Gasoline-powered vehicle owners switching to providing greener alternatives
source: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=2d8efb57-7d2f-4fc8-8113-02d30bfe738d
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- JanforGore
- added this
Greg Murray has always loved his turbo-charged Subaru WRX. But carbon guilt got the better of him.
So now, not only has he stopped driving it, the electric convert's going into business selling battery-powered vehicles. "I've always loved gas cars. But it stopped being fun, because I knew what I was doing to the environment," says the Vancouverite. "You love it -- but there's so much evil attached."
As the demand for green cars rise, entrepreneurs throughout B.C. are seeing fresh opportunities to do business in an industry long dominated by major corporations.
While the big automakers rush to roll out affordable low-carbon cars by 2010, small startups are finding their own niche.
Jay Giraud is the founder of seven-month-old Envia Solarmotion Inc., which specializes in converting Ford vehicles to run on batteries. "Corporations are desperate to reduce fuel costs," said Giraud.
Murray, meanwhile, is now the marketing director of E-SUV Inc., the Canadian dealer for E-Ride Industries, a Minnesota company that manufactures low-speed electric utility vehicles.
The Vancouver dealership, just six months old, has five confirmed orders, said Murray.
But the business of selling low-speed electric cars is still a gamble in Canada, with federal and provincial regulations limiting wider use. To succeed, small companies both here and abroad are banking on a new breed of driver willing to go the distance to save on gas -- and the environment.
So now, not only has he stopped driving it, the electric convert's going into business selling battery-powered vehicles. "I've always loved gas cars. But it stopped being fun, because I knew what I was doing to the environment," says the Vancouverite. "You love it -- but there's so much evil attached."
As the demand for green cars rise, entrepreneurs throughout B.C. are seeing fresh opportunities to do business in an industry long dominated by major corporations.
While the big automakers rush to roll out affordable low-carbon cars by 2010, small startups are finding their own niche.
Jay Giraud is the founder of seven-month-old Envia Solarmotion Inc., which specializes in converting Ford vehicles to run on batteries. "Corporations are desperate to reduce fuel costs," said Giraud.
Murray, meanwhile, is now the marketing director of E-SUV Inc., the Canadian dealer for E-Ride Industries, a Minnesota company that manufactures low-speed electric utility vehicles.
The Vancouver dealership, just six months old, has five confirmed orders, said Murray.
But the business of selling low-speed electric cars is still a gamble in Canada, with federal and provincial regulations limiting wider use. To succeed, small companies both here and abroad are banking on a new breed of driver willing to go the distance to save on gas -- and the environment.
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- groups:
- Tech, Green, Earth and Science
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- tags:
- Green, Tech, Earth and Science, Environment, 6 more
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clairecoker
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I would love to buy an E SUV! Any suggestions on how to get started finding one that's affordable?
- 3 years ago
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clairecoker
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EddieStarr
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Going Green , Going Green!
- 3 years ago
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EddieStarr
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JanforGore
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This is what we need to see electric cars and other alternate energies become mainstream.
- 3 years ago
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JanforGore
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gentjim
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fantastic
- 3 years ago
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gentjim
