Filed under: EV/Plug-in, China
2008 model of Flybo electric car will include heater
WJRT, a local news station, did a report about the Chinese Smart electric car clone called FlyBo recently. The WNEM local news report, we told you about earlier said it was not recommended for Winter use. Seems the reason for that warning is the lack of a heater, something that will be added to the 2008 model of the car according to Dave LaTarte of Great Lakes Auto Sales. Dave says Great Lakes is probably the only dealership in the U.S. selling the Flybo right now and he's "getting a lot of response from Florida and Arizona. People down in the southern states are interested in them." Flybo has a range of 70 to 100 miles, top speed of 42 miles per hour and you can pick one up for $10,000. Related:
[Source: WJRT]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
mike 9:18AM (1/06/2008)
Is this the only way we can get an Electric in the US?
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Lascelles Linton 10:25AM (1/06/2008)
Mike,
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/02/07/the-top-ten-electric-vehicles-you-can-buy-today-for-the-most-pa/
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Lascelles Linton 2:24PM (1/06/2008)
GreatGreenHammer,
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/09/22/nyt-normal-affordable-electric-cars-dont-exist/
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GreatGreenHammer 4:13PM (1/06/2008)
Thanks for the link Lascelles.
Sadly, in your "top ten" electrics, It looks like roughly 3 are available now in the states. Of the three, two are so slow, I'd be better off walking. The Pheonix is the only "real" vehicle in the conventional sense, and even then, it's out of most folks price range. The Tesla is still "vaporware" at this point as much as it hurts to say. However, the efforts at Tesla have been nothing short of heroic, the reality of electric vehicles in America so far have been lots of sound and little furry.
that said, i will try to be more patient. As most of the companies coming out with electrics in the short term don't have the recources available to the "big 3". Chevy Volt aside, I'm still disgusted by Detroit's ongoing "greenwashing" at auto shows, and slim pickings at dealerships.
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Chris M 11:27PM (11/27/2008)
11 months later, Phoenix still isn't in production and may be undergoing revisions, Flybo is nowhere to be seen, and Tesla is in production and has delivered over 70 cars.
Domenick 6:51PM (1/06/2008)
Also, for around $108,000, you can order yourself up a Tango from CommuterCars.com.
or you can try this site... http://www.evfinder.com/
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Ray 12:41AM (1/07/2008)
I just bought one of these cars in washington. Here the NEV class vehicle is limited to 35mph, but I love mine. yes, it is very slow, so slow that I had to put a sign on the back that says 35 mph, but I dont get people honking at me cause their mad, I have about 6 people a day honking at me with big thumbs up and smiles, since I only drie 12 miles to and from work this car really works well. as ar as the heater goes you can order them after market from canadian electric car co, that is what I did. the only thing you really have to watch out for on these cars is that they come with a 25 am charger, I bought a delta q charger and it works great. I ope more of these cars come to the US they are a lot of fun and really cheap to drive. after everything was said and done I save more even making payments and adding it to insurance than I spent driving my other car. :-)
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101TRAVEL 9:38AM (3/01/2008)
WE HAVE 2 FLYBO XFD-6000ZK FOR SALE FOR $6,100. + SHIPPING.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT US AT
101.TRAVEL@GMAIL.COM OR VIEW THEM ON OUR WEB
SITE AT http://101travel.tripod.com/
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drolsinatas 12:50AM (5/29/2008)
hi Ray, I just bought a Flybo this week. Is there anyway I could get your email? I been looking for someone with prior experience with these cars.
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Marcy 9:25PM (8/07/2008)
You can buy 2008 Flybo at http:///www.NHallnatural.com
for $8500 including shipping.
Great car!
I love mine.
Marcy
john 8:16PM (11/27/2008)
What is the name of the Canadian company that sells the heaters for the electric cars? Also where do you get the Delta q charger? Thanks.
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John 8:18PM (11/27/2008)
Ray, email me with your email address. I would also like to talk to you about you Flybo. Thanks.
John
intgroup@mchsi.com
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chris carlson 10:00PM (2/11/2009)
I hate to burst your balloons, but true electric cars will only ever be useful in North America in limited areas due to the fact that air conditioning is impossible as well as interior heat since these both consume huge percentages of the limited available electric charge. Mid-latitude coastal regions of north america are probably fair markets for purely electric cars since often heat and air conditioning are not required. Air conditioning is right out - it uses between 5 & 12 h.p., however heat may be obtained by utilizing a smallish Gasoline tank piped to a Volkswagen type gasoline heater. If I were FLYBO that’s what I’d use! (but you could perpetuate the myth---don’t tell your friends or the local papers you’ve got a gasoline heater). If an electric heater is used, range of the vehicle is severely compromised – to roughly half on average. Do the math, it's very simple---- about grade 5 math I believe. Just as conventional car heating utilizes excess heat produced by the engine cooling system; the excess heat from gasoline type heaters installed in electric cars could be used to heat snacks on your way to work. If you think there's a magic bullet, then just google: ‘electric vehicle heat'. There are no serious discussions or papers in existence ANYWHERE ON THE ENTIRE INTERNET folks!!!! Even Flybo WON’T TALK ABOUT IT!!!! Until we come up with another portable fuel with the same (or better) power to weight ratio as gasoline, we're just grasping at straws. I certainly wouldn't invest in an electric car company with my hard earned money unless it was one of those ‘get in and get out quick’ schemes before people figured it out. Look at Ballard Industries. When people found out the truth about Fuel Cells: Oddly it makes perfect sense that GASOLINE was chosen (because of it's compactness - liquid at room temp., high power to weight ratio etc.) as the best and most efficient for the Fuel Cell to run on! You go to the gas station, pump it, and carry it around in the car's fuel tank just as you do now (Hydrogen is extracted from the gasoline inside the fuel-cell then converted directly to electricity) Investors and everyone else were disheartened. Even though the fuel cell is more efficient, at what financial cost per unit? And we still wouldn't get off the gas. The shares value plummeted. I once heard a guy speaking like this and I hated him so much, I started researching all about lithium-ion batteries, electric vehicles, charging systems, how to heat and cool with electricity, advances in electric motors, motor controls, dynamic braking systems etc., and now sadly, I share his apathy. Good Luck with the Flybo when it’s -30deg. or + 105deg. Or maybe we just won’t talk about it and it’ll go away - like this post probably will when I check back in a while.
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Jim Stack 4:39PM (2/25/2009)
Note these are 35 mph vehicles until the law or the vehicles change.
A real EV would be the eBox from ACPropulsion, As to carlsons issue of heaters and air cond the eBox has both and a range of over 100 miles.
Sure you can keep using gasoline that is 60% imported, makes pollution and is very dangerous or you can take the road less traveled and work to make better more efficient vehicles. gas does have a lot of energy per lbs but it gets burned in a heavy in-efficient vehile. The internal combustion engine wates 80% of the enrergy and it's still goes a long way. It is hard to beat until you add all the costs.
Try to makwe gas on your roof like we can use solar PV to run our electrics. Try to not import any gas/oil. Try to make zero emmissions. Then you have the full picture.
I also ride a biycle, it's as close to perpetual motion as you can get..make it eledctric assist and your super person and still green and sustainable.
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