Vern Buchanan (R), the Congressman representing the Sarasota, FL area, is one politician who sees the "green" light. While visiting with solar and electric car maker, Cruise Car Inc, whose manufacturing and sales operation is in his district, the lawmaker made a plea for a national bipartisan effort to make the switch from fossil fuels to more environmentally-friendly energy sources. Speaking to the company's employees and assembled media, Buchanan said, "My sense is we've been misled as Americans in many ways for the last 25 years in terms of our energy and where we're going to get it. Solar, alternate energy, all that stuff is possible; it'll create jobs, it'll make a difference."

Proof of that difference was all around him. While obviously not the transportation solution for everybody, Cruise Car is doing a booming business. There's a 60 to 90 day waiting list for some of their vehicles, which can go up to 62 miles on a charge and are powered by the sun, though they can be plugged in for extra charging if necessary. The company is doubling its 10 employees this year and will be moving to a new facility (and doing more hiring) to keep up with an exponential increase in demand. Hopefully, more of our representatives will open their eyes to the many benefits of a greener economy and make the changes needed to speed things along.

[Source: Bradenton Herald]

Solar Power 2006, the nation's largest solar energy conference, just wrapped up in northern California with a visit by Gov. Schwarzenegger. More than 9,000 people registered or dropped by to view the exhibits. Highlighting the closing activities was the giveaway of a solar-paneled NEV called the Sunray. Manufactured by Cruise Car, the Sunray can go about 22mph and has a range of 65 miles, according to the distributor. Cost is $7,000 before federal tax credits. The company also has traditional carts and is planning a faster solar-paneled NEV.

[Source: Red Herring]