The California Cars Initiative (CalCars.org) <http://www.calcars.org>
is a Palo Alto-based nonprofit startup of entrepreneurs, engineers,
environmentalists and consumers promoting 100+MPG plug-in hybrid
electric vehicles (PHEVs). Somewhat uniquely, we're ourselves a
hybrid, focusing both on public policy and technology development,
and harnessing buyer demand to help commercialize PHEVs. The
increasingly-successful effort is becoming recognized as a hopeful
sign we can get off our addiction to fossil fuels. And it may be
first-ever instance of a "bottom-up/by popular demand" campaign
resulting in mass production of a new high-ticket consumer product.

AFTER 5 YEARS, WE'RE LAUNCHING CALCARS 2.0. CalCars is designing a
new management structure to make the most of our momentum, contacts
and visibility. We will organize, support and coordinate many
semi-autonomous projects to broaden awareness and support and speed
mass-production of plug-in cars. Transforming the enormous and
slow-to-change automotive industry is an ambitious goal, and finally
approaching some success is very gratifying. Some people who've
worked on the plug-in campaign have described the experience as the
most satisfying and meaningful thing they've ever done. The new
CalCars 2.0 will give many more people the opportunity to make even
more of a difference than we have already!

PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO YOUR NETWORK TO HELP IDENTIFY A PROJECT
COORDINATOR
OR POINT YOUR CONTACTS TO ANNOUNCEMENTS AT
http://www.calcars.org/news-archive.html


PROJECT COORDINATOR JOB REQUIREMENTS

* IMAGINATION: experience as a strategic decisionmaker, with a record
of spotting and maximizing opportunities.
* ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS: excels at prioritizing tasks, building and
managing teams, working harmoniously with volunteers and partnering
organizations.
* BACKGROUND: technical (engineering or automotive), marketing
(communications) organizing (environmental, nonprofit, political)
experience all a plus.
* LOCATION: preferably based in the SF Bay Area, though we won't rule
out a spectacular candidate in another location.
* COMMITMENT: interest in becoming CalCars CalCars COO/Executive Director.
* AVAILABILITY AND COMPENSATION: must be available INITIALLY AS A
PART- OR FULL-TIME VOLUNTEER; within several months full time with
compensation (the amount depending on our resources at that point).

TO APPLY

Please don't just shoot us a resume. Include a cover letter with your
feedback on CalCars and its strategy and your vision. Paste your
background info into the email or point to a URL -- to keep things
simple and avoid viruses, we won't open email attachments. Write to
jobs@.... Please don't call!


BACKGROUND: EXAMPLES OF NEW PROJECTS

As we reposition (and perhaps re-brand) CalCars for a broader
mission, take a look at some NEW PROJECTS through which CalCars 2.0's
can broaden awareness and support and speed mass-production. (We'll
share a longer list of 20+ potential projects with people who become involved.)

* PROMOTE INCENTIVES: Help align and package emerging public and
private revenue sources to motivate large companies to deploy
demonstration fleets and then mass-produce PHEVs.
* TARGET CAMPAIGNS: Customize programs to encourage several large US
and international automakers to catch up to the future by committing
to sell PHEVs in the SAME TIME-FRAME as GM and small startups.
* EXTEND PHEVS: Bring electricity to the most gas-guzzling vehicle
types: trucks, large SUVs, vans, recreational vehicles -- fostering
both new vehicle production and aftermarket conversions even of
EXISTING NON-HYBRIDS.
* SERVICE BUSINESS NEEDS: Establish a non-profit consulting branch
both for demonstration partnerships with component makers and for
strategic consulting with technology companies and cleantech investors.
* TELL STORIES: Transmit to carmakers and public audiences the
meaningful experiences and preferences of the fast-growing community
of PHEV drivers and owners.
* INFORM GLOBALLY: Provide the best up-to-date and usable
multi-lingual resources to increase awareness and understanding of
plug-in cars, their impact on the climate crisis -- and the short-
and long-term potential of distributed energy storage in cars, both
vehicle-to-home (V2H) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G).


BACKGROUND: ABOUT CALCARS

FORMED IN 2002, our efforts began to be noticed in early 2005 when
our first-ever Prius conversions were covered in The New York Times,
Business Week, TIME, National Public Radio, and local and network TV.
(See <http://www.calcars.org/news.html> for print, audio and video
clips and <http://www.calcars.org/news-archive.html> for the latest
developments.) By early 2006, the solutions we promote had received
supported from President Bush and his Energy Department, as well as
by Bill Clinton, Al Gore and many others
<http://www.calcars.org/photos-people.html>. Former CIA Director
James Woolsey calls the diverse interests lining up behind PHEVs the
"coalition between the tree-huggers, the do-gooders, the sod-busters,
the cheap hawks, and the evangelicals, utility shareholders, mom and
pop drivers, and Willie Nelson." In 2007, Google launched a major
Plug-In initiative with partners including Enterprise Rent-A-Car;
Toyota and GM indicated they would build PHEVs someday.

CONVERSIONS TAKE OFF In Fall 2004, CalCars built the first prototype
PHEV Prius we called "PRIUS+" to bring attention to plug-in hybrids
and encourage car makers to build them. We "green-tuned" a stock 2004
Prius by adding batteries and grid-charging. (We replaced the battery
control system but didn't modify the hybrid controls.) Our
proof-of-concept used lead-acid batteries. We've worked with
companies to demonstrate the viability for PHEvs of nickel-metal
hydride (Ni-MH) batteries used in current hybrids. Now we're working
with lithium-ion battery suppliers. We've demonstrated our cars
nationally as vehicles that get 100+MPG (plus about one cent/mile for
electricity), In 2005-2007, for-profit integration companies entered
the market. We have facilitated the EAA-PHEV "do-it-yourself with the
help of an experienced engineer" conversion project
<http://www.priusplus.org>. And several new companies have been
formed to facilitate componentry and installations based on those
open source designs. For all conversion options, see
<http://www.calcars.org/howtoget.html>.

CARMAKERS LISTEN: In mid-2006, Toyota, GM and Ford indicated they
were considering PHEVs. GM now plans build the first production
PHEVs, the Saturn Vue anticipated in 2010 and the Chevy Volt in
2010-11. Toyota plans a leased demonstration PHEV fleet to selected
corporate fleet customers before 2010, and Ford will test a small
number of Escape PHEVs with Southern California Edison. A Chinese
carmaker, BYD, plans to have PHEVs at this year's Summer Olympics,
and other small companies are moving ahead. Though over a dozen ten
automakers now express interest in PHEVs, most remain far from
production or "commercialization." We've tracked their evolving views
at <http://www.calcars.org/carmakers.html>. We're advocating for
immediate commitments to demonstration fleets using "good enough"
batteries, so car-makers will have evolved the cars through several
versions by the time they're ready to mass-produce them, with even
better batteries.

ADVOCACY AND PUBLIC POLICY: We encourage the growing attention given
to this compelling technology. New organizations in part catalyzed by
our efforts include Plug-In Partners (national fleet buy),
SetAmericaFree (energy security), Plug In America (PHEVs and battery
electrics), Plug-In Bay Area, The Silicon Valley Leadership Group's
"Our Power" campaign, the Plug-In Hybrid Consortium (component trade
association) -- see <http://www.calcars.org/partners.html>. In May
2006 we brought the first PHEVS to appear in public in Washington DC
for demonstrations and drives with dozens of Senators and
Representatives and staff members. Photos at
http://www.calcars.org/phevs-in-dc.html>. A bi-partisan Congressional
coalition introduced DRIVE Act legislation promoting plug-in cars,
provisions of which were included in the 2007 Energy Bill.

OUR GOAL: to motivate automakers to build PHEVs for a market that's
expanding as concern for near-term steps to address oil independence
and greenhouse gases. We see a near-term demand for demonstration
vehicles from utility, government and corporate fleets, and early
adopters, for 10,000-100,000 vehicles before a car company delivers
production PHEVs. (While after-market conversions sell for over
$10,000, we project automakers' selling price for mass-produced PHEVs
as $2-$5,000 higher than conventional hybrids. This would provide a
lower lifetime cost of ownership than any other vehicle type.) We're
exploring with public officials ways to provide incentives to auto
makers to build PHEVs. And we've been developing concepts to remove
the battery issue as a risk factor from both the manufacturer and
buyer of PHEVs via third-party battery warranties and leasing
programs. We've promoted the benefits of "vehicle to home" (V2H) to
provide backup power and reduce home energy costs and future "vehicle
to grid" (V2G), making parked cars' batteries available to utilities
for distributed storage. V2G could also make intermittent energy
sources like night-time wind power into reliable 24/7 renewable
energy sources.

FUNDING FOR CALCARS: Until recently, we've been entirely a volunteer
effort. We've gotten contributions from, among others, well-known
entrepreneurs, electric utilities, the Energy Foundation, Northern CA
Auto Association and Google.org, with others to come. We accept
tax-deductible donations and offer a unique bumper sticker to Charter
Sponsors. CalCars 2.0 aims to expand and diversify our revenue
streams. You can find out far more about us at the URLs below.


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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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