no filters, spark plugs or other wear items in the
motor. If you select a battery type that requires
maintenance, you will have to put distilled water in every
3 months or so. Of course, you will still have to service
the brakes and tires occasionally.
The batteries will last 3-5 years depending on how you use
them. If you can charge the battery after each short trip,
it will last longer than if you run it all the way down. A
new set of batteries costs about $1500.00.
How
safe is it?
We use only cars that meet all the applicable traffic
safety standards. We do not change the basic structure of
the car or its safety features. The batteries are secured
in place with welded battery racks that are designed to
restrain the batteries in the event of a collision or
rollover. By placing the batteries under the rear seat, we
put the weight low in the vehicle, lowering its center of
gravity and further reducing the chance of a rollover.
Also, by going to electric, we eliminate all the gasoline
and its associated fire and explosion hazard from the
vehicle.
How
much notice do I have before I run out of juice?
The original gas gauge on the dashboard will show how much
power is available. You will have to plan your trips to
allow them to fit in the 50 mile range. Also, the 50 mile
range is for flat land, it will be less in hilly terrain.
What
if I have to drive more than 50 miles?
The Electric Blue cars plug into an ordinary outlet. You
can charge it anywhere to extend the range. So, if you
drive 25 miles to work and you can charge it there, you
will have the full range available when you go home. And,
as a bonus, your batteries will last longer too!
What
kind of performance does it get?
The electric version usually performs as well or better
than the original gas version, except for the range. As an
example, our prototype goes 0-60 in 12 seconds where the
original gas engine goes 0-60 in 15 seconds.
How
long does it take to charge?
The standard charger will restore a full charge in about 8
hours from an ordinary 115V outlet. We plan to offer an
optional 240V charger that will plug into a clothes dryer
outlet that will charge the battery in 3-4 hours.
When
will you have a longer-range vehicle?
The range of the car is solely determined by the batteries.
Battery technology is constantly improving and we will
adopt new battery technology as soon as it becomes
practical and affordable.
So
an
Electric Blue™
car is clean! But what about pollution from the power plant
providing the electricity to charge it?
Electricity is made from many sources including: coal,
natural gas, nuclear, wind, solar, and hydro electric.
Burning a gallon of gas produces about 30 pounds of CO2,
utility supplied power, given the mix of sources, only
produces 5 pounds for 10 Kilowatt hours.
With electricity, YOU have the choice of where it comes
from. You can use the grid, solar, wind or hydro power
What
about converting used cars? Wouldn’t that make an
Electric Blue™
vehicle even more affordable?
The electric components (except the batteries) will not
normally wear out so you will want to put them in a car in
good condition. Often, older vehicles need to be cleaned
up, painted or have other work done to them to get them in
good condition. These costs do make converting an older
vehicle less attractive than it would appear at first
glance. Also, the Federal income tax credit only applies to
new cars.
Electric conversions get the best results when the original
vehicle weighs less than 3000 pounds. Many cars weigh much
more than this.
We are considering this option. Please contact us with your
ideas.
Electric Blue will have a limited number of test vehicles,
evaluation returns, and other used cars available at very
reasonable prices.
Believe
in the dream! It’s about to come true.