CHICAGO, IL. – Chicago drivers could get the green light to purchase electric vehicles and operate them on neighborhood side streets, under a so-called “green fleet” initiative unveiled by Mayor Daley Tuesday.
TROJAN BATTERY ENHANCES ENGINEERING GROUP, FOCUSES ON FUTURE GROWTH
SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA – Trojan Battery Company, the world’s leading manufacturer of deep cycle batteries, announced today the following new developments within the engineering organization as part of the Company’s growth strategy.
Marvin Ho, who previously served as Senior Product Engineer, has been promoted to Manager, Advanced Development. Ho has been with Trojan since April, 2004 and received his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of South Carolina. With his strong understanding of various battery technologies, he will focus on investigating new technologies and improvements to Trojan’s best-in-class lead acid batteries.
Vicki Hall has been promoted to Manager, Applications Engineering. Hall joined Trojan in February, 2006 and has been the technical liaison to the world’s top golf OEMs. Hall comes with a proven track record of building strong relationships with Original Equipment Manufacturer customers, achieved through her previous battery industry employment working with Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and Ford. Hall will head a combined team of engineers and technical support staff whose objective is to provide dedicated, world class service to Trojan’s broad customer base while aiding business growth.
Chuck Snyder has been promoted from his former role as Director of Application Engineering to Principal Technical Engineer, a position newly created at Trojan. Snyder, a battery expert with more than 30 years of experience in the lead acid and nickel cadmium/nickel metal hydride markets, will serve as the technical advisor to the strategic planning process led by Bryan Godber, Vice President of New Business Development and Renewable Energy Ventures. In addition, Snyder will continue to be the key technical expert on charging systems, providing technical assistance to the new Applications Engineering and Advanced Development teams.
“These exciting developments in our engineering organization will strengthen the department’s structure for future growth,” said Gordon Beckley, Vice President, Engineering. “While Advanced Development allows Trojan to pursue leading-edge technology to meet the specific needs of each of our core and potential new markets, our Applications Engineering delivers dedicated technical support to customers in those markets providing further customer satisfaction and helping to extend our business. Furthermore, the appointment of our new Principal Technical Engineer allows us to become increasingly more innovative as we build even greater technical excellence within Trojan’s engineering organization.”
For more information, please visit; www.trojanbattery.com.
WORKING THE INAUGRATION
HARRISONBURG – The Presidential inauguration was so big and involved so many people, a Harrisonburg business was called in to help.
The National Park Service and partner agencies rented almost 100 vehicles from Virginia Golf Carts to use throughout the festivities.
Of the carts shipped to Washington D.C., about 60 were four-passenger vehicles 10 are six-passenger and 30 are made to haul cargo, owners said. The carts were used for security, VIP transport and emergency services. The carts were loaded onto tractor-trailers and will be returned a day or two after the events. Owners declined to comment about how much they were paid by the park service for the contract.
“It’s very cool to be part of such a monumental event,” said Chad Dunham, who owns the business with his father, Ron Dunham. “This is once in a lifetime.”
The government wasn’t the only one to turn to golf carts for the inauguration, high-end hotels, such as the Hay-Adams Hotel, have rented a half dozen of the carts to move their guests around the festivities.
This evening, the environmentally friendly, “Green Inaugural Ball” held inside the EPA building will use “Global Electric Motorcars,” vehicles that look like glorified golf carts, to shuttle VIP guests to and from the events.
After their carts return, the Dunham’s will continue to rent them for various outdoor events.
Since 1999, the Dunham’s business, based on Early Road, has used its 700-cart fleet for events ranging from county fairs to corporate gatherings to even NASCAR. Officials for the stock-car racing circuit use the golf carts to transport folks across the inside of the large tracks, Dunham said.
The Harrisonburg golf carts will take turns shuttling folks around tracks in Bristol, Martinsville, Richmond, Daytona, FL., Darlington, SC., Chicago, IL., Miami, Fl., and Atlanta, GA.
GET READY TO PIMP YOUR GOLF CARTS, CHICAGO For Chicago, going green may mean going electric.
The Neighborhood Electric Vehicle – sort of a golf cart on steroids — gets a top speed of 35 miles per hour. And unlike the Toyota Prius and other hybrids, electric cars are low-speed vehicles with electric motors and re-chargeable batteries that operate only on electricity. The battery can be re-charged by plugging it into a standard household electrical socket. The electricity, costing about $180 per year, is considerably less than the cost of gasoline.
“Not only is the city looking for green initiatives or green ways of transporting people around the city of Chicago, but the general public is looking for ways to move from one end of the city to the other,” said Eileen Joyce, the city’s Assistant Commissioner of Fleet Management.
The NEVs showcased Tuesday are built in North Dakota by Global Electric Motors, a division of the Chrysler Corporation. They have cup holders and sunroofs, everything you might expect of a car, except for the electric plug on the front end.
“You have mirrors, you have lights, and you have a safety glass windshield. This is not just glass you’d find, or plexiglass like you’d find on a golf cart,” said Senior Automotive Equipment Analyst Matt Stewart.
Under the hood sits an electric motor. The batteries are under the seat, good enough for short trips and errands.
One of the advantages of the NEVs is that they can be built to accommodate different uses. Some can be strictly people movers while others can be created to resemble a small pickup truck.
The city already owns four NEVs and is considering buying more if the ordinance is approved. For the public, they’ll run about $12,000 and will require a city sticker and a special low-speed vehicle sticker, but under state law would not require license plates.
AMERICAN CUSTOM GOLFCARS, INC ANNOUNCES THE RETURN OF THE HUMMER H2 BODY KIT
ACG.INC, would firstly like to wish you all a very happy holiday season. With the coming of the new year, 2009 will mark the return of the Hummer H2 body kit! ACG has begun production and is making available a body kit of the Hummer H2™. The OFFICIAL GM-licensed Hummer H2™ body kit will be adaptable for all Club Car chassis 1993 and newer, with the exception of the Club Car Precedent chassis. Coupled with the Hummer H3™ Golf Car/NEV, ACG now offers Hummer’s two most successful products to the golf/estate vehicle market! With such a demand, vice president, Dan Hoogenraad, stated, “even with current economic conditions, we feel offering two awesome Hummer products to our customers will inject new life and excitement into the market.”
With the support of our master distributors and dealers worldwide, we feel the decision to re-introduce the Hummer H2™ and making a body kit available will further bring excitement to the ever changing custom golf and estate vehicle markets.
For further information on the Hummer H2™ body kit and availability, please contact info@californiaroadster.com
CLUB CAR CHAIRMAN TRALIES RECEIVES PGA AWARD FOR LIFETIME CONTRIBUTIONS TO GOLF
ORLANDO, FL. – Club Car Chairman Phil Tralies received the Ernie Sabayrac Award from the PGA of America in recognition of lifetime contributions to the game of golf.
Tralies, whose business leadership and support for the game has made the Augusta-based manufacturer one of the most respected brands in golf, received the award Thursday night at the PGA of America awards ceremony held in conjunction with the 56th PGA Merchandise Show.
Tralies, who joined Club Car in 2001 as president and CEO and was named chairman in January 2008, has guided the company to prominence in domestic and global markets. Under his leadership, Club Car launched a number of new products into the golf market, resulting in significant market share gains. He also expanded the company’s global presence and transformed Club Car from a company focused on golf to one that manufacturers small task-oriented vehicles that serve a wide range of commercial and consumer markets beyond golf.
A native of Philadelphia, Tralies began his golf career in 1979 with Textron Inc., a global, multi-industry company that included E-Z-GO and Jacobsen. Tralies left Textron in 2000 to form P.J.T. Golf Capital LLC, a company focused on golf course financing for owners and operators, before coming to Club Car in 2001.
For more information visit; www.clubcar.com.
E-Z-GO LAUNCHES ONLINE BATTERY TRAINING CENTER
AUGUSTA, GA. – E-Z-GO, a Textron, Inc. Company, announced the launch of its Online Battery Training Center. This free online resource, available through the E-Z-GO website at www.ezgo.com, allows owners of E-Z-GO electric vehicles to quickly learn about proper maintenance of batteries in their fleets, using tips and tools that can maximize battery lifespan, increase energy efficiency, and ultimately reduce a facility’s impact on the environment.
Lessons are provided in English and Spanish in numerous topics, including proper watering of batteries, regular battery inspection and testing procedures, battery storage procedures, proper wiring and mounting of battery chargers, and management of energy usage. Each module includes a brief exam to test the user’s mastery of the material.
The center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, allowing E-Z-GO fleet owners to train their maintenance personnel at their own pace and as a part of their regular work routines.
By following the procedures outlined on the Training Center, owners can extend the lifespan of their batteries, reducing energy costs and the environmental impact of unnecessary battery disposal.
“We are proud to offer this important resource to our customers,” said Michael R. Parkhurst, E-Z-GO vice president of global sales. “The E-Z-GO Online Battery Training Center not only helps our customers get the most out of their E-Z-GO fleet, but it also allows them to quickly and easily learn how to reduce energy usage and their facility’s carbon footprint.
“The Training Center is another of many examples of the service and value that E-Z-GO provides customers above and beyond the product itself. It shows why E-Z-GO is ‘Excellence in Motion.’”
For more information about the E-Z-GO Online Battery Training Center, visit wwww.ezgo.com.
