Comments on: Green Wheels: Tom Hanks Picks Up First Electric Scion XB

By: Tom Hanks Chats Up His Electric Car On Current TV // Archives // ecorazzi.com :: the latest in green gossip

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:05:27 +0000

[...] Back in February of ‘07, Tom Hanks was the first customer to walk away with a newly converted gas-to-electric car from AC Propulsion. The comapany took a standard Scion XB vehicle, tore out its combustion guts, and replaced them with a lithium-ion Ebox system. Said Hank at the time, “There are three electric cars sitting on the moon, and now another one in my garage. The eBox makes even more sense in Los Angeles than in the Taurus-Littrow Valley of the moon. I can drive all weekend, hauling dogs and helping my friends move, and the only reason I’ll need to stop at a gas station is for beef jerky and lottery tickets.” [...]

By: 2-Hour Charge Gets 150 Miles In Electric Car - The Environment Site Forums

2-Hour Charge Gets 150 Miles In Electric Car - The Environment Site Forums — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:52:32 +0000

[...] links; AC Propulsion converts stock Scion xB into fully electric "eBox" car – Engadget Green Wheels: Tom Hanks Picks Up First Electric Scion XB // Archives // ecorazzi.com :: the latest i… http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Scion+xB Scion __________________ Tomorrows [...]

By: Ted

Ted — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 23:25:37 +0000

Man-made global warming is a myth. I believe that you are an misinformed if you bellieve that man is causing Global Warming. BTW…what about the disposal of the batteries after they wear out? How “eco-friendly” is that?

By: Brian Schend

Brian Schend — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 06:59:45 +0000

Michael doesn’t understand what a Plug in hybrid is, clearly. All the posts about Toyota are about plug in hybrids, not pure electrics, and there is a big difference. Plugin hybrids can be plugged in AND gassed up. So if you’re at a restaurant in Barstow on a road trip, you can bring it to any gas station, but if you’re commuting from home, you can charge overnight and not use gasoline. The plugging in is a lot cheaper (3 times cheaper, or even cheaper than that) and cleaner, but the gasoline motor is there to recharge the battery if it runs out.

By: Lawrence Sartore

Lawrence Sartore — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 17:18:12 +0000

already seen it in person….the guy also said it has a wicked 0-60 time too!

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 19:16:59 +0000

GM “buried” the 100 mpg carburetor, now Toyota “hides” the plug-in Hybrid. Ah, the power of the uninformed and technically innocent. Yes, Toyota has acknowledged what they can do, but it is at the cost of the current battery life and technology. It is not a compelling business case to sell a product that will not meet industry and consumer standards of acceptable recharge-cycle life and vehicle mileage range. Do you want to sit in a Denny’s in Barstow while you wait to recharge? It is longer than filling a gas tank. Sorry, but to impugn Toyota’s motives is neither accurate, fair or even economically feasible, given existing battery technology. But then the Left was never given to reason, nor logic – just the power of emotion.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 05:49:06 +0000

The point of not stopping at a gas station for a VIP is that he won’t be photographed, stalked and/or otherwise hassled. Also, he isn’t encouraging low wage earners like Kent to buy now. He is subsidizing people like Kent’s purchase a few years from now. You should be thanking him, not criticizing him. In essence, he is spending large wads of money as a form of charity which underwrites oil-free car choices of the hopefully near future.

Toyota already has the ability to bring a PHEV (plug=in hybrid electric vehicle) to market, but they are very smart and won’t do so out of charity. They will wait until regular hybrids lose their pizzazz, in a year or perhaps 2 years. Then, they will come out with a splash, maybe when the Tesla’s are out and working well. And say “hey, here’s a prius that gets 100mpg and costs $22k.” They could do it tomorrow, but it’s not smart to cannibalize a market that is still strong, although has waned of late.

Incidentally, I am on the 2008 waiting list for a Tesla. I’ll pay $100k for the car, not because it’s inherently worth it (I already have a Ferrari 360) but also because it will finance the less expensive electric cars they intend to develop down the line.

So, criticize Hanks all you want. At least he isn’t Leno, stockiling gas guzzling american muscle cars and bikes that would get smoked by a Tesla any day.

PS- I’ve ridden in a Tesla and yes, the 0-60 is 4 seconds, as fast as a Ferrari, with no shifting. It will beat just about any car Leno has and handle better as well. (Except for Leno’s Ariel Atom, but that doesn’t even have a roof.)

By: David Lassiter

David Lassiter — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 05:29:46 +0000

Kent Beuchert lives in McLean, VA and works for the an oil antil global warming lobby hired to discredit global warming. He has various email addresses listed in Florida also. He can be seen listing comments on literally hundreds of global warming / electric car articles as one of the first or second listers. I am working on a story to track him down and the number of fake reviews he lists on behalf of the lobbying industry for a news article. If you have any information, please forward it to me. Regards – David Lassiter.

By: Tony Belding

Tony Belding — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 03:37:48 +0000

Such negativity disappoints me. Let’s put E85 to rest right up front, as there’s nothing helpful about it from an economical *or* ecological standpoint.

Next, I’m quite sure Tom Hanks is able to do simple math and didn’t buy this vehicle thinking he was going to save a lot of money on gasoline. He can afford any car he wants. He wanted this one. He shouldn’t have to justify that any more than the guys who bought an Enzo or Veyron or even a Hummer should have to justify their choices.

However, the way I see it. . . Basically there are two reasons to buy an electric car today. Reason number one is because you want to promote and support the technology and push it toward the mainstream and mass production where it could eventually make a real difference. As a celebrity, Mr. Hanks is well qualified for this role. Reason number two is because you *want* an electric car. You want the smooth and quiet operation, the torque curve that grabs hold at 0 RPM and doesn’t let go, and the convenience of starting every morning with a full charge. And if you’ve got the money and the desire, then why not?

Using electricity does not merely pump more smoke up the chimneys of power plants. (Why does this myth get repeated endlessly?) The USA could support millions of electric cars with the electrical power that is being wasted every night from idling power plants. Furthermore, electric cars are so efficient that even electricity from a coal-fired plant produces less pollution per mile than gasoline. As you factor in energy from cleaner sources, it only gets better.

By: kent beuchert

kent beuchert — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 02:11:03 +0000

Don’t you just love how Hollywood’s massively overpaid and untalented elite can encourage those
who must earn a living to spend $55,000 (plus a car) in order to transform a practical gasoline vehicle into an inconvenient electric car that contains $20,000 of batteries that won’t last more than 5 years. He has spent at least $12,000 per year to avoid a $1200 gasoline bill and is BRAAGGING about not having to buy gasoline. Is Tom Hanks really as stupid as all that? He could buy a E85 car and
actually do the environment some good – using electricity merely pumps more smoke up the chimneys of the powerplants. Is Tom really such an environmental moron?