Spark EV--Okay, I'll bite

DDB · 02-06-2008, 06:27 PM

Nobody has said anything about this Chinese Conversion. Here's the thing. If true, it's $20,000, hits highway speeds, and will be on the road within 60 days. This is just hitting the net not without controversy:

Spark-EV Electric Vehicles - The ZOTYE

TEG · 02-06-2008, 07:14 PM

Interesting find. If all the specs are true it is something I know a few people could want. (I probably would have bought that instead of the used RangerEV if it had been available at the time).

... This is funny:
"In the Spring of 2007, the decision was made to bring electric vehicles into the USA from China. I would love to say it was an effort to save the planet, to decrease the need for fossil fuels in the USA, but it was not; The 40 foot containers coming over from China had extra room, and we could throw a few electric vehicles into the beds of the trucks."
...
"If you are searching for a visionary, a company that wants to save the world, screw big oil, animals-come-first, tree-hugging, there is an oil company conspiracy, who killed the electric car type of company that will plant a tree on every car sale, and you feel you may have found it in Spark-EV? Then I apologize - You have come to the wrong place."
...
"Not a day goes by that we don't receive a phone call from an avid EV enthusiast who asks intelligent questions, has good suggestions, but then the conversation degenerates into perpetual motion machines, big oil conspiracies, tinfoil helmets, and the REAL killer of JFK."

tonybelding · 02-06-2008, 08:52 PM

Funny, yeah. . . But he also wrote some things that rubbed me the wrong way.

Battery-powered vehicles have been around since Henry Ford was breast-feeding, and the technology is, for all intents and purposes, the same as it was then.

That's untrue. It's blatantly, wildly untrue. Lithium-based batteries start at about four times the energy density of lead-acid and go up from there.

I actually own the movie "Who Killed The Electric Car", because I enjoy it. It is a very watchable movie. I also own the movie "JFK". They are both very entertaining, although I prefer to watch "Airplane" or "Monty Python" whenever I get the chance.

WKTEC puts a certain kind of socialist spin on things that I personally don't subscribe to, but is neither a conspiracy movie nor a joke. When the guy says he owns the movie and then calls it both a conspiracy move and a joke, I have to wonder what's wrong with his head.

It particularly annoys me when people rag on WKTEC for its supposed "conspiracy theory" angle. Nowhere in the movie are we shown the imagined smoke-filled room where Big Oil execs are handing out fat bribes to car makers and politicians. Instead it paints a picture of several different groups opposing electric cars independently, each for their own selfish-but-understandable reasons. That's not a conspiracy, that's just human nature.

And no matter how much everyone said they would gladly pay for an EV1, I guarantee you, when it came time to actually write a check for the true cost of an EV1, there would have been nobody around.

The EV1 itself didn't make much sense as an ongoing, profit-making concern. However, there was an event documented in the movie where EV1 lessees tried to buy the cars from GM with real money and were refused. These were cars already made. GM's choice was: sell them for money or crush them and get nothing. They chose crushing. I'm not sure what the business rationale is for that.

GM executives have, on multiple occasions, admitted canceling the EV1 was a mistake both from a PR perspective and because it cost them a technological lead that Toyota then seized upon. So if WKTEC is a "moonbat" movie, then I guess today's GM executives are a bunch of moonbats too.

vfx · 02-06-2008, 09:10 PM

"Battery-powered vehicles have been around since Henry Ford was breast-feeding, and the technology is, for all intents and purposes, the same as it was then."

The infernal combustion engine has beeen around since before Thomas Edison was potty trained, and the technology is, for all intents and purposes, is still making a car move by making tiny explosions.

donauker · 02-07-2008, 04:22 AM

I really don't understand the whole policy of trying to insult or belittle a potential customer base. Unless of course the punch line down the road is, HA HA HA got ya, SUCKER!

DDB · 02-07-2008, 05:09 AM

So far, to me, he sounds like he is a straight-talker as far a the talk goes. It may sound a little quirky and unprofessional at times, but some people appreciate that you're willing to say what you're thinking. Granted, this is no Tesla Motors--where you'd never mention your political leanings nor say anything that may sink your IPO.

I'll reserve judgment until after the cars arrive and listen to testimonials of customers. If true, it's a hell of a cheap NEW EV.

DDB · 02-07-2008, 08:43 AM

Tony,

I take that back. He's a social idiot. Reasonable discussion, but no explanation by our guy Mr. Papp. Not good when so many people are questioning your product and ethics.

Okay, you've got our attention.

donauker · 02-07-2008, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DDB

I'll reserve judgment until after the cars arrive and listen to testimonials of customers. If true, it's a hell of a cheap NEW EV.

I agree the proof will be be in the delivery. I personally wouldn't bet a dime on it, but I guess one can always hope.

A quick Google search of Mr. Papp will reveal quite a number of people complaining of someone with that name reneging on promises in various business enterprises right here in PA.

Iz · 02-07-2008, 10:45 AM

PHEV conversions for a Prius run around $8k or more and that is primarily battery and plug. Stripping out ICE components, replacing with EV must be quite a pretty penny and more than the $11,650 "play money".

If it passes the sniff test I'd be skeptical about miles per charge, battery life and reliability.

doug · 02-07-2008, 03:42 PM

Maybe he can recoup a little by reselling the ICE components. At any rate, the price looks too good to be true, and most everything else about it looks a little fishy.