Not exactly. We have always loved the Shelby Cobra and now it looks like another Shelby wants to win another category of car making history, Jerod Shelby.  Let’s be clear, Jerod is not related to the famed Carroll Shelby. Jerod’s company has set sites on a 1000 horse power electric car with a decent range and super fast charge time. A formal announcement came out in July 2008 and things seem to still be quietly moving forward. The new car won’t look like the famed Cobra but will certainly smoke at the track.

The car is supposed to be able to charge in 10 minutes on a 220v connection but this has not been proven to be production worthy just yet.  We have seen conflicting articles about 110 plug-ins but there are just not enough electrons to do a 10 minute charge at 110.  We are hopeful and if it took an hour that would be fine with the Texas Solar team and better than many.  The 220 plugs are not as common but is a quick visit with your local electrician.  Now about this power source. Is the power source a new capacitor technology blended with battery technology?  Time will tell us.

Ok, ok, we know you want to see a picture..   So click here to go straight to the source of the rumors and information..

We like the idea of huge horsepower and would love to see the truck market find a viable electric under the hood. After all we are in Texas.  We grew up loving the Shelby and the deep production experience of CS500’s, AC etc… has shown Carroll will do what he says.  Can you say go speed racer, go Jerod Shelby!!

Now, on an equally exciting practical matter is the Aptera with pre-production units rollong off the line as we speak.  The Aptera 100-200MPG, not 200MPH car is going to be a revolutionary car as soon as production is ramped up so we can all have one of these or the soon to be competitors sure to come along.   There is a lot of potential in the new ultra-lite car class so get ready for your world to fly in new ways!  Anyone have a factory to donate?

The City of Plano, TX has announced an energy efficiency rebate and incentive program for its residents.  It’s an across-the-board 20% rebate program that greatly simplifies the discounts offered as compared to other rebates in the past.

Rebate and Incentive Program Goals

• Demonstrate individual energy savings by tracking usage (kWh) and monthly payments
• Encourage energy-efficiency upgrades throughout the City of Plano
• Demonstrate total energy savings as a City

Qualified Purchases

• Residential upgrades or replacements that are considered energy efficient. Examples include but are not limited to:
  • Energy Star Appliances
  • Air conditioners (14 SEER and above)
  • Attic Insulation
  • Solar Screens/Solar Film
  • Radiant Barrier
  • Duct Replacement/lnsulation
  • Low-e windows
• The City will rebate up to 20% of qualified purchases up to $2000 per household
• Funds will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis until funds are exhausted
• Minimum purchase to be rebated is $100

Eligibility Requirements and Guidelines

• Must be a Plano resident
• Only one application per household
• Residential dwellings only
• Items must be purchased and installed between 5115/2008-5/15/2009
• Resident must track and report energy usage for current year for at least three months after installation as well as the same months from the previous year
• City of Plano must be able to verify purchase price, purchase date and installation (receipts and other designated means)
• Rebate check will be awarded after all eligibility requirements have been met

Commitment Program and Bonus

• Any Plano resident who commits to tracking and reporting energy usage will be eligible for monthly drawings for energy efficiency give-a-ways (ex. programmable thermostats)
• Those who commit to track and report energy usage for at least 6 months will be eligible for a “Tracking Bonus” that will be awarded through drawings.
• Encourage energy-efficiency upgrades throughout the City of Plano Demonstrate individual energy savings by tracking usage (kWh) and monthly payments

So an email lands in our box from Dennis Lee touting how Ford is so blessed with the opportunity to pursue Dutchman Enterprises products.

We say SCAM, until the company can prove us wrong.  They offer a warranty only if the product is installed by a trained installer.  Near as we can tell the only installer in the country may not even exist much less a local installer trained to install the kit.   This is the same guy advertising with full page ads in Popular Science who obviously did not check for a scam before accepting the materials.  At about $1,100 a unit it doesn’t take very many unwitting buyers to come out ahead.  Remember you won’t get the warranty unless a trained installer does the work.   If there are any installers in Texas please get in touch with us.

Here is the original email.

Subject: Ford Motor Company may be partner with Dutchman Enterprises…

Hello from Dutchman Enterprises. We appreciate your having taken the time at some time in the past to request a quote for a PICC for one or more vehicles(s). We were concerned about EPA issues with the technology originally, but we have re-designed around those considerations and we are no longer concerned about our special catalytic converter qualifying with the EPA. With gas prices rising as they have, other large interests have been looking for solutions to some of their problems and we have discovered a common interest in helping the American car manufacturers get back to doing what they do best… make the kind of vehicles Americans want. The door has opened for us to better serve the American consumers. We have some extremely important news. Ford and Dutchman have been talking and Ford finally gave permission for Dutchman to tell the public what is going on. This last weekend, a Ford executive spent several hours speaking to the dealers involved in distributing the Dutchman Enterprises automotive technologies at their annual dealers convention.

Dutchman Enterprises can now announce that the initial meeting with representatives of Ford Motor Company went very well and both parties are excited about testing the HAFC and PICC and for the potential of improving fuel economy for American automobiles. The initial reaction of the Ford team involved was excitement and enthusiasm over the potential of both the HAFC and the PICC.

Discussions have begun about both companies partnering together to further develop these technologies.

Dutchman Enterprises received a letter from the engineer that is heading up the Ford team to test the HAFC. In that letter from Corporate Headquarters in Dearborn Michigan, the leading engineer wrote, “the (HAFC) concept makes good sense.” There have been critics at large who have challenged the idea of water gas and called it a scam technology, but one has to consider the fact that no one knows more about automobiles and what makes sense relating to them than the engineers who design and build them. This same engineer, in the same letter, wrote, “We are also excited about the potential of the PICC technology.” Ford is discussing getting involved because these technologies make sense.Their testing is supposed to be over on or around October 1st, and the executive that addressed the dealers gave everyone the impression it was going well. They have even asked for more units and that is a good sign.

Mr. Alan Mulally, CEO of Ford Motor Company, was interviewed on CNBC on the 12th of September, and he told the reporter that there are some interesting things happening in the alternative fuels area. He said, “Hydrogen technologies, involving water, offer some incredible opportunities to do something with the engines we already have.” That is not a statement about regular Hydrogen Fuel Cells, which do not operate with current engines. It is reasonable to assume he is talking about water gas injection and the Hydro-Assist Fuel Cells, which his people are currently testing.

Of course, Dutchman Enterprises is excited about the prospects of partnering with Ford Motor Company and their thousands of Ford dealers all across the USA and throughout the world. Not to mention the engineering and research prospects for developing the PICC to it’s full potential. It is not hard to see why Ford would want to be able to get 50% (or even 30%) better mileage out of their existing SUVs and Pickup trucks. It could save the US auto industry to be able to develop the PICC within a year or so to be able to get 100 miles per gallon or better (city and highway) with future SUVs and Pickups. Both of these technologies have world wide patent protection owned by Dutchman Enterprises.

What does this mean to you? It is time to seriously consider getting your HAFC kit on order NOW. The Ford executive mentioned that he thought our prices were too low and that they should be double what we are currently charging. I guess he is right, because we were charging the same price we currently charge for the kit when gas prices were half what they are now. When Ford comes in that will most likely change. The demand will also go through the roof! Just to modify the Ford vehicles will involve 60 million cars. A word to the wise, get your HAFC on order. The PICC will most likely not be on the market for another year or so. Ford will want to develop it with new car designs in mind, while Dutchman Enterprises will absolutely insist on an after market version as well, but that will delay it for well over a year down the road. In the meantime, can there be any doubt now that the concept of the HAFC is sound and can improve fuel economy? You have the benefit of being able to get a little ahead of the curve while the price is half what it will be and while there is not a waiting list as long as the gas lines in the 70s.

As, we are sure, you have already discovered, we have assigned a customer service representative, who works for one of our dealers, to you. If you have any questions about this message, please contact Manager, your customer service representative, using this email address, support@preignitioncc.com. Let our representative do his or her best to answer all your questions and get your HAFC kit in process. One report we recently read made the point that by merely increasing the mileage of vehicles in America by a mere 30% we could eliminate our need for ANY of the middle Eastern oil! Can you imagine what we can do for America and American car manufacturers just by installing the HAFC kits now?

When Ford joins us, we will be able to put a LOT of people back to work and stop this fossil fuels insanity. With their help, our PICC will be all that it can be, and all American car manufacturers can get us all the cars and pickup trucks we want with no concern for fuel costs or pollution. This is the answer we are all looking for. Thank you for your support in this effort.

If you have any questions about this announcment, please contact your customer service representative who is Manager using the his email address, support@preignitioncc.com.

Dedicated to a safe, environmentally sound, and prosperous America,

Dennis Lee

(CEO-Dutchman Enterprises, LLC)

P.S. Please do not respond to this email address because we do not monitor it for incoming email. If you need to contact someone, please contact your customer service rep and/or dealer.

There is a lot of discussion surrounding the idea of using a fuel cell to separate hydrogen and force feed it to your intake through the air filter.    A few basics come along.

1. The process does work.  Search for Browns Gas but watch for all the “noise” in the results.

2. Fuel cells do work to separate water into gas.

3. Sure it’s possible to cut a hole in your air intake to introduce another intake source or even kits.  This makes us thing about nitrous oxide for street racing.

The real challenge is getting the quantity of hydrogen needed to make a difference.  The fuel cell requires electricity.  You measure the draw of electricty in amps.   A small car will naturally have a lower requirement than an SUV.   The problem begins here and the only answer we have is research your car and research the draw required of any HHO kit you might be considering.  We intentionally keep this article at a level anyone can understand and leave the deep technical articles to the solar test labs etc..

In order to be effective you have to generate a steady supply of hydrogen disected with the fuel cell.  We are looking for a system that produces enough steady supply and doesn’t require so much electricity that we keep burning out alternators and such.  At lower speeds the supply to make a difference is obviously less than the need at freeway speeds.  We haven’t seen systems that have a regulator to handle increasing the supply when we step on the gas.   This goes along with tuning the engine for this “enriched” air fuel mixture.

If you are a supplier with such a system we will be happy to introduce your information to everyone we know.

If you want more gas mileage go outside and pump up your tires that in many cases are low on pressure.  Read your tires information on proper pressure so you don’t blow up your tire!

The event held in Richardson went as planned with TUE, GM and Half Price Books executives sharing stories about their efforts to lower their carbon footprint.   There was an all electric Ford Ranger converted by a local company hoping to sell kits and conversions outside for viewing.  The conversion work was clean enough but the prospect of having to drive 30mph to get 40 miles on a charge leaves room for improvement.  The Ranger still has A/C and power steering in the design. The company is still refining the conversion process to increase mileage.    We will have the podcast of Ed Begley’s conversation with the audience.  A straight talker who says what’s on his mind while not going extreme in any areas.

Ed Begley, Jr., Keynote Speaker
Ed Begley, Jr., known for pioneering green living will deliver the keynote address and cover his 30 year eco-journey.  He will outline making positive environmental changes to make a big impact on individuals, communities and the world. Presenting “bottom line” benefits and providing the economic motivation to move forward with green efforts, Begley will explore the challenges we face and how they can be overcome. He will also share first hand knowledge of his favorite green products.

Project Green Summit: Putting Green Into Action

Charles W. Eisemann Center (View Map)
2351 Performance Drive, Richardson, TX 75082

Tickets are $8.00 and available through the Eisemann Center Box Office (972-744-4650 or on-line at www.eisemanncenter.com).
All of the proceeds of the event will benefit the Texas Trees Foundation and North Texas affiliates of Keep Texas Beautiful.

Go Green and you will never go back!

Ok, so we picked up the Consumer Reports magazine at the grocery store with the lead cover being the 2009 New Car Preview – Best & Worst cars in fuel economy.  At first glance it looked like a lot of current useful information.
As we reviewed the information looking for the holy grail of gas mileage and creature comfort a few things  stood out.  The biggest thing we took away is that in spite of the hunger for better fuel economy is it business as usual with the auto makers?  It is a given that a work truck is going to get poor gas mileage but it appears  the manufacturers are pumping out business as usual.  The line up of cars mostly in the 18-22 mpg range seems to be about standard.   If this is improvement then we must get the news out that people need solutions.  While in the same grocery store another patron was clearly discussing that she was getting food and had no gas to go anywhere else.
We would recommend you save your gas before driving out to buy the magazine.  It is chocked full of the usual consumer reports style of comparisons but when you look closely there is a big gaping hole in the quality of the report. We noticed the test vehicles were not necessarily new models but the casual look at the summary scores of what’s better is misleading.  We say this because for example the Mazda3 test vehicle was a 2004 iSedan.  The narrative talks about getting 30mpg but to be fair to us as consumers we would simply not accept car data 5 years old.  That is not relevant.  We could go on and on with other examples of aged models included in the magazine.  We were surprised to see however that the Hummer H3 and the Toyota Tundra reliability expectation ratings were low.
The articles did provide data of great interest and value that shows how components vehicles performed over time by including a year by year summary.  This is handy if you want a used car because you can get a quick view of performance for other owners which could help you avoid or at least know you need to look for certain classes of problems before making your used car purchase.  This is a reason to buy the magazine, getting pertinent information about 2009 vehicles will have to wait.  We look forward to the usual quality and apples to apples comparison.  Comparing and scoring cars from 2004 to 2008 and calling it 2009 car preview data simply misses the mark. The edition we discussed here shows to display until November 10, 2008.  Many magazines stopped putting the publishing month in order to get more mileage out of each magazine.

On schedule Honda announced the limited sale of a hydrogen fuel cell powered car named FCX Clarity which is an updated FCX model with improved everything. Research teams improved the cell stack providing more range for the car without sacrificing performance. This isn’t mainstream yet but is promising news that auto makers are making headway to alternative fuel solutions that keep us on the road!

Visit Honda http://corporate.honda.com/press/article.aspx?id=4511