- General Meetings
- We typically hold a general meeting each month on the second Saturday from 2-4:30.
The meetings are usually at the:
Terrazas branch of the Austin Public Library
1105 E Cesar Chavez St
Austin, TX 78702
any changes to this schedule will be posted to the mailinglist and indicated in the AustinEV EVent Calendar
- Open Garages as announced
- The open garages held by members working on their cars are announced on the mailing list first. Please join the AustinEV discussion list for discussion and event announcements. If you don't want to get the email in your mailbox, you can follow the flow in the web accessible list archives.
- Saturday, September 8, 2007 3:15 - 4:45
-
Hey folks,
We've got some important events coming up as summer heads into autumn
and our typically busiest season, including our annual trip to
Fredericksburg for the Renewable Energy Roundup.
Before that though, we've got a couple things on the radar.
First is the next AustinEV meeting. On the agenda for the meeting, in
addition to regular organizational business, is that relatively new
entry into EV discussions these days, Plug-in Hybrids (PHEVs). We'll
have 2 on display, from Austin Energy and also one converted by James
Philippi from Houston. James' conversion of his car is documented
pretty much entirely within a single 11-page forum thread, here:
[Link to his site]
The next item, which James will also be present to discuss, is the Maker
Faire on Oct 20-21, for which he is looking for our help. A Toyota Prius
(belonging to one very brave Darren Overby, from California no less) has
been provided for conversion to PHEV during the course of the 2-day
event. Darren and James will be at the meeting to go over the details of
the plan and request help from any AustinEV folks interested in donating
some elbow grease.
The meeting will be a month from now, Saturday Sept 9 at the Terrazas
branch of the Austin Public Library:
[click "Get directions" for a Google map]
The meeting will start at 3:15 and we've been told we need to be out by
4:45. We'll most likely (perhaps already by that point) reconvene in the
parking lot, around the cars.
In my opinion, PHEVs are one of the sources (along with gas prices, and
NEDRA drag racing) of one of the biggest groundswells of popular support
for electric grid-powered transportation in recent memory. I hope we can
put together a big group for the meeting, to learn more about the PHEV
concept for those who are new to it, and support what promises in
October to be an important PR event that will be attended by thousands
and will be seen, through subsequent articles and blogging, by people
all over the world.
Mark your calendars!
--
Christopher Robison
- March 11, 2007 1-3 PM
Intro to EVs Workshop
Hi Everyone,
Fear not AustinEVers! Your emails about the EV Intro haven't fallen
into a void. The EV Intro Workshop will be held Sunday March 11 from
1-3 PM. I'll be free later if it runs longer, but I think we can hit a
lot of the big points in two hours. The location isn't nailed down
yet, but will likely be around North central Austin. I'll send out an
update when the place is decided. If you can't make it March 11, we'll
probably do this again in the future, so please let me know if you
can't make it and are still interested.
Please RSVP to me at this address: electricbasset@gmail.com
Again, the goals of this free workshop are to cover the basics of what
is involved in an electric vehicle conversion. Specific answers will
depend on the details of your conversion, but we're here to help frame
the process and set realistic expectations.
Here's a list of some of the topics we'll hit - I'm sure there will be more:
Choosing a donor vehicle
Battery types
AC vs. DC systems
Safety
Keep the transmission? Clutch?
To use a kit or not?
Heat & A/C
Please RSVP, bring your questions and I'll see you Sunday March 11!
Erik
Below is a list of questions that people emailed me. I'm attaching
them here to spur more questions you might have.
----------------------------------------
1. How to spot a good donor vehicle, & where to look (especially for
those of us who were not "car people" -- until the EV ; )
2. New & future battery possibilities (that Cedar Park company??).
3. Problems you encountered that were not covered in the "Convert It"
book (or you think were especially important...).
4. Companies you found especially helpful (kit resources, etc...)
5. Companies you would steer clear of & why.
6. Air bags??? This one is on behalf of my mother whose 1st question
was... you guessed it! I have been driving a 1989 car all this time, so
that is not as important to me. I just want an EV! I only throw this
question in because some of our group seem very safety conscious (judging
from the e-mails).
----------------------------------------
I'm new to ev's, so anything will help.
----------------------------------------
An overview of safety accessories and failsafe measures would be handy.
I've built a few crude systems and have put them to practical use, but
I'd like tips on how to prepare for the unexpected and how to make my EV
super-duper safe.
----------------------------------------
1) I want to know more using an electric car as a commuter vehicle.
All the pros and cons.
2) I want to know more about the time involved. Can someone who
wants an electric car to fill a practical need get one converted in a
relatively short amount of time? Or does everyone need to put in a
year of work?
----------------------------------------
I have seen some of the conversion calculators on the net and it would
be nice to know what kinds of things make what kinds of difference.
For example, why are higher voltage systems preferred? Also it seems
like some people leave in the transmission, but I thought that you
could direct drive the axles with an electric and that this was even
one of the advantages of the electric system.
----------------------------------------
What cars are best for conversions. Where are the best places to get
the batteries.
How about maintenance of the EV once built.
----------------------------------------
How much is it really going to cost me? If I start
with nothing, what are some of the other unlisted
costs of an EV, ie..automotive tools, etc.?
How can I judge if this car is simply to old for the conversion?
Info or parts availability? Which factory parts
should I make sure are going to be available in the
future?
- General Meeting -- Saturday, November 4 -- 2-4pm
- This week the General Meeting was combined with an open garage project. First, we gathered at Mark Witt's house at noon to help work on a factory Ford Ranger battery pack swap. Then, from 2:00 - 4:00 pm we had the AustinEV General Members meeting. The festivities concluded by 5:00 pm.
- Austin EV showing vehicles at The Renewable Energy Roundup
- September 22-24, 2006
- [more details]
- Saturday September 9, 2006: General Meeting and Open Garage from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
-
This week the General Meeting will be combined with an open garage project. First, gather at City Radiator and Automotive to help work on a factory Ford Ranger battery pack swap. Then, join us from 2:00 - 4:00 pm for the AustinEV General Members meeting. The festivities should conclude by 5:00 pm.
Location:
City Raditor & Automotive - 3401 South Congress at Lightsey/Woodward.
[Map from Google]
Times:
10 AM - OPEN GARAGE with Mark Witt's EV Ranger battery pack replacement
( Mark, Aaron, Chris & Dan and anyone else that wants to watch or help and be crushed )
2:00 to 4:00 PM - AustinEV.org general meeting with Mark Farver & Aaron Choate
( also, Dan Vogler will provide the final draft copy of Austin Area Electric Vehicle, Inc non-profit documents for discussion and final approval and state filing before the Roundup )
5:00 - Conclude OPEN Garage
- Sunday August 6, 2006: Open Garage
-
AustinEV members helped work on a factory Ford Ranger battery pack swap and learn about how they put the vehicle together. The group got together to plan the swap and work out how the new batteries will be going into the pack.
- Saturday August 20, 2005 at 3:00
We met at the
Yarborough Branch, Austin Public Library
2200 Hancock Dr., 78756 (old Americana Theater)
[Google Maps] [Yahoo Maps] [MapQuest]
The big topic was preparations for the Renewable Energy Roundup.
- Saturday July 16, 2005 at 1:00
We had a bit of a treat this month for those who were so inclined.
Andrew Donoho purchased the EV only mode kit from Coastal Tech for his Prius and has invited the AustinEV crew to help install it.
Then we went down to view the competitors in
the 2005 North American
Challenge Solar Race during their pre-race setup.
[solar challenge schedule]
- Saturday June 18, 2005 at 3:00
We met at the
Yarborough Branch, Austin Public Library
- Saturday May 21, 2005 at 3:00
We met at the
Yarborough Branch, Austin Public Library
- Saturday April 16, 2005 at 3:00
We met at the
Yarborough Branch, Austin Public Library
- Saturday March 19, 2005 at 3:00
We met at the
Yarborough Branch, Austin Public Library
- Saturday February 19, 2005 at 3:00
We met at the
Yarborough Branch, Austin Public Library
- Saturday November 20, 2004 at 3:00
We met at the
Yarborough Branch, Austin Public Library
- Saturday August 14, 2004 at 3:00
We met at the
Yarborough Branch, Austin Public Library
- Saturday August 14, 2004 at 3:00
We will meet at the
Yarborough Branch, Austin Public Library
- Saturday March 13, 2004 at 3:00
We met at the
Yarborough Branch, Austin Public Library
- Saturday February 14, 2004 at 3:00
We met at the
Yarborough Branch, Austin Public Library
- Saturday January 10, 2004 at 3:00
We met at the
Yarborough Branch, Austin Public Library
- Saturday December 13, 2003 at 3:00
This month, Marc Kohler presented on his recent trip to EVS-20 and talked about Valence's Li-Ion battery offerings.
- Saturday November 8, 2003 at 3:00
We met at the
Yarborough Branch, Austin Public Library
2200 Hancock Dr., 78756 (old Americana Theater)
- Saturday October 25th, 2003 at 2:00
-
We met at Aaron Choate's house this month.
- Saturday and Sunday October 11 and 12, 2003
-
AustinEV showed two vehicles at the Austin Green Festival. We would like to thank the organizers of the event for making our attendance possible.
The Green Festivals are ongoing events. To learn more about future events, please visit the Festival's web site for more details.
The Green Festival, co-produced by Global Exchange and Co-op America, brings together green enterprises, environmental groups, leading thinkers on the green economy, and thousands of attendees for a two-day party with a very serious objective: strenghtening the locally controlled, green economy and expanding popular support for policies aimed at sustainability and social justice.
- Friday September 26th at Noon to 3:00 PM Sunday the 28th, 2003
-
AustinEV showed two electric vehicles at the Fourth Annual Renewable Energy Roundup and Green Living Fair
Market Square, downtown Fredericksburg, TX
Visit the Fair's web site for more details.
- Saturday August 23rd, 2003 -- 2:00 PM
-
We met at Christopher Robison's house this month.
- Saturday July 26th, 2003 -- 2:00 PM
We met at Christopher Robison's house this month.
- Saturday June 28th, 2003 -- 2:00 PM
We were hosted by KVUE this month. Thanks to them for providing the meeting space.
- Saturday May 24th, 2003 -- 2:00 PM
We met at NCSoft this month. Many thanks to them for providing a conference room for our meeting.
- Sunday April 27, 2003 -- 12-6PM
AustinEV displayed several vehicles at the Earth Day Expo on the west side of Auditorium Shores.
- Saturday March 29, 2003 -- 2:00 PM
We met at NCSoft this month. Many thanks to them for providing a conference room for our meeting.
9 people in attendance and 1 EV
- February 22, 2003 -- 2:00 PM
We met at Aaron Choate's house this month.
9 people in attendance and 1 EV
Photos from this meeting
- December 7, 2002 -- 2:00 PM
We met at Aaron Choate's house again this month.
- September 20-22
AustinEV showed several cars at the Texas Renewable Energy Roundup: Green Living and Sustainability Fair September 20-22, 2002 in Fredericksburg, Texas. We also gave an Electric Car Conversion workshop on Sunday the 22nd from 2:00 - 4:00 pm.
- March 23, 2002 -- 2:00 PM
We met at Aaron Choate's house again this month.
- January 19, 2002 -- 2:00 PM
We met, discussed some EV related issues, discussed nominations for Pres and Sec/Treas, determined that we should be able to get the 5 member minimum to apply for chapter status with the EAA, discussed a slight name change (from Electric Vehicle Association to Electric Automobile Association), discussed a potential group conversion project and looked at Mark Farver's quiet vaccum pump box.
4 people in attendance and 1 EV
- December 8, 2001 -- 2:00 PM
We met, discussed Mark Farver's progress on his MR2, and talked about whether we would like to form as a chapter of the EAA or not.
- October 27, 2001 -- 2:00 PM
We met, looked at the mods that were made to Mark Kapner's car and built foam battery sized boxes for Mark Farver to use in testing battery box configs for his MR2 conversion.
- September 29-30, 2001
AustinEV gave a presentation and showed two EVs at the Texas
Renewable Energy Roundup
- August 22, 2001 - 7:00 PM
One EV in attendance
7 people in attendance
- July 21, 2001 - 2:00 PM
Two EVs in attendance
5 people in attendance
- June 30, 2001 - 2:00 PM
One EV in attendance
6 people in attendance
details and photos coming soon
- June 2, 2001 - 2:00 PM
Two EVs and One Hybrid in attendance
7 people in attendance
More details
Photos from this meeting
- April 28, 2001
-
One EV in attendance
6? people in attendance
More details
Photos from this meeting
- March 24, 2001
Our first meeting
Two EVs in attendance
6? people in attendance
