Starting this summer you may see them zip past you on the road, glide up to parking meters and idle at the corner stop sign. But one place you never will see certain owners take their Chevrolet Equinox, Saturn Sky or Pontiac Solstice is the gas station.
Three-year-old Amp Electric Vehicles of Blue Ash has begun taking orders for conversion of those cars' platforms from traditional gas to emission-free electric power. The first deliveries are expected this June � ahead of its retail competitors, according to the company.
Amp will demonstrate its converted cars at the New York Auto Show next month.
"In the conversion process we remove all of the combustion engine related components. We then replace (them) with two direct drive electric motors and our battery array. In placing the 100 percent electric drive train, we place it so the weight distribution is within 1 percent of the original combustion engine weight. In that way we are able to maintain the original handling characteristics and safety features," Amp executive J.D. Staley says.
The Equinox � which can be seen in the Amp showroom in suburban Cincinnati � will reach a top speed of 90 miles an hour, and will go from zero to 60 miles per hour in approximately eight seconds, with a charge voltage of either 110V or 220V. It will travel up to 150 miles on a single charge. Cost is about $50,000, after government incentives.
Staley says Amp had a 312 percent increase in employees year over year in 2009. "We are continuing to grow a bit so far this year. As we ramp up to full production we will be in need of additional skilled and unskilled labor."
Source: J.D. Staley, Amp Electric
Writer: Gabriella Jacobs