See ya, gas station. Buh-bye, gas. Hello cheers, honks and hollers.
If you're smarting from high gasoline bills (and with the statewide average for regular at $4.15 per gallon, who isn't?) or you suffer from major depressive disorder, then Myers Motors, an independent Ohio automaker, has a so-ugly-it's-beautiful electric vehicle for you.
Lawmakers held an electric vehicle forum Tuesday attended by representatives from Northeast Utilities, General Motors, Nissan and manufacturers of electric vehicle charging stations, but the real fun was to be had outside the Capitol.
General Motors brought a Chevrolet Volt to the forum, which drew the attention of those-in-the-know who recognized that wasn't just any new silver Chevy parked in front of the Legislative Office Building, but GM's plug-in electric hybrid.
And Nissan would have liked to have brought its all-electric Leaf to show lawmakers Tuesday, but demand for the all-electric sedan has been so high, especially in California, that it couldn't find a spare. The Leaf won't be available in Connecticut until the fall, said Ken Tenure, Nissan's electric vehicle operations manager.
The real attention-getter, however, was a lime-green NmG, the "No more Gas" personal electric vehicle, a 1,300-pound, one-seat wonder designed and manufactured by Myers Motors, a small Tallmadge, Ohio, electric automaker. The NmG plugs into a regular 110-volt socket, the same type of outlet you'd use for a toaster, and has a range of 60 miles per charge and a top speed of 70 mph.
Depending on how you scored on Rorschach tests, the all-electric vehicle, which sells for about $30,000, resembles either a banana, wooden shoe, Wienermobile, lime-green thumb or the Flintmobile, Fred Flintstone's family car.
There are two speeds, forward and reverse, the driver door opens on the right, the lithium battery makes about as much sound as a trio of bumblebees and there's enough room in the trunk for a couple bags of groceries. Having a bad day? Boss got you down? Hop into this car and you can toss your anti-depressants. Expect to get thumbs up, big smiles and lots of attention.
Since 2006, Myers Motors has sold about 50 of the three-wheeled NmG models, which measure 52 inches wide by 114 inches long. The single-seat vehicle, originally called the Sparrow, was developed by Mike Corbin of Corbin Motors in the Somersville section of Somers. When Corbin Motors closed in 2003, the company assets were purchased by Myers Motors. Myers used the Sparrow as a prototype to perfect the company's electric vehicle technology.
"We redid the electrical and mechanical and brake system and replaced the original lead acid batteries with a lithium battery," said Dana Myers, the company's founder. "But they have the same shell, the same look, if you will."
And that "look" is what catches the eye and makes onlookers stop, gawk, smile, giggle and pull out their smartphone cameras.
"One guy said to me, 'I get more looks and more smiles than if I was driving a $100,000 sports car,'" Myers said.
This year, Myers Motors introduced a two-seater, the DUO, which stands for "Doesn't Use Oil." The goal, said Myers, is to price the car at less than $25,000, and that's without a federal tax credit available to the buyers of specific electric vehicles.
"Now with the two-passenger vehicle we're using the electric drive technology that we've developed to ramp up production. The NmG was not designed for [mass] production," Myers said. The Duo is 70 inches wide and is 140 inches long.
Since last summer, the number of electric vehicles registered in Connecticut has more than tripled. In June 2010, there were 21 electric vehicles in the state — 13 independent brands or do-it-yourself conversions, eight Tesla electric sports cars (starting at $100,000). This month, the Department of Motor Vehicles put the tally at 70 — 13 do-it-yourself or other vehicles such as the NmG, 22 Teslas and 35 Chevrolet Volts.
Currently, there are 11 charging stations at garages, parking lots, The Hartford Financial Services Group and other locations. The state Capitol is among 18 sites for proposed charging stations.
Lawmakers, including members of the energy and technology committee, say they hope to make Connecticut the electric-vehicle capital of the Northeast.
"There are a number of things we can do as a state government to encourage and support the growth of this market," said Sen. John Fonfara, D-Hartford, who gathered with other lawmakers outside the Capitol on Tuesday afternoon to view the Chevrolet Volt, the NmG and a demonstration of Enfield-based Control Module Industries charging equipment.
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