Wilderness Electric Vehicles Will Turn Any Ride Electric

Better Farm's bus: destined for the electric slide?

Better Farm's iconic early-1960s International bus was rebuilt in the 90s with a new engine, souped up with a fresh interior, and used twice a year to transport my Uncle Steve between Tucson, Ariz., and Redwood, N.Y.

We're working to get that bus going again this summer (it was parked in late 2008 after being revamped yet again, and hasn't been turned on since), but there's one major downfall: That engine ain't diesel.

If it was, we could get in touch with our friends (and my fellow Hampshire alumni) over at Greasecar, purchase a conversion kit, and be running off pure vegetable oil. And maybe one day, we'll fundraise enough to get a diesel engine put in. But with this behemoth of a vehicle running off regular old gasoline for now, we were sort of facing a proverbial brick wall (though we've also been examining options for solar sunroofs, solar panels in general, and the like).

Then we were tipped off to Wilderness Electric Vehicles, a company specializing in electric car conversions. Wilderness EV takes gas-powered cars and turns them into clean, efficient, electric vehicles that can be charged with renewable fuels in a hybrid fashion or off-the-grid via solar charging stations at home.

Yes, please!

The company sells four different conversion kits, each offering a different strength and distance:

• Kit #1 (48-volt system): Top speeds of 35 to 40 MPH and range of 20 to 35 miles all depending on driving terrain, amps used, the voltage set up of the car, cold weather, how many batteries used and what type, weight of the car, etc. This would be the same for any of the kits.
• Kit #2 (most commonly sold kit, 72-volt system): Top speeds of  45 to 55 mph, range of 25 to 50 miles (50 miles if you were driving only 25 mph, 25 miles if driving 50 mph). You will get speeds over 60 mph and farther range once the car wears in. It takes 15 to 18 cycles of charging the new batteries to have them at 100% efficiency. Also the new brushes on the motor need around a hundred miles of wearing to get higher speeds and distance per charge that you want with it. The colder weather effects the batteries, losing up to 25% to 50% efficiency under 32 F. So that can give you somewhat of an idea with the other kits also. Higher voltage is much more efficient.
• Kit #3 (120 volt system): top speeds will be 60 to 65 mph+ with the range of somewhere between 20 to 60 miles +. Of course many factors can change the performance as mentioned above such as how many batteries you will have in a conversion, etc.
• Kit #4 (144 volt system): top speeds will be 65 to 75 mph + with the range of somewhere between 20 to 60 miles. And again, many factors can change the performance as mentioned above. Higher voltage is much more efficient. So that can give you somewhat of an idea of what you want.

So if you're cruising around town or running errands, any of these kits would work perfectly—you'd just have to come home afterwards and charge 'er up. Kind of impractical if we were to, say, go on a Better Farm Bus Tour—but not if we planned on making lots of stops. Maybe there's some kind of a hybrid setup?

To learn more about turning your diesel car or truck into a lean, mean, vegetable oil-eating machine, visit Greasecar.com. To find out more about electric conversion kits for your other vehicle, click here.  And to donate to our bus revival fund, visit our donation page.

Newly Launched: City Atlas

City Atlas' first "Atlas Beat," a weekly map featuring our top-pick of postings on the site.

by Carina Molnar

For the last year I have been working on a project called

City Atlas

, a user's guide to all things sustainable in New York City. This endeavor is the closest thing to having spawned a child that I have experienced thus far. It was certainly a labor of love. And it just launched yesterday!

City Atlas offers a daily feed of ideas, events, and tips to enjoy in a sustainable city. Interactive maps trace the city's changing present and possible future, while content throughout the site features news bits, choice nuggets of information and wisdom, and interviews with experts, thinkers, and ordinary New Yorkers. The site gives everyday people like you and me tools for climate change mitigation and access to some good old-fashioned fun in and around New York City.

Here are a few simple ways you can be part of the work we do:

• Like us on Facebook.

• Visit the site and find 1 entry (just 1!) that interests you and please leave a comment. Feel free to post comments to your own relevant stuff. (like, beer blogging for example)

• Follow us on Twitter if you do that. And tell all your friends on Twitter that they should follow us.

To learn more, visit

http://newyork.thecityatlas.org

.

Bringing More Bikers to the Bay

The Thousand Island River Run bike rally isn't until June 25 (mark your calendars!), but last week we got a nice preview of things to come when a whole brouhaha of bikers gathered in Alexandria Bay for a sweet photo op.

The footage, which will serve as promo materials for next month's rally and to attract future Harley Davidson-related events to Alexandria Bay, captured Harley Davidson-decked Hells Angels types and their sweet rides parked along the Bay's main drag.

Begun at noon Saturday, May 1, the highlight of the day was a quick boat ride out to Boldt Castle, hog riders hanging from both decks. Looks like the powers that be got a lot of great shots; here are a few of our own, courtesy of Clayton Carlson...

 

See you all at the rally!

Green Your Snowmobile

Living in the wintry tundra of Redwood, snowmobiles are more than recreational vehicles. In a nasty blizzard or extremely icy conditions, they're the best—and sometimes, the only—way to get around.

But these extremely fun means of transport also wreak havoc on the playground we call Mother Earth: The EPA found one snowmobile can, in one hour, emit as much pollution into the air as almost 100 cars!

Which is why it's so refreshing to see some of America's greatest minds busy at work coming up with ways to green these litte buggers.

The Society of Automotive Engineers'

SAE International Clean Snowmobile Challenge

(CSC) is an engineering design competition for college and university student members asking engineering students to improve upon an existing snowmobile to reduce emissions and noise. Their modified snowmobiles will compete in a variety of events including emissions, noise, fuel economy/endurance, acceleration, handling, static display, cold start and design.

The

UW-Madison Clean Snowmobile Team

in 2009 won awards in the IC and Electric categories with their design for a zero-emissions, electric snowmobile.

Just goes to show you what's possible when you think green.

Thousand Islands Express Offers Hitchhikers a Plan B Between Better Farm, Syracuse

Breaking! A new shuttle between Better Farm and Syracuse began making daily trips June 1. Hitchhikers everywhere, relax! News 10 Now has reported Caz Limo & Tours and the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority have teamed up to provide Upstaters an easy shuttle service between the Thousand Islands, Watertown, and Syracuse. Your transportation situation to Better Farm just got a whole lot simpler. Now you can just cruise up to Alex Bay, and we'll pick you up at the bridge!

The shuttle, coined the Thousand Islands Express, comes fully equipped with food and wireless Internet access, and will connect to the Syracuse Airport. Check out the full schedule here, then let us know what time to grab you.