ELECTRIC!

From our great friend Forbes Bagatelle-Black, to whom we send hardiest congrats on the new heir!

Next Glimpse Inside the eBox; AC Propulsion’s Scion xB electric car conversion keeps getting better
Forbes Bagatelle-Black, January 13, 2007 (EV World)

- When Tom Gage, president of AC Propulsion (ACP), showed me an eBox in August, 2006, it looked good. The eBox is an electric vehicle conversion done by ACP. It uses a Scion xB as the base vehicle and replaces the internal combustion engine with an electric drivetrain similar to the one ACP developed for their ground-up vehicle, the tZero.
The first eBox Gage showed me demonstrated that ACP is serious…
- ACP brought a newer eBox to the [Alternative Car Expo in Santa Monica, California]…It looked like a vehicle that could have been sitting on a showroom floor…
- The interior seemed flawless. All switches and gauges were sleek and smooth. The carpet installation was professional.
- The engine compartment was “clean enough to eat off,” with a beautifully-finished controller dominating the view under the hood. All the electronic and mechanical components looked as though they had been assembled on an automotive production line…if looks are any indication, this vehicle is absolutely ready for marketing…

- Gage…told me that the most significant design change on the new vehicle involved moving the battery pack down and back. Doing so brought the weight distribution closer to the ideal 50% on the front wheels/50% on the rear wheels value. It also lowered the vehicle’s center of gravity to further improve handling.
- The new eBox came equipped with a custom-made gear box which results in 10% better acceleration versus previous models. The top speed is still plenty fast..electronically limited to 100mph at a motor speed of 13,000 RPM…
- “A lot of people are concerned about the price,” Gage explained, “It’s a $55,000 conversion and you’ve got to bring your own car, which is another $15,000, so it’s a $70,000 car. But I think most people who drive it and can afford it agree that it is worth it, not only for the environmental efficiency and energy benefits, but just for the sheer driving pleasure.”
- …a few companies have recently introduced plans for two-seat electric sports car in the $70,000-$100,000+ price range, but the eBox offers similar perfomance on a platform that can carry five adults. And the eBox is currently taking orders for delivery in 2007…. The eBox [could haul my whole family of four] without any struggle…that it can blow away a Mustang GT is only icing on the cake.