Here's an interesting little tidbit I recently culled from United Press International last week: It seems that a firm in Cincinnati is planning to market some snazzy electric retrofit cars.
The strategy is to take General Motors (NYSE: GM) Saturn vehicles, including four-door sedans and SUVs, rip the internal combustion engines out of them, and replace those engines with plug-in electric power plants, batteries, and some computer stuff. The company is called Advanced Mechanical Products Inc. and is reportedly headed up by partners Jack Kuntz and Steve Burns. The claims are that the cars will accelerate from 0 to 60 in about 6 seconds, run about 150 miles between charges, and will sell for under $50,000.
I'm wondering what the company will do with those left over Saturn engines. I'm also wondering why the choice of Saturns to retrofit. And I'm wondering where I put that ten-foot pole I had. No matter, I wouldn't touch this scenario with one anyway. Perhaps when those guys drive one from Cincinnati to my house, I might think about it, but until then my opinion is: Beware in Ohio.











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-02-2007 @ 1:08PM
Judy said...
I have a Saturn and I'd like to keep it just the way it is. We are suppose to conserve electricity, how much would some one use to charge up their car? What a ridiculos idea, lets think of other ways to conserve fuel without using one energy to conserve on an other.
6-03-2007 @ 1:15AM
gtcsc106 said...
Have you never heard of the EV1 by GM. A electric car is a more effiecent by a long shot than your standard Saturn
6-03-2007 @ 12:48PM
BillK said...
I think the electric conversion is a nice idea, but the price tag is way, way out of reach of the people who normally but Saturns. We've had 2 different models, an S series and an L series. They were wonderful cars, 30+ mpg on both of them. But we've now have a Prius, getting 50+ mpg. These are all highway miles. Wife drives 80 miles per day on the highway, so the mpg is real, and the Prius is almost 2 years old now.
6-05-2007 @ 1:57AM
Bob V said...
Why can't they make a drive system like that and put a small diesel generator in it so as to not limit the range. Now when you forget your lights on all night you realy have a dead car.
6-05-2007 @ 2:01AM
mac manhattan said...
assuming "satelectros" are a good idea why wouldn't the messers Kunts & Burns (is vaudeville back?) why wouldn't they go to g & m and make a deal for the shells rather than the entire package?
if they didn't think thru that, then????
if it's such a good idea why isn't general or motors full speed ahead w/it?
hmmmmmmmmm.
in any case, good luck,
manhattan needs all the electros we can get.
mac in manhattan
6-05-2007 @ 2:02AM
jpdr1100 said...
Because GM would never do it.
Why assume the liablity?
6-06-2007 @ 2:53PM
fwenzel said...
I am long out of college, where I studied the sciences, but that education is still with me.
First, if you retrofit, you obviously have a car you are changing. Esseentially the same thing happens when manufacuterers change and tweak powerplants and/or drive systems in any one model.
Second, the ability to drive on a charge for 150 miles will cover most commutes and much of the weekend, family and personal driving. It will lessen the use of gasoline and its costs to individuals and to our national security. This may also lower gas cost by creating competition.
Third, a %50,000.00 cost is prohibitive to many, but will likely decrease as volume of sales increases.
Fourth, I recall reading about patented technology one firm announced late last year that would allow a 40 mile commutes on a charge before the gas engine kicks in, with capacitors to prevent battery dran on use, and with batteries that could be recharged on house current. That car was estimated to get 150 mpg even accounting for the home charging.
The Cincinant gropy may be achieving even greater mpg if it is geeting 150 miles on a charge.
Fifth, electric engines have powerful acceleration, a benefit to car use.
Sixth, it is a shame that it has taken so long for this to evelve. In college in 1973, a classmate I knew in engineering designed a car wiht electrice engines, and I thng a gas plant as well, with regenerative braking recharging the batteries.
We can only hope for more powerplant variety to break the grip of foreign and hostile oil producers.
fwenzel@nep.net
June 6, 2007
aratins, a benfot t hybrids and. umeing gasoline use, and hopefully allowing utilities tolead to
7-13-2007 @ 12:19AM
josh said...
judy, i'm surprised that you seem disturbed by jack's company and vision. it's not costing you anything. they're spending their money and resources to push the threshold of our everyday driving...to better our enviroment. i totally support their effort and i am perplexed why anyone would fight it (unless they work for an oil company).