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PHEVs & CalCars on Capitol Hill May, 2006
Media may use high-resolution images with credit: CalCars/SetAmericaFree.
On May 18, CEOs of the Big Three automakers came to Washington DC to meet with Congressional leaders and discuss the industry's woes. We saw an opportunity to introduce Congress to a solution using existing technology that can make a big dent in our oil dependence and also help Detroit back to prosperity -- should it choose to take the opportunity. After a whirlwind fundraising campaign CalCars flew one of its plug-in Priuses from California to DC and the journey began. This was the first time plug-in hybrids were seen in public in our nation's capitol.
Set America Free and CalCars partnered on three days of events in and around Capitol Hilll, joined by co-sponsor the Plug-In Hybrid Consortium. CalCars' white Prius (built by EnergyCS with lithium-ion batteries) was joined by Connecticut battery maker Electro Energy's "silver bullet" (built by EEEI and CalCars with NiMH batteries). The vehicles caused quite a stir on the Hill, as everyone including senators, representatives, staff, reporters, builders, tourists and, unforgettably, the Capitol police, took interest in what could be America's route to energy security.
The surprise star of the show was the "dongle" -- the short cable that plugs into the rear bumper outlet and connects to an extension cord for 120-volt power. Guests were invited to hold the car's "entire infrastructure."
Also appearing: Set America Free's Anne Korin and Gal Luft, CalCars' Felix Kramer, Ron Gremban, John Davi, and Electro Energy's Chris Jaeger. (Media can use high-resolution photos with credit: CalCars/Set America Free.)
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100+MPG at the Capitol.
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Andy Frank from UC Davis with Ron, Felix and John from CalCars, and Gal and Anne from Set America Free.
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Former CIA Director Jim Woolsey, John, Anne, Congressmen Jack Kingston (GA) and John Carter (TX).
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Senator Sam Brownback (KS), accompanied by Frank Gaffney, president of the Center for Security Policy, and Felix, tries out some new wheels. Two weeks later Brownback spoke at the Future Trends conference in Redmond, WA: "One quick fact is about half of the country drives less than 30 miles a day, and if we could get that 30 miles off of electricity either through plug-in technology or gasoline car that recycles the energy it's using through batteries and recharging major batteries like the Honda Civic that I have, we can really rapidly reduce our dependence on foreign oil and stretch our petrol much further than we currently have.
"I was in a Prius that had been retrofitted that gets 100 MPG. It's got juiced up batteries that you plug in at night that had adapted to a basic Prius technology. They can get 100 miles to the gallon. The owner and developer of it said imagine filling up your car just 5 times a year was the way he was looking at it."
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New York State Governor Pataki flanked by John, Anne, Gal, and Felix.
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As the first Senator to own a hybrid, Senator Robert Bennett (UT) particularly appreciated the ride.
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Senator Robert Bennett (UT). No worries, there's plenty of legroom.
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Senator Orrin Hatch (UT) behind the wheel.
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Senator Orrin Hatch (UT) and John: yes, it really does get 100+mpg.
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Felix explains the finer points of plugging in to Senator Richard Lugar (IN).
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Senator Joe Lieberman (CT), John, and Gal: so this car can run for 30 miles on a charge?
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Senator Lieberman behind the wheel. "Senator, look out for that bus!" Full-size image
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Senator Craig Thomas (WY). Really? I can drive it?
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Senator Craig Thomas (WY). Getting in for a test drive.
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Senator Jeff Bingaman (NM), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy Committee, with Felix and Gal. Full-size image
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Senator Jeff Bingaman (NM) buckles in. Full-size image
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Senator Hillary Clinton (NY) and John. Speaking at the National Press Club a week later, Senator Clinton declared that "The next step is hybrid plug-ins, enabling drivers to use household electricity to recharge car batteries at night. I saw some of these. They were on display on Capitol Hill. You can drive 100 miles or more for every gallon of fuel you put in the tank." Full-size image
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Senator Ben Nelson (NE) with Gal and Felix. Full-size image
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Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (SD) gets in to take a spin. Later that day in an interview on Air America's Eco-Talk, Daschle declared: "I just drove today a plug-in hybrid. As you know a plug-in hybrid relies even more on the electrical power grid to generate its transportation energy and I think that that also holds great promise. I can't imagine why the automobile manufacturers haven't already begun marketing plug-in hybrids... we can do it without the involvement of auto manufacturers but it just seems to make all the more sense for these manufacturers to do it rather than for us to have to custom make these plug-in hybrids after the car is built."
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Lead sponsors of The Fuel Choices for American Security Act, Congressmen Jack Kingston (GA) and Eliot Engel (NY), take a ride.
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Congressmen Lamar Smith (TX), Bob Inglis (SC), Jack Kingston (GA), Eliot Engel (NY), and Randy Neugebauer (TX). Full-size image
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Congressman Brad Sherman (CA), Senator Sam Brownback (KS), Congressman Eliot Engel (NY), and Congresswoman Judy Biggert (IL). Full-size image
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Congressmen Lamar Smith (TX), Eliot Engel (NY), and Randy Neugebauer (TX).
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Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (NY). Full-size image
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Congressman John Carter (TX).
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Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (MD).
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Congressman Phil Gingrey (GA).
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Congressman Chris Chocola (IN).
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Congressman Gil Gutknecht (MN) holding the infrastructure.
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Congressmen Jack Kingston (GA) and John Carter (TX): Daytona here we come.
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Jim Woolsey with Congressman John Carter (TX): This car has a remarkably quiet ride.
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Congressman Dan Lipinski (IL), who owns a hybrid Escape, and Electro Energy's Chris Jaeger.
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House Science Committee Energy Subcommittee Chair Representative Judy Biggert holds the required infrastructure: a plug.
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Prof. Andy Frank, inventor of the modern plug-in hybrid, Roger Duncan, founder of Plug In Partners, Mark Duvall of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Honda's John German, Prof. Cliff Ricketts of Middle Tennessee State University, and Dr. Danilo Santini of the Argonne National Lab preparing to testify in front of the House Science Committee Energy Subcommittee. Rep. Biggert introduced CalCars at the meeting and encouraged members to see the cars after the hearing. Full-size image
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Ron and Felix, taking a break between congressmen. Full-size image
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Meanwhile, after the Big Three meeting, Ford's Bill Ford, Rep. John Dingell (MI), GM's Rick Wagoner, DaimlerChrysler's Tom Lasorda...(sorry we don't have a picture of the silver bullet driving behind them, but believe us, it did.)
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The Big Three press conference redux. Note the presence of a PHEV less than a half-block away (center of photo). Full-size image
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The team and the cars: 100+mpg in front of the Capitol. Full-size image
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If you're sorry you missed us, don't worry, we'll be back!
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