In honor of Earth Day, I’m re-posting this. Not much I can add to this… except, if you listen carefully, this Grandfather still has hope.
Category: Miscellaneous Riffraff
I put this together about a year ago, and was reminded of it while looking at the Advanced Performance Solar site- the National Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE). Here it is again:
Cool site… linky here.
DSIRE is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. Established in 1995 and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, DSIRE is an ongoing project of the N.C. Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.
OK, besides being the youngest EV builder I know, this kid has a way with duct tape. Check it out.
This is his first project, a mini-dirtbike, built on a 49cc donor. Apparently, the frame had some, uh, fairly catastrophic issues…
Jake’s main blog page is here- you can see several of his projects… but this kid has been tampering with the elemental forces of the Universe since he was 12. Shown above is his second conversion, a pocket bike that had a rather, uh, dramatic failure of battery mount. A build after my own heart.
He’s got plans, too… business plans that is. Take a look at his shop site.
I’m keepin’ my eye on this kid.
’nuff said! Unofficial vid:
Want to race in the TTXGP? Don’t know quite how to design and build something that will pass muster for the race? In a brilliant move, Mavizen has set up a program that allows you, in four days, to learn how the state of the art systems work, put the parts together, and ride a bike around a track.
Azhar Hussain discussed the program at a recent TIE Boston presentation as a unique solution to getting teams that are interested in racing, but lacking the confidence and know-how to field a competitive bike to get a safe, reliable, and factory-supported bike together in the shortest amount of time imaginable- 4 days- thus growing the field, spreading the word, and building a foundation for the future growth of the sport.
Here’s the 2010 schedule:
Mavizen Certification Course Schedule
Day 1
Theory – Batteries, Motors, Controllers, Chargers
Technologies. Cost/Benefits
Building Battery Management Systems
Safety Systems
Day 2
Controllers
Motors
Safety Systems
Day 3
Software Systems
Construction
Wiring Considerations.
Safety Systems
Day 4
Performance
Strategies
Future Considerations
Wrap up
Safety Systems
We haven’t been able to find updated information on the program. Hussain said it was essentially the same cost as purchasing the bike assembled from Mavizen. It’s street legal, insurable, but if you live in the US there may be some problems getting it back into the country once it’s built.
Hussain, Mavizen and the TTXGP are clearly covering all the bases in building the sport, expanding the scope of competitors, and spreading the electric motorcycle message…
Thanks to PlugBike for the great story! Check the link for more details.
(Photo courtesy TTXGP via Asphalt and Rubber)
The talk at TIE Boston by Azhar Hussain of the TTXGP gave an interesting inside look at the workings of a pretty unique start-up. This ain’t no brick-and-mortar twist on a hotdog stand, or some etherial web startup that has an office stacked with fancy chairs and a catchy URL. This is a race. Actually, a worldwide series of races. Not only that, it was a chance to se it’s founder, Azhar Hussain, give a pitch to potential investors and partners- this is what TIE is all about.
This expanded “elevator pitch” was an opportunity to learn a bit about the race itself and understand how powerful racing is, especially in a fast-developing technology- in supercharging the ramp-up of a mass-market product. It was also a great chance to see a master pitch-man at work. (First step, self-depreciatingly deny that you’re a pitch-man… but make no mistake, this guy is as good as you’ll see.)
The biggest, most important point I took from the talk is that we’re re-booting motorsports here. As Hussain said, it’s a chance to “Control-Alt-Delete” the sport and start fresh. There are a bunch of ways you’re seeing this in action. One is the rules-wiki- allowing anybody with an internet connection to weigh in on the rulebook. (Yes, I’ve requested a lift on the ban of Flux Capacitors.) Another byproduct of this reboot? The active involvement of women in the sport.
I asked if my perception that there were more women riding, and in general, active in the TTXGP was actually true. Second, was TTXGP actively soliciting more involvement from women. The answer in both cases was “Yes”.
Most of the reason behind this is the relative difficulty for women to break into the club of traditional gas-powered motorcycle racing. Not only is it tough for any new rider to get even into privateer racing, for a woman it’s an entirely other level of barriers. In the case of the TTXGP, they’re doing everything they can to convince any rider or team that has two wheels,batteries and a motor to compete- and they’re soliciting women in particular. There’s a whole, untapped group of the finest riders in the world who simply don’t have a chance to ride in a world-class competition. Until now.
It was funny. Hussain tried to downplay the “Green” aspect of the race- he said you can only talk about that for so long before people start to nod off- he instead talked about how the race will redefine motorsports- a much more interesting idea. It turns out, it’s more than just getting 220V charging systems onto the pits, or trying to write a new rulebook, or making less noise and smoke.
It’s about opening up the field to a new class of rider- riders we’re seeing for the first time, any maybe wouldn’t have had the chance to see at all.
And, the results of the VIR TTZGP?
01 (Position)
Michael Barnes (Rider)
Lightning Motorcycles (Team)
1:44.093 (Best Time)76.385 (Average Speed)
02
Zoe Rem
Team Agni
1:47.668
75.231
03
Thad WolffTeam Electra Racing
1:49.028
74.293
04
Mike Hannas
ElectricRaceBikes.com
1:52.03872.297
05
Jennifer Bromme
Werkstatt Racing
1:52.646
71.907
06
Brian Evans
Square Wave Racing
2:16.539
59.324
Watch out boys… The girls are here to kick some ass. And they’re not wearing bathing suits.
This weekend I got the sad news from a good friend that his wife, Stephanie, had passed away after a long battle- 25 years- with cancer.
Steph had grown up in a notorious area in California- a residential area polluted with carcinogens. The legacy of that site has had repercussions to the residents for decades. At the time, the industries that caused the contamination either didn’t know or didn’t care what the implications of their disposal were. Ultimately, the decision to dispose of these chemicals without complete understanding of their impact on the surrounding environment, and the people who lived there, was not made with responsibility and safety as the criteria, it was made for short-term profits.
Their collective imagination somehow could not grasp the effect of this decision on real people, and real lives. They do not know Steph. They cannot have imagined the scope of the damage that they were doing to people- if they were capable of that vision, yet did this in spite of it, then my contempt for them knows no words.
Steph, thankfully, had a wonderful, rich life and was blessed to have a long period of relatively good health for much of her time with her daughter.
If you have any doubt about your resolve and commitment to finding environmentally responsible solutions to our energy needs, to holding corporations and governments responsible for their actions, for fighting the complacence of the mass-consumer mentality of this country and this world- think again. Think of Steph. Her husband, her family, and the friends and families of the lives she has touched…. and what they’ve suffered so a corporation could post a good year for their shareholders.
I’m reposting this video- a Native American Elder asking, when do you cease to be a CEO and start being a Grandfather. My question: when do you stand up for what you believe, and become a human being, a citizen of the world, and decide not to act as a self-centered, spoiled child?
Check it, bitches!
ddd-d-ddDOWN??? I’ll be OK, no, really. breathe…
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