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Have any HCF-305 Scooter stories, gripes, adventures, modified rigs,
technical tips, photos, or video clips?
Email us at:
hcf-305userforum@earthlink.net
The Forum Connection:
This webspace is a great way to publicize up-to-date information,
keep HCF-305 owners, as well as potential buyers, informed, and attract a broader audience. We'll use this site to get the
word out on the HCF-305 and create a better sense of community among our visitors.
Here's the link to our companion Yahoo Groups site: "Light Electric
Vehicle", for interactive forum activities and exchange of ideas:
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| (click picture to go directly to the "Who Killed the Electric Car?" website) |
It was among the fastest, most efficient production cars ever built.
It ran on electricity, produced no emissions and catapulted American technology to the forefront of the automotive industry.
The lucky few who drove it never wanted to give it up. So why did General Motors crush its fleet of EV1 electric vehicles
in the Arizona desert? "WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR?" chronicles the life and mysterious death of the GM EV1, examining its
cultural and economic ripple effects and how they reverberated through the halls of
government and big business.
The website, by Sony Pictures, is also an excellent and informative primer of
the many alternatives to petroleum powered vehicles.
In a manner expected, the movie demonizes the auto industry, the government, and the petroleum
interests, putting the blame on them for ending production of the EV1 (while absolving the public of responsibility),
cancelling all leases for the vehicle and destroying all but one, of a production run that barely exceeded 1,000
autos.
But the fact of the matter is that the EV1 had a large carbon footprint (via the local power
grid), required an incredible amount of battery pack maintenance and replacement (unknown to those who leased them),
and posed serious class-action legal problems to General Motors if they unloaded those failed, high-maintenance
EV1's onto an unsuspecting public -who would have to fend for themselves on serious battery maintenance issues.
And, more importantly, there are, as of last count, 25,000 electric autos on the road -in
California alone. And the person who rolls up their sleeves and builds an electric vehicle, more than likely, has very
little in common with the whining, suffering individuals featured in the movie (okay... I'm a Republican).
| Electric Auto Association |
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| (click picture to go directly to their website) |
The Electric Auto Association is an excellent first-stop for those who are
building -or simply own, an electric vehicle. Their website will direct you to their local chapters, where you can drop
in on their meetings and receive help from others who have valuable experience with issues that are unique to electric vehicles.
Tips to designing and building a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle:
"EV (electric vehicle) Help" is an excellent website that offers
practical tips on how to go about building your own electric car. Not only do they provide valuable technical advice, as well
as links, they also delve into determining the cost-effectiveness of electric vehicles. The dubious concept of using
solar panels is also explored.
Click here to go directly to EV Help.
If you are considering purchasing, or designing, a 3-wheeled vehicle:
| Issues with 3-Wheel Vehicle Design: |
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| (click picture to go directly to their website) |
The HCF-305 is, essentially a reverse tricycle 3-wheeled vehicle. That is,
two wheels up front with a third, powered wheel in back (with two "training wheels" added in the back for stability).
And stability is the main issue here. A reverse tricycle vehicle is
more stable than a tricycle, but the center of gravity is far more critical than that required for a standard 4-wheeled
vehicle. This valuable link explores the stability issues that are unique to 3-wheeled vehicles.
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