Jack May wrote:
> I saw the trailer of the movie on "Nothing But Trailers" on HD NET
>
> What a total bunch of illiterate morons with not understanding at all of
> what they were talking about.
>
> It is trivial to come up with such tin foil cap type theories when you
> ignorant of virtually everything.
>
> I doubt any of them have tried to run an electric car in 20 below zero
> temperatures
Well, they can send the electric car down south where we got too many
SUVs. Luckily, Key West already has them since they were smart enough
to declare themselves an independent "Conch Republic," and leave the
American jungle behind. How long you think you could survive in one
these things in the Darwinian roads?
Ford's entry into the Neighborhood Electric Vehicle market is now a
reality.
We saw it, we drove it, we checked it out and took lots of pictures. We
were completely taken off guard recently when a local institution
called us up saying they have been reading our articles on other NEVs
and would we like to come and look over a 'Ford Neighbor' that they are
test driving. Of course we jumped at the chance. We have previously
reported on the Bombardier and Gem (we owned some of those) and
recently Lee Iaccoca's 'Lido'. We have known about the Ford Think
Neighbor but had never seen one.
SO WHAT DO WE THINK?
Frankly our very first impression was that the design must have been
approved by the Spruce Pine Ugly Committee. (Spruce Pine is a little
town nearby us that is so messy we always joke that they must have an
Ugly Committee to approves local businesses). But after we got a better
look, that impression went away and we began to appreciate the true
design.
After our examination and test we concluded that the Think Neighbor is
a giant step forward in the creation of a truly practical and
affordable Neighborhood Electric Vehicle. It is the best NEV we have
seen to date. Here's why...
Ingress - Egress - Roominess
A major complaint of other NEVs was that they were difficult to get in
and get out - with various degrees of aggravation. Not so with the
Think. The enclosure (rain curtain) has big bold zippers in just the
right positions that permits easy access to either the front or rear.
This 4 seater had grab handles for all 4 seats to assist in access.
Once inside, the front compartment is amazingly roomy. The driver's
seat is adjustable and we actually had to slide it forward to have a
comfortable grip on the steering wheel. The rear seat of this 4 seater
version is like riding in the back seat of a compact car - adequate but
not roomy. The bucket type front seats and the bench back seat are very
comfortable with conventional seatbelts and head restraints (functional
but not attractive) on all seat backs.
Street or Golf Use???
This NEV can be used either as a Golf Car or a Street Vehicle. Of
course it is street legal and according to Fed Rules, the vehicle's top
speed is 25 mph. The six 12 Volt batteries provide a 72 volt, 350 amp
system that gives the car lots of pep. It has a GE Controller with
Regen and rollaway features. The ignition switch has the simple
positions of "Off, 'D' (Drive), 'T' (Turf - 15 mph max), and 'R'
(Reverse). And the digital instrument cluster has all the information
you need. This model had both a front and rear lockable compartment.
The front can double as a cooler. There is also a Glove Box on the
Dash.
more...
http://personal.atl.bellsouth.net/t/r/troprent/ford.htm