This second annual event, twice as large as last year, includes
amazing projects, demonstrations, workshops and presentations. Here's
how O'Reilly Media, its organizers, describes it: "A two-day,
family-friendly event that celebrates arts, crafts, engineering,
science projects and the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset. It's for
creative, resourceful folks who like to tinker and love to make
things. We call them Makers." Join us at the Maker Faire, Saturday
May 19, from 10-6 and Sunday May 20 from 10-5 at the San Mateo
Fairgrounds.. Save $5 on the $15/day/$20/weekend admission (lower for
students and kids) by buying tickets online <http://www.makerfaire.com>.

At this ultimate Invention/Conversion/Do-It-Yourself event, CalCars
will convert a Prius into a PHEV for the second time. Everything will
be in public view, with a technical and an educational crew
explaining what's going on, and, if our experience last year is a
model, dodging the TV and private videographers and tech paparazzi
covering the event.

Our general description below, the brief listing at
http://makerfaire.com/pub/e/339 are complemented by Ron Gremban's
announcement of the event
at
<http://www.eaa-phev.org/maillist/eaa-phev.html?go=1&show=2007./5./56>.
This conversion ties into both the late stages of the Electric Auto
Association-PHEV "Do It Yourself with technical help" Project and
CalCars' planned spin-off of a for-profit PHEV conversion company.


The EAA-PHEV PROJECT CONNECTION (technical details and discussions at
<http://www.eaa-phev.org>).
Last year the Prius we converted Ryan Fulcher's Prius with lead-acid
batteries. The car went home to Seattle, becoming the first PHEV in
the Pacific Northwest. (That vehicle has since been further modified
to include a new design by Manzanita Micro.) For last year's event
see the Treehugger report with Daryl Hannah
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51nMDhu7qIE#GU5U2spHI_4>, CalCars at
Earth Day 2006 Maker Faire <http://www.calcars.org/makerfaire.html>
and much description, photos etc. at
<http://www.eaa-phev.org/wiki/Inaugural_Maker_Faire>.

We had hoped by this time to have a full "Do It Yourself " solution
for Prius owners in the form of:
1. a fully open-source design
2. public documentation
3. easy-to-order parts
4. a method to connect Prius owners with technical helpers

But this all-volunteer effort is not yet complete. Last November, in
Phase 2, we converted a Prius for the Thesen-Kramer family of Palo
Alto (no relation to Felix Kramer). You can watch that happen on
KQED's new QUEST TV program -- see
<http://www.calcars.org/audio-video.html> and see a photo of the team
at <http://www.calcars.org/photos-groups.html>. That car became the
fourth PHEV Prius in the Bay Area. Since then, four other members of
the EAA-PHEV group, in Illinois, New York and England have done
conversions using our designs-in-progress and control and display
systems we've helped make available (see
<http://www.calcars.org/where-phevs-are.html>).


THE CAR OWNER
We'll be adding to a stock 2006 Prius with lead-acid batteries our
latest versions of the control electronics and cooling and charging
systems, integrating it all in Jim Philippi's car. Last November, Jim
traveled all the way from Houston to be part of that conversion team.
This time, Jim will drive back in his very own PHEV to become the
first private owner of a PHEV in Texas, where he lives with his wife
Vickie and son Cody. Jim works at Continental Airlines and is
interested in solar energy, wind power and energy efficiency. Jim
says, "We decided to convert our car in November 2006 and slowly we
have been buying parts. We are very glad to have this opportunity to
work with CalCars to achieve this goal, and to further spread the
word that cleaner cars can be made with current technology. It's
better for the environment, and for our national security. In the
future we want to put solar panels on our home to charge our new
PHEV. We would like to thank everyone who helped make our dream possible."


THE PROJECT MANAGER
CalCars volunteer Jim Bernard, an electrical engineer from
Pleasanton, CA, is Project Manager for the Maker Faire. Jim is a
senior product and business development executive with a background
at Sun Microsystems, and Adaptec. He says, "recently I attended a
presentation in SF by Sherry Boschert on her plug-in hybrid
book. For about six months I've been educating myself on various
aspects of Green Technology as I transition from my high tech career
track to my next phase. I plan to strike a different balance in my
life, one which gives back by contributing towards big goals. I've
been looking for a focus area within Green Tech, and may have found
one in plug-in hybrids."


THE NEW COMPANY CONNECTION
In January we announced
<http://www.calcars.org/calcars-news/658.html> plans to begin a
project to install Valence Saphion lithium-phosphate batteries in two
Prius and two Ford Escape Hybrids, and create a company to deliver
volume conversions (while continuing CalCars as a non-profit). Our
motivation was primarily the slow pace of availability to individuals
of after-market conversions, which continues (though recent
developments among aftermarket companies give indications that may
improve in 2008 -- see <http://www.calcars.org/news-archive.html> and
<http://www.calcars.org/howtoget.html>). While we continue our
advocacy activities, we're working to recruit a management team (see
<http://www.calcars.org/jobs.html>, and we expect to have some of the
components on display at the Maker Faire. The car we convert at Maker
Faire will benefit from "trickle-down" technologies from that
project, including use of an early prototype version of an innovative
battery box that allows access to the spare tire.

We hope you'll visit us at the event, in the main Fiesta Hall. And if
you consider yourself a PHEV advocate, you're welcome to join us in
talking to people streaming by. Stop by/stay for an hour/spend a whole day!

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Felix Kramer fkramer@...
Founder California Cars Initiative
http://www.calcars.org
http://www.calcars.org/news-archive.html
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