Not too long ago, we brought you news that there would be a BugE electric vehicle which would be auctioned off on eBay within the next few weeks. Guess what? That time has come. Of course you can see the cool little widget above which allows the auction to be seen here on ABG, but alternatively, you can check out the auction page here.

Here is what their page says about the vehicle:

"The green clean zero emissions BugE, built especially by Harvey Coachworks of Knoxville, MD is an electric vehicle (EV) that draws its power from electricity stored in batteries, instead of from the combustion of liquid fuels. It is a low cost street-legal all electric personal mobility vehicle that functions in a 3 1/2 season environment. It is a super-efficient and stylish ride that costs about one penny per mile to operate, and recharges in about four hours from any home outlet."

This one's a bit different, of course, 'cause it's been signed by a bunch of celebrities and is painted a different color. That color makes it look even more Bug-ee than before, we'd say.

Related:

• EVS23: A celebrity-signed BugE coming to eBay as charity for autism support group

[Source: eBay]

The BugE is not the kind of vehicle that blends into the background. And, when it's right in front of you in a color scheme you've never seen before (I've only seen white ones) with dozens of signatures on the panels, you get curious and start asking around.

Turns out, this BugE is a project of Harvey Coachworks and EV and was put together by them as a way to raise money for Autism Speaks, a group that funds "global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and cure for autism" and raises autism awareness. This BugE made an appearance at the American Music Awards, where celebrities put pen to metal and created a truly one-of-a-king electric vehicle.

At EVS23, I spoke with Joe Lado, the director of business development at Harvey Coachworks and EV, about the BugE charity vehicle. The real short version is that this vehicle should be up for auction on eBay (potentially on the main page) in about two weeks, with the money going to Autism Speaks. The idea of signed BugEs selling for charity has caught on. Next year, Harvey Coachworks will bring a few more deluxe, signed BugE vehicles to the auction block. Listen to the details here.

Dec. 18, 2007 UPDATE: the vehicle is now on eBay.


You can compare the Harvey Coachworks edition (above) with an unmodified version in the gallery below. And hey, what celebrities' names can you spot on the signed BugE?

We introduced you to the BugE concept vehicle earlier this year, and at the Santa Monica Alt Car Expo we finally got to see this strange beast in the metal. Not quite a car, more than a scooter, the BugE is one of the many entries in the city-commuter-use-only category of new vehicles. You can read the specs in our original post, and see what some kids think of the vehicle in the gallery below. Some say that smile is the "EV grin."

A top-down view of the BugE beautifully shows its '60s spacecraft aesthetic. This all-electric single-person EV is designed and built by Mark Murphy, and it's the rocketship view that greets you on the BugE's website main page, along with the line, "Earth for Earthlings." While the look is quaint/futurist, the name is a great play on "buggy", and all that's missing are the words "horse and". Right from the start you can tell the BugE is a non-traditional EV.

In some ways, though, the BugE shares a lot with other EVs on the market today. It has a 30 mile range, can go 50 mph, and uses lead acid batteries. The BugE's range is in part determined by your speed: 20 miles at 40 mph, 30 miles at 30 mph, 40 miles at 20 mph. The BugE is powered by four M34 AGM Blue Top lead acid batteries, and can go 25 miles on the energy it takes to run a dishwasher for one load. You can read all the BugE's specifications here and get energy comparisons here.

From the look of the BugE from the side, I don't think this is an all-season vehicle. As you can see in pictures taken from the side, the roof is just a roof, and doesn't enclose the side or back of the seat. Oddly enough, Murphy's stated design goal is "to create a simple, low cost personal mobility vehicle that could function in a four-season environment on city streets." And he's in Oregon, so maybe the roof provides more protection from the weather than I can imagine (and I think my imagination might be limited right now thanks to the bitter, bitter cold we're having in Michigan. Then again, I still ride my bike in this weather, so what am I complaining about? Maybe my brain's frozen). Then again, he does say that sometimes it's best to pull the BugE over and wait for the weather to pass. Hmmm.

The BugE will be available in kit form for about $3,000, finished for about $4,000. Murphy's previous EV was the award-winning Gizmo.

Last week, the BugE went for it's first drive (video here) and Murphy says there were no glitches. Let's see how the rest of the process goes.

[Source: Bug EV]

UPDATE: I forgot to mention that this tip came from Michael Polsinelli, who said he got the following information from Mark:

The BugE kit is a series of part components, some of which are bundled into packages for convenience.

Our Part, The Vehicle kit comprises the rolling vehicle ( chassis body and wheels) that is $3000 (est). The 48 volt system (motor, controller chargers etc) is about $1000 from EV parts and the 12 volt/MC package has the street legal lighting and harness, chain, levers cable---the Motorycle parts for about $350.

then you get the nuts and bolt hardware locally along with some auto parts (mirrors, headlights) and batteries.

The total can range from $4000 to $6000, but you decide what and when you spend money on the kit and what you want to customize.

We will be posting more detail, and will have Assembly Manuals for sale soon that cover everything.