No readers, not I, but another Gavin, and this time from New Plymouth, NZ. I received an email from Gavin Shoebridge yesterday, who commented about my blog (he likes it). A nice guy, and he shared a YouTube link with me that featured his conversion of an old Mitsubishi Tredia with internal combustion engine to a fully refitted Electric Vehicle. He bought the original car for NZ$180 because the engine had blown, and it had a bit of rust.
I was gobsmacked that people were out there giving the bird to petroleum companies and performing DIY EV conversions. I knew that Ross Blade had been doing it for a while in Harcourt, Vic at Blade Electric Vehicles, but didn’t know about the home enthusiast scene. How cool, and it really hooked me in. Gav has made 27 videos, in easy to view steps of how he went about his conversion. I spent 4 hours watching them last night and it was far better than any of the usual crap on TV. Educational and funny, and Gav has a flare for the camera. You can see his passion for getting the EV on the road just dripping from the screen.
I won’t spoil the ending of his story, but will share with you his last three videos which are a compressed version of the 27 shorts and a grand finale about his next steps in life.
Part One
Part Two. Love the number plate!
And the grand finale… tear.
It just goes to show that two Gav’s are better than one. Each in their own country, trying to do the right thing. Now if anyone is getting ready for the immanent gotcha of Peak Oil, it was Gav. If you want to watch all of his videos in order go to his website, www.kiwiev.com. Hats off to you Gav!
This Gavin had better get his act together here in Melton West, AU. I have my own power station on the roof, so the fuel won’t be a problem. I just have to convince Kim that it is a good idea, and with my lease car expiring in Oct 09, I have the perfect opportunity! I nearly have her sold on an Earthship (she like the coloured bottles in the walls), so an EV might not be too far behind. :=)
Gav in Melton West.
If you build an earthship and an EV in suburbia, I’m totally coming down to Melbourne to see it!
Err humm Darren! Little sisters get top priority you gotta beat me down there.
Gav, cool idea. I am wondering though why Green products seem to attract a higher price tag? A dirty old rusty car can be bought for as little as scrap metal value or sometimes given away, but the cost to make it Green is gi-normus! Its like every new thing i suppose, as soon as you mention Wedding the price triples and first baby the price doubles and petrol driven new cars are all expensive but de-value by 15% after the first year of purchase, so it does go to show that Green would attract a higher price. There has been Green conversions around for years but not much interest as the media like to keep the Global climate crisis tammed down a bit in case riots break out when we all cant afford to buy a loaf of bread from woolies, chicken little and the sky is falling. It’s good to see that some of us actually do care about the environment but heartbreaking that we have to sub-due our feelings about it. Stand tall and shout the word but not too much so they send in the white coats to take you away. Its sickening, we have to keep quiet and pay a fortune to be green, always out for big dollars some people.
BTW… asparagas cheescake? Interesting flavour choice!
xoxoxo