LAKEPORT – Jerry Asher drove into Lakeport on November 20. It”s doubtful anyone heard him pull into town, though. His car doesn”t make any noise. It”s electric. He is touring America with the Spirit of DC, a plug-in hybrid electric Toyota Prius. Asher said the DC on the car can be as in Washington, D.C., where the tour started, as in direct current, its power source, or as one person suggested to him, “drive carefully”.
While enjoying breakfast at the High Street Caf?, Asher jokingly mentioned that he has something in common with the Blues Brothers who were “On a mission from God.” While it is obvious that Asher is passionate about his mission, his business card actually states he is “Educating America about plug-in hybrid electric vehicles one town at a time.”
Locally, Asher and the Spirit of DC were hosted to the public at the Mendo-Lake Credit Union parking lot by the Konocti Electric Auto Association. The car and touring expenses are being offset by the Electric Vehicle Association of Greater Washington, D.C. and from grants from a number of other electric car associations and other organizations.
Asher describes the time we are living in as one of the most exciting in history. He said we are witnessing “the end of the ICE (internal combustion engine) age as we move into the SEA (solar and electric) age.”
He went on to state that “We can get energy independence back for America.” The movement that Asher describes doesn”t just deal with electric cars, but it also encompasses the utilization of solar, wind and hydro-electric power to reduce the nation”s dependence on oil.
Asher commented that his Spirit of DC tour of America has proved to him that there really is a grassroots movement taking place all across the country to increase the usage of alternative forms of energy. He spoke of small business owners in many states who are actively seeking ways to involve their business in electric transportation.
There is even a guy named Jim Coate who is converting farm tractors into plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. On a local basis, Asher mentioned that Santa Rosa Junior College has a grant from AAA to build a state-of-the-art electric vehicle that uses lithium batteries.
Here in Lakeport, the Konocti Electric Auto Association may not be building electric cars, but its members are certainly interested in driving them. Their reasons include what most people would expect; many want to get away from being gasoline dependent, knowing full well that what has come down in price recently will go back up in the future. Others are more interested in environmental issues and like the fact that they reduce their carbon footprint by going electric. There are currently 52 members of the local association. Not all of them own electric cars, yet, but they all hope to at some point in their life.
One concern that some people voice is how and where does one charge an electric car, other than at home? Dr. Randy Sun, president of the Konocti Electric Vehicle Association, said that charging stations are springing up all across the country. He said there are now many charging stations in northern California. He mentioned the park and ride lot in Ukiah added electric vehicle charging availability not long ago. Shopping malls and public parking garages are rapidly making them available as the number of electric powered autos soars.
Asher says that the Electric Vehicle Association of Greater Washington, D.C. is working on getting a parade permit for the Spirit of DC in the upcoming inaugural parade for President Elect Barack Obama. He said the organization believes it would be a great way to get lots of attention for the alternative energy cause. An optimistic Asher even said that the Spirit of DC will someday be in the Smithsonian Institute. He clarified that, “They don”t know that yet, but I am going to work at making it happen.”
Asher pointed out that the electric car has a much larger and longer presence in America”s history than most people realize. One of his informational sheets illustrates the point. Long before any gas-powered auto was the seed of a thought in an inventor”s mind, Thomas Davenport developed a battery electric car in 1834. In 1896, the first car dealership in America opened its doors. It sold electric-powered cars. In 1908, Henry Ford bought his wife an electric vehicle. She once remarked, “It never fails me.”
After Lakeport, Jerry Asher said he will be working his way back east through the Sun-Belt states. He plans to complete the tour by showing the Spirit of DC at the Environmental Protection Agency”s 5th National Sustainable Design Expo, April 18-20, 2009, on the National Mall, in Washington, D.C.
He left on this cross-country drive shortly after the Spirit of DC was christened, on Earth Day 2008, April 20, on the National Mall. Asher said, “The tour has taken on a life of its own.” With the help of all the local electric vehicle association chapters, he said, “The tour has been a team effort to educate and to call to action.”
Contact Publisher Gary Dickson at gdickson@record-bee.com or call him direct at 263-5636 ext. 24.
