Delta-Q Technologies QuiQ 1500 Industrial Battery Charger Enters Full- Scale Production

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Marc Cesare

The new QuiQ 1500 battery charger from Delta-Q Technologies.

Delta-Q Technologies announced that their new QuiQ 1500 Industrial Battery Charger has begun full-scale production. The charger can be used with burden carriers, utility vehicles, golf cars and LSVs, and is available in 48- and 72-volt models. From an earlier post about the new charger:

The QuiQ 1500 is a higher power version of the original QuiQ 1000 that is found in many electric utility vehicles used in material handling. The QuiQ 1500 allows users to charge existing battery packs up to 30 percent faster than the QuiQ 1000 or equip machines with a bigger pack and still meet a 5- or 8-hour charging time requirement. The QuiQ 1500’s compact design matches the exact dimensions and mounting configuration of the existing QuiQ 1000, allowing swift replacement of any existing QuiQ charger. With a standard North American 110V AC power source, the QuiQ 1500 provides 1200 watts of output power, and at 220 or 230 VAC, 1500 watts of output power.

Learn more: PRNewswire.com

Google To Begin Testing Self-Driving LSVs

Posted on May 18, 2015 by Marc Cesare

Google Prototype self-driving low-speed vehicle.

Google is planning on testing its own Google prototype self-driving vehicles on the roads of Mountain View, with safety drivers aboard. The vehicles will be low-speed vehicles (LSVs) produced by Roush Industries and will be on the road this summer. Roush provides services to move from concept to prototype to manufacturing and has experience in the automotive, motorsports and alternative fuel vehicle markets. The vehicles will have manual controls to conform with California autonomous vehicle code but Google has reported that it plans to make vehicles in the future without steering wheels or manual brakes. Learn more: Autoconnectedcar.com

Comment: Perhaps the next place to test the vehicles will be in gated communities where there is a defined and limited road network and all the traffic is low-speed.

Get Your Electric or Gas Golf Car Ready For The Season

Posted on May 18, 2015 by Marc Cesare

We’ve posted a pair of articles in our tech section on annual maintenance for electric and gas golf cars. It’s aimed at the owner who is pulling their vehicle out of storage for seasonal use but can also be used as an annual or semi-annual maintenance guide, if you use your vehicle year around. If you are a hands-on owner, most or all of the maintenance can be done by yourself. If not, some of the maintenance checks you can do yourself and the more complicated procedures can be handled by your local golf car dealer. In any case, the guides give you some knowledge about key areas of your electric or gas golf car that you should check at least once a year. The guides are courtesy of Jack Triolo of Mountaintop Golf Cars in Banner Elk, NC and www.golfcarcatalog.com.

How To Extend Battery Life

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Marc Cesare

An article from Battery Watering Technologies has been posted in our Buying Guides/Tech section. The article provides some tips on when and how to water your electric vehicle batteries and provides some information about their single point watering system and new i-Lite sensor which helps you keep track of water levels. Learn more: Smallvehicleresource.com

Oregon Electric Vehicle Incentives Would Include NEVs

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Marc Cesare

Having established a sizable EV charging infrastructure, Oregon now may provide incentives for purchasing or leasing EVs.

A House bill working its way through the Oregon legislature would provide cash incentives for purchasing a range of alternative vehicles including NEVs. House bill 2092 would provide different levels of incentives for all-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and fuel-cell vehicles. The incentives would be applied at the time of sale against the down payment or to reduce the amount financed. The incentive levels are as follows:

All-electric highway capable vehicle – $3,000
Hydrogen powered vehicle – $3,000
Plug-in hybrid – $1,500
Electric motorcycle – $1,000
NEV – $750

This is the first time that Oregon is providing incentives for purchasing electric vehicles. In the past they have encouraged the development of charging infrastructure in the state, which is now one of the best in the country. The incentives are deemed necessary if the state is to meet their zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate that requires 15% of the new-vehicle mix in 2025 to be ZEVs. Learn more: Greencarreports.com

Comment: Historically incentives have provided a boost to NEVs sales, although they typically have been worth more money. At the $750 level this incentive amounts to about 7.5% of the cost of an NEV. It may be enough of an incentive for someone to already considering purchasing a vehicle to choose an NEV over a new or customized golf car, but may not be enough to encourage a new purchase that wasn’t already being considered.

Golf Cars Finding Success In Thailand

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Marc Cesare

Local media reports that Global Electric Motorcars Asia and others are finding success in Thailand selling electric golf cars (not to be confused with Polaris’ GEM brand). Key market segments are resorts and hotels in the South and universities in the Northeast. The company has three showroom locations with service centers in the country, one in Bangkok and two more in the South with plans to open a third. Used primarily for people transport and golf, the majority of the vehicles in the market are imported. Cost-conscious shoppers tend towards Chinese imports that are exempt from the stiff 40-50% import tax other manufacturers pay. The company is also trying to get NEVs licensed for use on public roads to expand the market. Learn more: Phuketgazette.net

Columbia ParCar Purchases Tomberlin

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Marc Cesare

The Tomberlin Anvil is one of the more consumer-oriented vehicles Columbia ParCar will be adding to their offerings.

The Anvil is one of the more consumer-oriented vehicles Columbia ParCar will be adding to their portfolio under the Tomberlin brand.

Columbia ParCar Custom Carts, Inc., a Nordic Group company, announced that they are in the process of acquiring the assets of Tomberlin Automotive Group. In a statement to dealers, Scott Breckley , President of Columbia ParCar stated

The combined product portfolios across multiple commercial and consumer based platforms will create the worlds leading privately held EV company and a very compelling message for our Dealers, Distributors and Consumers. The result will blend product innovation with superb branding into our heritage of customer care that dates back to 1946. A winning combination in any strategic initiative .

The deal is expected to take another 45 days to close. The Tomberlin brand will continue to stand alone along side the ParCar brand. The merger will be kicked off with a series of regional launch parties starting in the Villages in Florida. Learn more: Parcar.com

Comment: This is a good match of complementary strengths. Tomberlin will add a lineup of vehicles primarily focused on the consumer personal transportation and recreation market but applicable to some commercial applications as well. Tomberlin’s product line includes LSVs and an off-road electric utility vehicle. The deal will allow Columbia ParCar to expand the breadth of their offerings as well as their dealer network. Tomberlin also adds some expertise in sourcing and manufacturing in China and a track record of innovation. When Tomberlin first came to the market they were one of the first companies to design an LSV that looked much more like a car than a golf car or a GEM. With some additional resources available, it will be interesting to see what new products will be launched. The deal also points to the continued effort by companies in all segments of the STOV market to expand their distribution and reach new customers.

Club Car Offering Solar Panels

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Marc Cesare

New solar panel offering from Club Car.

Club Car is now offering rooftop solar panels for their 48-volt Precedent golf cars, Carryall utility vehicles and Villager LSVs. Customers will now be able to capture store and use solar power with the 100-watt Solar Drive Charging Panel Assembly. Club Car reports that “As a yearly average, the system generates 29 percent of the total energy required to drive eight miles per day in West Palm Beach, Fla.” Customer results may vary depending on how they use their vehicle and where they live. The panels measure 40 inches by 26 inches by 0.2 inches thick and weigh less than 6 pounds. The panels are impact resistant, have Teflon-like coating to protect the cells and come complete with a controller, connector to the vehicle’s power supply, all necessary hardware and installation instructions. They can be user- or dealer-installed in about 20 minutes. Learn more: Golfcourseindustry.com

Comment: Club Car now joins GEM and Evergreen Electric Vehicles in offering a solar option for their vehicles. Evergreen and GEM also offers a SolarDrive product. GEM offers 220 watt and 410 watt systems for $2,500 and $4,000 respectively. Pricing was not provided for the Club Car product.

NEVs Help Drive EV Sales in China

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Marc Cesare

Kandi Technologies NEV

According to China’s Association of Automobile Manufacturers sales of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) reached 78,499 units, 3.5 times of such figure in last year.

Among the total, BEV was 48,605 units and PHEV was 29,894 units, 2.4 times and 8.1 times from the previous year respectively. As for the sales, the total volume reached 74,763 units, 3.2 times from a year earlier, of which BEV was 45,048 units and PHEV was 29,715 units, 2.1 times and 8.8 times of that of last year.”

While exact figures are not available it is believed that half or more of the the BEV sales can be attributed to BEVs. Learn more: Insideevs.com

Comment: The Chinese market for NEVs is more conducive to the use of NEVs than the US because of the amount of intra-city driving which requires a lower top speed and less range. The Chinese government is also making a big push for electric vehicles.

What’s Cooking on the STOV: Beach Bugz LSV Rentals

Posted on March 17, 2015 by Marc Cesare

Highlighting some of the many applications for small, task-oriented vehicles

Beach Bugz co-owners Adam Benigni, left, and Jimmy Stephenson have opened a street-legal golf cart rental business, along with partner Adam Smith, not pictured. Photo Credit: David Albers

Beach Bugz co-owners Adam Benigni, left, and Jimmy Stephenson have opened a LSV rental business, along with partner Adam Smith, not pictured. Photo Credit: David Albers

Beach Bugz Offers LSVs for Rent – Beach Bugz, a company based in Naples, FL, started renting LSVs last October for daily, weekend or weekly use at rates of $100, $275 or $475 respectively. Beach Bugz currently has a fleet of 23, six-seat E-Z-GO vehicles that meet LSV regulations and conveniently come with a free beach parking sticker. The company was started by Adam Benigni, Adam Smith and Jimmy Stephenson and they have plans to expand their fleet to between 50 and 100 vehicles to cover from Naples to Marco Island as well as looking to other counties and to hotel rentals. They hope to upgrade the vehicles as well with GPS navigation and bluetooth enabled speakers so customers can stream music over their smartphones. Some businesses in the area offer dedicated parking spots for electric vehicles or LSVs and the City Council is examining ways to encourage LSV use. The rentals have been popular when customers had friends and relatives visiting for Thanksgiving or children coming down for Spring Break. Learn more: Naplenews.com

Comment: A nice niche fleet market is developing for LSVs. In addition to this type of rental company, there have been a number of LSV taxi fleets that have been started in different cities around the country. While they often face some local regulatory issues, in general, they appear to be making some headway.

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