After test driving Zap Xebras and almost buying one earlier this year, I took a break when I realized the speed and range were sub par. Lucky I did, as the
Zap Motor Company turns out to be untrustworthy in this EV venture. The Xebra never exceded 35mph and a 20 mile range.
In May, I discovered
Wilderness EV in Lehi, Utah. They turn gas-guzzling VW bugs and other small cars into all-electric vehicles and sell conversion kits for anyone to turn their own vehicle into a gas-free mode of transportation. Instant flashback to 1979 when my sister Misty got her first wheels - a white VW Beetle which quickly turned into a metallic blue. The memories of my dad and Uncle Max working in the garage pit on the rubber band which powered the oil-smelling piece of machinery. I knew that if I could convert something which burned as much oil as gasoline, I could show others how to do the same. I spotted a craigslist ad for a 1969 Type 3 Fastback and found my opportunity. For the bargain price of $1500, I sputtered down the road... for 3 miles, at such time I called a tow truck to get home.
This is just the beginning of a project which will first repair a VW Type 3, then prepair it for a future which no other Type 3 has experienced. I think I have more in common with this vehicle than anything else I have driven - maybe because we're the same age. And I've already peaked some interest among VW enthusiasts. The more VW people I meet, the more I appreciate the community which is not just about restoring these pieces of automobile history. It's about the enjoyment of driving these vehicles and sharing them with others. What better way to promote driving, and driving in a clean environment, than driving an
E L E C T R I C Fastback?
Besides,
Dustin Hoffman had nothing but good things to say about it.
Labels: EV, VW, Zap
