Shopgoodwill.com

I love mechanical things. During my college days down in Detroit I would canvas the resale shops for old cameras. Some stores let you fill up a grocery bag for $5.00. The detail and workmanship on many of these vintage cameras is exquisite. There are still some amazing deals out there - including this wonderful site called shopgoodwill.com.

Goodwill Industries shops across the country offer up musical instruments, antiques, cameras and more to the highest bidder. Better yet - it goes to charity. Time.com rated this site as one of the best websites for 2009. There are some treasures that get passed along as well - and because there aren't as many people searching the prices are typically better than eBay.

Consider this beauty. It's a Zeiss Ikonta 521/2 Camera with Zeiss-Opton Ser. No. 35748 Tessar 106 mm lens. Bidding started at $5.00 and is now $45.00. Most likely it will go for much less than the going rate on eBay where a similar camera (Ser. No. 35518) has a Buy it Now price of $563. According to the eBay post - the Ikonata 521/2 camera with this 106 mm lens was produced in November of 1948 - and only a little over 200 cameras were produced with the uncoated Opton 106 mm lens before they switched to the coated 105 mm lens. Rare indeed.

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High Voltage Transmission Detail

High Voltage Engine Detail
Originally uploaded by lee.ekstrom

Cutaway of GM's Two-Mode Hybrid transmission. Supplemental power comes from two 60kW motors housed within the electronically variable transmission. The two electric motors work in tandem with four fixed gears to distribute both gasoline and electric power as needed. The electric motors have two distinct modes of operation depending upon city or highway driving and can use the electric motors for boosting and regenerative braking. Claims include close to 40% fuel efficiency improvement in city driving. Chrysler and BMW Group formed a cooperative effort with GM called the Global Hybrid Cooperation, to help develop this next-generation tranny.

Let the takeover begin

e6 Front View
Originally uploaded by lee.ekstrom

If the Chinese business man Wang Chuanfu's goal is to lull us to sleep - he has succeeded. The styling is mundane and lackluster. But beware - under the hood of this dragon is Wang's deep desire to be China's top automaker by 2015. He plans on being #1 in the world by 2025. Unreasonable? Think again.

Build Your Dream (BYD) sold 450,000 vehicles in 2009 alone. China is pushing hard to "Go inland." That is - to sell in China first - then conquer the foreign lands. Vehicle sales are skyrocketing - The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers reported auto sales in second (41%) and third-tier (51%) cities surged for the first 9 months of 2009. Once fortified in China - watch out for the U.S. takeover.

BYD's display didn't have singers, dancers or any showstopping entertainment. But if there were one company to take note of this year - it is BYD. Sure they have to learn our culture and cater to our style and American needs (like large cupholders). But good design can be acquired as seen by Hyundai - when they hired Joel Piaskowski. In fact, Piaskowski was wooed away from Hyundai to Mercedes early last year.

BYD is the largest supplier of cell phone batteries in the world. Combine the worldly know-how with visionaries like Warren Buffet, who recently made a 10% investment in the nascent company and you can just see a glimmer of what's to come. When electric turns the corner in the states, BYD will be there.

There might even be an electric vehicle for sale by the end of 2010. With up to 205 miles between charges, and torque that rivals a Ford F-150 pickup truck, the e6 may have just enough performance for American's to overlook the dull appearance. Time will tell.

Electric / Hybrid Eye Candy

Love the deep burnt orange color on Canadian-made eVaro electric / hybrid made by Future Vehicle Technologies (formerly Fuel Vapor Technologies). This fully-functioning plug-in electric series hybrid produces no emissions for 90% of its time on the road. It has an unlimited range with FVT custom on-board high-voltage generator.

The University of Fraser Valley confirmed an amazing 275 mpg for city driving and an average 165 mpg for highway driving. But this is no slow-poke, eVaro has a top speed of 135 mph, and can go from 0 to 60 mph in a sizzling five seconds. Check out the eVaro testing tires on YouTube.

Detroit Electric Vehicle Circa 1922

Detroit Electric Vehicle Circa 1922
Originally uploaded by lee.ekstrom

This 1922 Detroit Electric Car was originally owned by socialite Mrs. Joseph Ballard of Binghamton, New York from 1922 until 1934. The $2,985 price tag is equivalent to about $38,000 today.

Mrs. Ford had an electric car just like this one - also on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI. This car was on display at the 2010 North American international Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan.

Electric cars were extremely popular with well-to-do women who had trouble, or didn't care for, the hand-cranking that was necessary with gasoline powered cars. One of the other key selling points: wealthy woman much preferred the electric cars roomy interiors that resembled parlors or powder rooms.



The performance wasn't bad for the day - top speed of 25mph and a range of up to 60 miles. In 1900 electric cars far outsold steam and gasoline powered cars, but that all changed with the electric starters on gasoline cars. In 1916, Detroit Electric made almost 1900 cars - that dropped dramatically to 143 cars in 1922 when this vehicle was made.

The Eve of a New Electric Infrastructure

Ford HEV Plug In 120V
Originally uploaded by lee.ekstrom

Do a little research on electric cars and you'll find some interesting nuggets. One of the more startling facts: At the turn of the century, electric vehicles outnumbered gas-powered vehicles two to one! They had distinct advantages; they were easier to start, quieter, cleaner and required no gear shifting. That all changed with the advent of the electric starter.

The first self-starting ignition was used on a 1911 Cadillac and was invented by GM engineers Charles Kettering and Clyde Coleman. Bye bye hand cranking. The patent for the ignition coil was awarded in 1915. Kettering is best known as the founder of Delco (Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company).

But, even before Kettering was Nikola Tesla with his disruptive discharge "Electrical Igniter for Gas Engines" - awarded U.S. Patent 609,250 on August 16, 1898.

A. Atwater Kent patented the modern form of the ignition coil in 1921 along with contacts, distributor and single coil design.

Detroit Edison and MichCon have made an effort to steadily replace older supervisor vehicles with Ford Escape plug-in Hybrids. Ford recently announced in August of 2009 that they have developed an "intelligent vehicle-to-grid communication and control system for its plug-in hybrid vehicles that "talks" directly with the nation's electric grid." The new system allows the vehicles operator to program when to charge, for how long and at what utility rate.

Until the infrastructure of the country is upgraded, including electrical grid, car-charging outlets, battery swapping, etc. As reported in Green Tech, the California Bay Area along with Better Place is hoping to implement a massive $1 billion electronic infrastructure by 2012. Just like the advent of the electric ignition, this infrastructure will have to be easy-to-use, clean and convenient to succeed.