Wednesday, August 11, 1999

Dear George,

We have a vision - a vision of a California and a world without pollution. The technology to do it is already available. The Oil- and Auto Industry have done a "great" job of making people think their polluting technologies are necessary, that global warming doesn't exist and even that clean technologies are dangerous.

In 1990 the California Zero Emission Mandate fueled worldwide research and development on clean transportation technologies. Encouraged by the mandate we developed EV's such as the Electric Porsche Spyder. It goes 0 to 60 in 8 seconds and has a 120 mile range with lead acid batteries. With the new nickel metal hydride batteries it will have a 240 mile range and with 15 minutes of recharging it will go another 180 miles. In 1995 we had 20 orders, but the Oil- and Auto Industry spent $40 million in negative advertising to eliminate the 1998 Zero Emission Mandate and our customers lost their interest.

The industry was successful. The pollution has continued. Every gallon of gasoline burned consumes 14 pounds of oxygen and creates 20 pounds of greenhouse gas. Everyone knows, one way to commit suicide is to breathe auto exhaust yet, somehow we justify putting car exhaust in everyone's air.

EV's create no exhaust and can be charged from clean, renewable sources like photovoltaic panels (PV) that turn the sun's energy directly into electricity. Both the Federal Government and the State of California currently offer Incentive Programs which make the cost of PV-roofing almost free. A 50 kW PV roof can pay for itself in less than 5 years, then your electricity is free.

But there's no chance to convince the general public with these arguments, people react to what they see in the movies, on TV-ads and at Skywalker Ranch. You have the power to defeat the combustion consortium (the Evil Empire), by making Skywalker Ranch a zero emission zone powered by PV-roofs. The 2003 Zero Emission Mandate is coming up for review early next year. If the combustion consortium is again successful in eliminating the Mandate, the future will be crisis-driven.

If you could make a short video showing the possibility of a future powered by clean, renewable energy that could be shown to the California Air Resources Board, it would have a tremendous impact and could change the outcome of the Hearings. The attached photos show passive solar designs, photovoltaic roofs and the Electric Porsche Spyder. The drawings show a hybrid pedal electric three-wheeler that could also act as an ultralight rail vehicle that has more than 100 times the efficiency of combustion vehicles.

We don't have to wait for a crisis to make a change.

Best Regards,

Steve Heckeroth