Potomac Man Creates a DIY Electric Car
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A Neon much like this one has been turned into a eco machine.
On the roads of Potomac, luxury sedans and SUVs teeming with swim meet participants are very much the norm. And because of the town's reputation as a hotbed of wealthy liberalism, you'll probably see more than a few hybrids, as well.
But the Washington Post's John Kelly uncovered Michel Bonard, a man who took his eco street cred a step further by converting an old Dodge Neon (which he bought on Craigslist for $1,000, though his progressive props would have been that much higher had it been freecycled) into an exclusively electric car.
The conversion process set him back $15,000, but you can't put a price on a WHISPER QUIET GOLF CART.
And what does it drive like? I found it a bit like a fast golf cart. A fast, quiet golf cart. Michel said that without the rumble of an internal combustion engine, pedestrians don't always hear him coming. He installed a little alarm that beeps whenever the car is in reverse.
The converted Neon can drive 30 miles on a full charge, but can keep a keen sense of self-righteousness going for months at a time, maybe even years.
Posted Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 - 12:09 PM EST
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