Posted on 02/28/2010 10:02:37 AM PST by ProtectOurFreedom
Marc Korchin thought he had found his mission in life: to benefit the environment and save his fellow Bay Area residents money by selling zero-emission all-electric cars. Two years later, after burning through his life savings, he was forced to close his Berkeley dealership.
And Korchin is not alone. The Bay Area's independent electric car dealerships are in perilous shape, even as electric cars are being hailed as the next big thing by major auto manufacturers.
A number of dealerships, including Zap of Concord, Davis Electric Cars in Davis and EcoMotors in Santa Rosa, appear to have closed within the last two years or so. Ethical Approach Electric Vehicle Center of San Jose has given up selling electric cars and switched to electric off-road vehicles. ELV Motors, in Santa Clara, now markets electric bikes and motor scooters
The phenomenon extends to dealers of conventional brands who offer electric cars on the side. Anthony Batarse, head of the otherwise-thriving Lloyd Wise dealership in Oakland, purchased 10 electric cars in 2008, sold only three and ceased selling the cars. Alameda's O'Connell Electric, the electric division of successful dealership O'Connell Volvo, is barely surviving, said owner Mike O'Connell.
"From the beginning, they were doomed," said Will Beckett, vice president of the Central Coast chapter of the Electric Auto Association. "You can't take them on the freeway. That's why Marc Korchin and his ilk went out of business," said Ed Thorpe, past president of the East Bay chapter of the Electric Auto Association.
"People would come to my dealership and they would see what the car would and wouldn't do," said Korchin. "I'd say, 'Don't you want to help save the planet?'
They'd say, 'Let someone else save the planet. I want something with good speed.' "
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
They'd say, 'Let someone else save the planet. I want something with good speed.'"
ROTFL!!! Great stuff! 500 mile extension cords are hard to find also. Expensive too!
Oh, gosh, poor do-gooders, what to do now?? LMAO
Best news I’ve heard all week! So goes “Air America”, the “MSM”, “newspapers”, global warming participants and now pc car dealers! Can’t force this BS down peoples throats! We won’t buy it! Not even liberals.
What? No bailout for him??
bet you you can get a heck of a deal on a official obama green machine.... still though, a damn expensive planter.
That's not common sense, thats hypocrisy. These are the same green weenies who always vote for Governor Moonbeam whenever he runs for anything, and who vote for the gov to spend our money so they don't have to spend their own.
Finally some good news!
Most not of been unionized or didn't give any money to the Democrats.
And just how does all that electricity get generated?
DUH
And now obyummer and thugs are in charge of the car companies and has such wonderful new ideas to save the planet - such as painting all cars white - or light colors...and making them even flimsier - the thousands of more deaths that will result is a moot point to them - actually, probably a plus: less carbon dioxide breathers.
And they want to paint the roads white and roofs white - to deflect heat. (someone should check up on who has new stocks in white paint.)
Maybe now he should open a business selling wagon wheels.
Librals will buy it if we pay for it.
That's they way it goes with these green types. They want everyone else to practice what they preach. Their actions speak volumes: "Living green" is for chumps.
Who in their right mind buys and opens a dealership for any brand of car when unemployment is as high as it is and people are not spending money? Did he really think an electric car would take the hills of SF well enough to sell?A fool and their money are soon departed!
As a motorcyclist that scares me. Painted surfaces are like grease when wet; we always avoid pavement markings when it rains.
“Closing?”
#####
Here in St. Louis they never even OPENED.
Does that mean St. Louis is infinitely more sane than San Francisco?
Yeah. Paint ‘em white. More fun for the snow plow operators! “Is it a drift, or an electric car that some fool try to operate in this blizzard? Oh well, ‘Thump!Crunch!’”
What kind of sissy would be seen in this thing? Seriously, if they can't sell this homomobile in SF, they aren't going to sell it anywhere...furthermore, what would happen to the driver of such a "vehicle" if it was hit by an 18 wheeler? Are we going to have little electric 18 wheelers on the road now too so that the sissy cars don't make red road paint out of their drivers?
Something tells me that the whole "electric car" thing has really been thought through very well..
A driving range of 100 miles (maybe) certainly would not allow for family vacation trips or long range driving. Topping it off, the "Greenies" want to double our electric rates AND gasoline rates. If they think the economy is in a tailspin now, just wait until they begin to foist this upon us!
Electric cars - a definitive guide
Snip: and will have a projected range of 100 miles.
Cap and trade tax would double utility rates, Wilson says
Rates “would double under the cap-and-tax program. Additionally, gasoline costs would double,” he said.
Based on his Facebook friends,I suggest the cat litter business.
Oh noooooooo loss of green jobs.
Has anyone ever ventured a guess how much your home electricity bill would go up with the addition of an electric car?
As a quarter million mile motorcyclist I would actually feel
safer on my bike than in this thing. No speed or handling to
avoid an accident, and just enough sheet metal to trap you
if you have one.
Electric cars receive their energy from power plants that are controlled by a central authority eventually nationalized.
Electric cars are about control not logic.
I think you will find your statement more true than ever soon.....if this administration gets their way....we’ll ALL be needing more wagons and wheels....
The really odd fact is these phonebooths on wheeels are not cheap!
Any car that can't go at highway speeds for a couple hours before refueling,and can't refuel in 10 minutes or less at thousands of convenient locations is just not suited for 99% of Americans.
Living in Austin, I’ve seen one or two on the highway. From the back, they look a normal-sized car. It’s when you try to pass one (they can’t keep up with traffic) that you realize how tiny it is. I guess it takes some chutzpah to take on on the highway, but I wouldn’t try it. They ain’t cheap, either!
I was in SF last month. Fun town to visit. Observed a trackless trolly—at least that’s what called them in Phillky when I was a kid. Looks like a bus, but is electrically powered via overhead wires.
At any rate, there was a sign on it bragging that the vehicle did not pollute. I wonder what San Franciscans think generates the juice to make the vehicle move.
If you’re planning to visit SF be prepared for very frequent and aggressive pan handling.
Natural gas powered cars would be actually “greener” ,have better range,comfort,safety,use proven technology,and be cheaper to operate.
“Natural gas powered cars would be actually “greener” ,have better range,comfort,safety,use proven technology,and be cheaper to operate.”
And make a pretty kaboom in an accident. No thanks.
I reworked them to 96 volts by adding two batteries and replacing the 400 amp controller with a 750 amp.
They would cruise at 60 mph no problem and were quicker off the line than most cars.
I got about 65 mile range of daily driving. The cost was about $15 a month more on the Edison bill.
Drawback was ZAP Motors Inc sucked.
I had orders for over twenty of them and I couldn't get any delivered to me.
I finally just gave up on ZAP.
Three lies in one sentence.
not to mention the glare of the sun - and, in winter, would make ‘black ice’ seem safe in comparison.
Truly, the lunatics are in charge.
Just as I was getting out of my car, the owner came up and as he opened the door of this atrocity, without thinking, I sneered. (Purely involuntary reaction.)
He looked perplexed but stumped as to a reaction - I'm a white haired ole great granny. I guess he thinks of himself as a savior of mankind.
My son drives a big rig - what would happen?
Grease spot...not to mention, danger of getting sucked in when passing.
An aside: During the blizzards in DC, the Traitor in Chief was 'grounded' - couldn't take the helicopter and was confined to travel by car. BUT the limo couldn't handle the snow - so he had to ride in a SUV.
DUH!
He should have been handed a pair aof snowshoes
I could put it in the back of my Dodge Ram for a spare if they would put a handle on the top so I could lift it out then put it back when done with it.
hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! at least that lib moonbat car dealer was brought to reality by losing his money, rather than mine. hahahahahahahahaha!
I can completely understand your reaction though. When I see these "cars" on the road, I must take measures to prevent myself from doing this...
That's easy. The wall socket.
I completely forgot about the issue of being sucked in or even pushed aside by passing 18 wheelers. There is no way on this earth I would get in one of those tin foil coffins...
That is a really funny mental picture :D
$35,000 for a twike http://www.twike.us
“’Let someone else save the planet. I want something with good speed.’”
Another great bumper sticker or t shirt slogan.
Thanks, it drives as good as it looks. ;)
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