Posts Tagged ‘Early Adopter’

The next three years will be exciting for early adopters in the car industry. As mentioned in a previous post, automakers plan to release next-generation technology that will revolutionize the way we drive. They are part of a new wave of electric vehicles that are designed to reduce overall driving costs, clean our air, and create an interactive driving experience like no other.

But what is it really like to drive an electric car? This week, I interviewed Stefano Paris, who leased an all-electric MINI Cooper (the MINI E) this past year. He gives us the low-down on what it’s like to be one of the first to drive an advanced electric vehicle.

Keep in mind that Stefano has been one of the very early adopters for this technology. Those lucky enough to secure a Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, or Ford Focus Electric will benefit from a newly established charging infrastructure in one of ten regions across the country, as well as the opportunity to benefit from being able to actually purchase their vehicles. This is historically monumental.

Q: What excites you the most about driving an electric car?

Stefano: The sensation of driving a high performance electric car is one of seamless power, lightning quick acceleration, and effortless glide. The convenience and time saving of charging up at home also insures a fully “fueled” vehicle every morning.

Q: What motivated you to be an “early adopter” for new clean car technology?

Stefano:  Several years ago I installed a SunPower 4kW photovoltaic solar system on my roof that generates more energy than required by my house.  I saw a perfect marriage between solar power and electric cars, as I could do all my yearly driving on the excess solar energy and still have a $0 electrical bill.

Q: What is it about the MINI E that attracted you?

Stefano:  The MINI Cooper was already a very cute and adorable car.  Adding an electric drive system could only increase their appeal.  What is particularly pleasing and provides 50% of the fun of driving electric is the very efficient and aggressive regenerative braking of the legendary AC Propulsion drive systems.  As soon as I learned the MINI E was powered by AC Propulsion, I knew the MINI E was going to be fantastic, powerful, quick, and tremendous fun.

Q: How did you apply? Why do you think you were chosen?

Stefano: The application process was very selective and arduous.  Initially everyone that was interested added their email address to MINI’s database to be informed of future MINI E announcements.  On November 19^th, 2008 at the Los Angeles Auto Show, BMW officially announced their MINI E one year lease only program and opened up a website where one could apply to be a MINI E “test driver” after completing a very thorough 2 hour online questionnaire. I received notice in January that I had passed their initial MINI E applicant screening via the online questionnaire.  Selected applicants had to then pass insurance and garage inspection processes.

Q: What did you like the most about being an early adopter?

Stefano: I enjoy adopting early in order to help make the future happen today, within my lifetime.  We can wait around forever for the future to arrive or we can make conscious efforts to improve our living for a more sustainable world. Every single drive of my MINI E was always a smile inducing special experience.  Driving electric has yet to get mundane and continues to be a magical experience even after 20,000 electric miles.

Adopting early also requires you to be flexible and inventive.  Given the lack of compatible public charge stations, I quickly learned and built a significant “charging kit” of cables and adapters that allowed me to drive my MINI E anywhere I wanted.  I even drove my MINI E on a memorable weekend trip to Northern California to visit family.

Q: What did you like the least about your car?

Stefano: The MINI shape isn’t all that aerodynamic.  A more aerodynamic shape (like a Honda CRX or EV1) would have allowed for more range with a lower energy consumption rate.

Q: Would you sign up to be an early adopter again? Why or why not?

Stefano: I’ll continue to be early adopting of all types of technologies, including electric vehicles, but will choose the purchasing and ownership route only.

Dr. Shannon Arvizu is a clean-tech consultant and educator in the plug-in vehicle field. You can read more at MissElectric.com.

Were you one of the first in line for the iPhone? Are you drooling all over your glossy new iPad? Do you have to have the latest and greatest gadgets before anyone else?

If so, I have good news for you because automakers will soon be releasing next-gen technology that will transform the way we drive.

It’s part of a coming wave of new cars that will (finally!) offer options beyond the dinosaur internal combustion technology that’s been around for the past 100 years.

Like many new technologies, however, these future cars will only be available on a limited basis at first.  Field trials of the all-electric Mini E and hydrogen fuel cell Honda FCX Clarity, for example, were limited to Southern California and the New York metropolitan region last year.

These prototype test cars were leased to early adopters for a specified time and then returned to the manufacturers for continued analysis.  Ideally, these trials are intended to help Mini and Honda create even better production cars for the rest of us to enjoy.

Three new cars, the Nissan Leaf, the Chevy Volt, and the Ford Focus Electric, are slated for production in the next year. In addition to cutting-edge technology under the hood, these cars will feature advanced dashboard, navigation, and wireless communication technology that you will not find in standard gas-guzzling machines. They will also come with their own SmartPhone applications for maximizing energy use and minimizing charge costs. For example, this video gives you a taste of the Chevy Volt Wireless App.

How do you get a “car of the future”? This time it won’t be just Californians and New Yorkers who get to show off their new toys: early adopters in several other regions across the country can look forward to getting in on the electric drive action.

Those regions include:

- Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga, TN (for the Nissan Leaf)

- Los Angeles, CA (for the Chevy Volt and Ford Focus Electric)

- San Jose and San Francisco, CA (for the Chevy Volt and Ford Focus Electric)

- San Diego, CA (for the Nissan Leaf)

- New York, NY (for the Ford Focus Electric)

- Austin, TX (for the Ford Focus Electric)

- Phoenix and Tucson, AZ (for the Nissan Leaf)

- Portland, Eugene, and Corvallis, OR (for the Nissan Leaf)

- Seattle, WA (for the Nissan Leaf)

- Detroit, MI (for the Ford Focus Electric)

Early adopters in these regions can expect significant city and state purchase incentives (in addition to the well-publicized $7,500 federal tax credit). In many regions, these folks can also qualify to get a free charger installed in their home for juicing their new electrically-driven wheels. Officials in these cities are working with manufacturers to establish a new public charging infrastructure, as well.

But what is it like to be an early adopter for these future cars? How does one join this energy evolution? In the next few weeks, I hope to interview some first-movers in the electric car field for our Honk readers. Stay tuned for an inside perspective from those who are on the front line of next-gen mobility…

Dr. Shannon Arvizu is a clean-tech strategist and educator. You can read more at MissElectric.com

Eager to get behind the wheel of an electric vehicle but don’t want to go through the hassle of test driving one at the dealership?  Don’t fret (cue trumpet fanfare) because Hertz is coming to the rescue!

Nissan and Renault have announced a partnership in which electric vehicles, like the soon-to-launch Nissan Leaf, will be available for rent at Hertz agencies in the United Sates and Europe.  This partnership is an interesting move for the two automakers because it takes the EV out of the laboratory and allows the public to experience – and judge – these zero emission vehicles in the real world.

On the one hand, the public will now be exposed to the many joys of owning an electric vehicle, like buttery-smooth acceleration and complete lack of emissions from driving.  On the other, Nissan and Renault risk exposing customers to unpleasant “range anxiety” and fear over not being able to find a public charging station.

It’s a double-edged sword for Hertz, too.  The media attention and boost to their green image will be weighed against scary new logistical challenges.  Notably: what happens if a customer runs out of juice and is unable to find a place to charge?

I welcome this move because of its transparency.  Nissan and Renault are, in effect, expressing their confidence in EV technology by making these cars as widely available as possible.  Rather than rely on a handful of early adopters to get the word out, now anyone can take an extended spin and see for themselves.  It’s a bold move, for sure, but I think that it will do far more good than harm.

The Nissan Leaf goes on sale in select markets in late-2010 with wider availability in 2012.  So for all of you EV curious folks planning travel in the coming months, be sure to reserve a Leaf.  Try it out for yourself and let us know what you think.

And even if you’re not an early adopter; you can at least pretend to be one for a few days.