electric atv maker hopes to tap farmers market - lithium iron battery

Sunday, March 15, 2009, AP writer Jeff Barnard reports. —
While automakers are struggling to produce electric vehicles that meet the requirements of American drivers, Ashland-
Heavy duty based on barefoot motor-
ATVs, which can travel 50 miles on duty, costs about 90 cents.
Chief executive Max Scheder said: "I think a lot of attention is focused on the more fascinating car-the carBieschin.
"But there are a lot of other applications that can focus on the advantages of technology.
"Derby zigibaum, vineyard manager for organic Robert simski vineyards in Napa, California. , test-
Drove an early barefoot prototype last year and was eager to become an early adopter when production began in June.
She wants to drag the spraying equipment without smoke, and the ATV can get free power from the vineyard's solar panels.
"In this case, it will actually become a working vehicle to be used in the field, which is becoming more and more feasible," she said . ".
Barefoot ATV $12,000 is 50% higher than heavy ATVduty gas-powered ATV.
But the price of gasoline is around $2 a gallon, and the average electricity is $11.
35 cents per kilowatt
Nationwide, if a farmer travels 5,000 miles a year, the cost will stabilize within seven years.
Higher cost.
As gas prices rise, farms that produce their own electricity from solar panels or manure biogas digesters are highly efficient.
Barefoot is not the first electric ATV to go public.
Miss natchz's bad boy stroller.
The vehicle was prepared for the Hunter.
Dolan electric car in Huntington Beach, California
Gorillas have been sold for years.
Zap electric car in Santa Rosa, California
_ Where is Scheder-
Bieschin worked before and soon a model named Dude came out.
The Barefoot model is very expensive, which is the same as GM's technology.
A Chevrolet Volt electric car is being put in.
Zap had to use lead in order to keep this guy's price around $5,000
Acid batteries with slower charging and less power.
"I think it will be difficult for an electric vehicle unless you use very expensive and fancy battery technology to match the performance and price of a petrol vehicle," said Alex Campbell, spokesman for zap.
"Our goal is to make an affordable and powerful ATV that meets most of the needs of ATV owners.
Rick Doran, president of Doran electric vehicles, is also skeptical that electric ATVs will replace gasoline.
Power machine.
He said his company sold only a few hundred pounds for about $8,000.
Some went to underground mining operations and power companies where there was no exhaust and short turning radius was an advantage.
"Personally, I don't think it's practical yet," he said of the technology . ". But Scheder-
As long as the customer's needs fit the vehicle, they don't have to compromise on performance, says Bieschin.
The farm under 1,000 acres is perfect.
Vehicles can work in the morning, charge at lunch, and go out again in the afternoon while being close to their power supply.
"Our goal is not necessarily to replace all the million ATVs sold each year," he said . ".
"There is room for development in different technologies.
There may be people who love their noise and their Harleys.
But a man walking around the vineyard does not like noise or smoke.
We would be happy if we could get 10,000 of these people every year.
"Albert Strauss, president of Creamery, the Strauss family in Marshall, California
His milk was sold in glass bottles, he used the methane gas from his cows to generate electricity and hot water, and he drove an electric Toyota RAV4 EV.
"My goal is to stay as far away from fossil fuels as possible," he said . ".
But he found it difficult to justify the purchase of electric ATV to collect cows and fix fences before the tax offer.
"I think if we can get the support of the government and society, this technology will make things happen faster," he said . ".
Mary Jo Gresens, the majority owner of Barefoot, said the company plans to start slowly, producing 120 cars in the first year, growing with awareness of global warming.
"So far, the ATV market has been focusing on interesting, athletic things," Gresens said . " Gresens is a native of Detroit and has worked in the automotive industry in the United States. S. and Europe.
"We are not the car.
"The first prototype of Barefoot is an inventory practical ATV with golf cart batteries.
But engineers Dave Mounce and Eli Schless assemble production models from scratch, paying attention to reducing the resistance of things like brakes and improving the efficiency of power systems and steering, which means a larger range.
"In terms of technical differences, we are talking about Ugo and Ferrari," Munce said . ".
Components will be outsourced from China _ batteries, most of the rest from the United StatesS.
And assembled in Ashland.
Barefoot expects its staff to increase from 5 to 15 when production starts.
The company was founded in Santa Rosa, California.
In 2007, he moved to Oregon to get closer to the growing organic agriculture and Vineyard market and to take advantage of the governor's strengths.
Ted Kulongoski drives green energy efforts.
The current tax credit for electric vehicles applies only to on-
A governor's spokesman, Jillian Schoene, said road vehicles, but the budget that the legislature is waiting for will further promote renewable energy, particularly solar energy.
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