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Gavin Shoebridge – an electric vehicle nut, a keen environmentalist

                Electric Car Conversion Blog By Gavin Shoebridge

June 24th, 2010 at 6:19 pm

Beating the Supermarkets at Their Own Game

Theres more to supermarket shopping than you might think...

There's more to supermarket shopping than you might think...

The supermarket industry is big. I mean really big. Even in the guts of the 2009 recession this powerful industry made over $547,000,000,000 US dollars. To put that incomprehensible amount of money into perspective, that’s 9174 all-electric Tesla Roadster sports cars.
Perhaps even even more impressively, it’s enough cash to buy you 607 individual Queen Mary II ocean liners, each one full of rooms, theaters, furniture and facilities.

This is the first indicator that they’re not “doing everything to save you money” as they may claim.
So how do you see through the fog and come out of your shopping experience without being drained of cash? Well, easily – but you’ll have to stick to these tips.

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1: WRITE A SHOPPING LIST!
I cannot, I repeat, can not stress this rule enough. If you only do one single thing to cut down on your grocery costs then this must be it.

Copy us for example. What we do each week before buying the groceries is decide what meals we’ll have on what day. After a few weeks this becomes a piece of cake to do. You’ll soon know what you’ll need for a chicken stir-fry or vegetarian lasagne without even looking at a recipe book. You can even do it during the ad-breaks!

On the morning of our “Grocery day” (Friday in our house) our refrigerator and cupboards are utterly bare – except for some sauces and spices. This tells us we’re using every ingredient on the list and have no leftovers – also known as money wasted.

2: Stick to the List!
There’s no point in writing a list if you’re not going to stick to it. Supermarkets want you to “treat yourself” – but your wallet certainly doesn’t.
This is where personal restraint must play a part. If it’s not on the list, do NOT put it in your trolley.
I simply don’t care how great the special is, ignore it – unless it’s an item on your list.

Because of this strict system, we have $120 NZ ($85 US) set aside each week for groceries for our 2-person household, yet we always have money left over each week! In fact just 2 hours ago I finished up at $87.90 NZ ($62.25 US) for the whole week’s groceries. This means we can use the leftover money to go out for a nice breakfast or lunch the next day. There’s no reason why you couldn’t do the same.

Important note: For many reasons New Zealand has much higher grocery prices than that of the USA, so for a Kiwi household our results are pretty darn impressive!

3: Ignore the Fruity Crap.
Supermarkets always, always put their produce (fruit & vegetables) at the entrance when you walk in. This is done intentionally because the items are high margin (they make a lot of profit on them). With this being the first thing you see, and with your trolley and mental budget being empty, you’ll subconsciously feel more inclined to pick up a larger bunch of bananas, or 2 or three more apples etc.

Most supermarkets have horizontally-opposed produce layouts so that you have to zig-zag to walk around these 20-feet long food barriers. Your subconscious sees this endless colourful bounty and believes the food in this store is fresh and of high quality. This often increases your wellbeing and subsequent spending.

In reality, the fruit and vegetables are no better than anywhere else. In fact the fruit supplied to supermarket chains is often artificially ripening by filling the transport container with ethylene gas during transit. This explains why beautiful red apples and bright yellow bananas in big supermarket chains often taste empty and bland.

Why not copy us and kill two birds with one stone: Go to your local produce market instead.
Not only will the overall price of the fruits & vegetables be lower than the supermarket (if not, shop around til you find a cheap one – you certainly will), but the produce is often locally grown – not transported in bulk containers from overseas.

This way you’re getting tastier and cheaper produce, while supporting small, local, up & coming businesses.

4: Close Your Nose
Ever noticed that the bakery department seems to be moving closer to the front door each year?
This ties in with the 3rd point about supermarkets trying to trick your subconscious.
Real estate agents often encourage people to put on a pot of coffee or bake something before they bring potential buyers over to look at your house. The inviting smell “Turns them on” so to speak, and they’ll relax and feel better about their potential purchases.
It also makes potential buyers hungry, and this is what supermarket retailers want in a building full of food!

5: Hurry Up!
Along with the bakery moving closer to the front door, have you noticed some supermarkets are even opening cafes by the entrance? Well the name of this mental game is relaxation.
The supermarket wants you to “Chillax”, grab a coffee, sniff some bread & take your time.

This is because statistically you spend around $5 every minute you’re inside a supermarket. The longer they can keep you inside, the higher chance of increased spending.
Sadly for the big chains this tactic doesn’t work on me; I’m able take my time and bargain hunt, knowing I won’t stray from my list.

6: Block Your Ears (Or Take Your MP3 Player)
Have you ever heard a heavy rock song being played in a supermarket? No, of course not. Every song played in a supermarket is carefully selected by real psychological consultants (not simply by Doris at Checkout Control). Each song is designed to make you feel good – and calm.

Human adults normally walk at around 90 paces per minute. Tests have shown that by playing slower music with less than 90 BPM (beats per minute) we’re more likely to slow down and take more time.

You’ll never hear Evanescence or Offspring playing, instead the likes of Shania Twain and Cher pour from the speakers like audible treacle – with the occasional gentle – (yet friendly of course) reminder about how their Raison d’être is simply to “Save you money”. Yeah, right.

This hollers back to the previous point about encouraging you to slow down and spend more time and money in the warm, pleasurable womb of the supermarket.

7: Look Around
You probably already know about product placement. It’s a simple one, yet it works brilliantly.
The store will place the item they most want you to buy at eye level for the average human being.
This means sweets and flavoured treats for kids are aimed halfway so that both parents and children get a good view, encouraging the kids to pursuade mum or dad to spend a little more. It works well too.

If you pick up a can of, say, kidney beans for 99c – hang onto it – and don’t put it in the trolley until you’ve found a cheaper alternative.
Be willing to be flexible in your shopping list if you can save money. For example, if you’re certain you can’t use another kind of bean that’s cheaper, or if there’s no smaller sized can that will suit your needs, then put the item in your trolley – but only if it’s on your list of course!

8: Leave the Kids at Home
Not an easy one for most parents for many reasons, but you’ll save time, money, and grey hairs.
As you know, checkouts receive brilliant impulse-sales figures from the convenience items on either side of you as you wait to get served by the cashier.

It’s a brilliant idea from a marketing point of view: The customer can go nowhere and can do nothing but look at your product.

Chances are, this is where you’ll treat kids to quiet them down, throwing your budget and shopping list out the window. It’s a shame too, because you came so close to getting through it! Every dollar adds up when you put it on the table when you get home. These checkout temptations work well, that’s why the treats are there!

9: Be Wary of Specials
Not every “Special!” is so special. For instance, at the end of each long aisle there’s always specials and discounted offers. Your brain will tell you that this is a great deal, and perhaps I should buy this item here (if it’s on your list of course).

However you may have just been duped. Go down the aisle that has that item (let’s say, it’s flour) and look at the other ranges of flour. There might be a no-name brand that’s even cheaper than the one one special at the end of the aisle. Distrust every special you see, until you’ve compared everything as efficiently as possible.

10: Work it Out!
Just today I picked up a packet of ham for sandwiches. It was a 150 gram (0.3 lb) packet and it was the cheapest out of the packaged hams at $3.78.
However, I walked across to the delicatessen and looked at the unpackaged ham there which was on special for $9 per kilogram (in US terms, 2.2 lbs for $6.37 US) which was a bargain!
I bought 150 grams there instead, and saved $2 off the packaged product. There’s another couple of bucks going towards coffee out tomorrow.

Same goes with bread – is it cheaper to buy a loaf from the in-store bakery or a packaged brand in the bread section? Have you thought about picking up an even cheaper loaf from a bakery on the way home instead? It all adds up.

11: Avoid “Pick & Mix”
The bulk bins are cheaper because there’s no packaging, right? Wrong!
I’ve seen this time and time again – to the point where I now completely ignore the bulk bins unless there’s a special on which I can compare.

If you’re looking for, say, sesame seeds for a meal on Thursday, take note of the price per kilogram or pound, then go up to the packaged nut/seed section. I can almost guarantee those sesame seeds will work out cheaper per kg/lb in packet form, unless you only need a tiny amount.

12: Use Coupons
Yes, by all means use coupons but only if they’re for items on your list which you wrote last week.
Of course common sense and flexibility comes into play here. If you can substitute frozen peas for frozen beans in a dish, and save 45 cents with a coupon then do it, change your list.

From my understanding, it isn’t the case in the USA, but in New Zealand coupons aren’t often much use.
This is because we only have two supermarket entities: Foodstuffs (who own Pak ‘n’ Save / New World) and Progressive Enterprises (who own Countdown / Woolworths). This means our supermarket competition is weak. In fact, the self-proclaimed (and very debatable) “Cheapest” supermarket Pak ‘n’ Save has even stopped doing coupon/discount mail-out flyers now. This means us Kiwis have to work even harder keep the food prices low.

13: Use Powdered Milk
I know, I’ve probably just lost your respect by suggesting this but it is worth considering – or I wouldn’t have mentioned it.
Our household is now strictly powdered milk only. This is because 1: my wife drinks it like it’s going out of fashion in her home made cappucinos, and 2: because fresh milk in New Zealand is very expensive.

The cost of milk is a sore point for many Kiwis. New Zealand is a dairy country, and we export milk products to dozens of countries – yet a 2 litre (0.52 gallon) bottle here costs $3.20 NZ ($2.26 US).
I’m not worried any more though, because I now like the taste of powered milk and have no qualms about drinking it by the glassful. It saves us $6 a week too! Ka-ching!

14: Ditch the Luxury Goods
You don’t need Super Mango Herbal Spice Magic Tranquil body wash. You just don’t. End of story.
Buy the generic or less-fancy toiletries such as body wash, toothpaste and sanitary items.

Contrary to popular belief, your skin doesn’t actually need or eat the “Citrus goodness” in those fancy body wash/shampoo brands, it actually goes straight down the plughole.
Just buy whatever’s on special, regardless of how few apples or cinnamon sticks went into it.

15: Eat Something Before Shopping
You’ve probably heard this one before, but it hasn’t lost any of it’s meaning over time.
Eat a sandwich before going to the supermarket, and make sure you have some water.

Obviously, you won’t lust over food items you don’t need if you’re “full”, and by remaining hydrated you’ll be able to easily calculate what’s cheaper in your mind: 500 grams (1.1 lbs) of oatmeal for $2, or 400 grams (0.8 lbs) for $1.80.

If it’s a product you’re likely to use in a short time, then you’re better off spending the extra 20 cents and getting the much larger packet. It works out cheaper in the long run and being able to do it in your head gives you a feeling of satisfaction.

16: Take a Calculator
I mean, how else will you keep track of your budget? Unless you’ve convinced Professor Stephen Hawking to wheel alongside you every time you go shopping, you’re not going to be able to keep a running (or wheeling in Prof. Hawking’s case) total.

The calculator on your cellphone will do fine, just remember to add every item into it that goes in the trolley. A calculator is also a massive help when figuring out how many dollars per kilo/pound each item is, so you can buy larger sized, but better overall-value goods – if you’re going to use them.

17: Don’t Eat the Free Samples
No, I’m not some fun-nazi trying to deny you a little treat here & there, I’m telling you to walk past those snacks because it’ll make your mouth water during and after eating.

You may say, “I’ll sample it, but I’m not buying it” in your mind – and you might be right – but that little sample cup of soup etc will reignite your hunger – causing you buy more in the next aisle. Supermarkets love clients that offer free samples; it’s a win win. The sample giver will increase the sales of their product, while boosting other sales in the supermarket too.

18: Forget Loyalty Cards
Customers who have a loyalty card are more loyal – to the supermarkets profit margins that is.
If you have a loyalty card you’re statistically shown to buy 42% more groceries than a person without a loyalty card.
Chop it up now.
No, I mean stop reading and do it right now.

19: Pay by Cash
What? Cash? Are you serious? You mean old-fashioned paper money?
Yup! I sure do!
Leave your cards at home and only take what you think you’ll need. Be strict with yourself and don’t bring an extra $50 “just in case”. If you can’t afford it, then put something back.

It comes back to self control, and customers with self control is what supermarkets absolutely detest. The big chains spend a lot of money in promotions, marketing, and psychological research to ensure your wallet is well and truly pillaged when you leave.

Another benefit of paying by cash, is that when I get home I put any leftover money on the table so I can see how many notes & coins I have left over. This is nothing more than a mental boost but I recommend you try it!
Then you can pop out and use that unspent money to properly treat yourself – or perhaps put it into a jar each week for that future holiday or occasion?

Bottom line: be wary of everything you see inside a supermarket and stick to your list. I consider it a personal challenge every time I get in the car to buy the week’s supplies.
You might even end up like me; walking out with a spring in your step, knowing you’ve got everything you need while giving this powerful industry as little of your money as possible!

You can probably tell by now the reason I like electric cars: they save bucketloads on gas (which is currently $5.40 USD/gallon here in New Zealand!). Check out my tutorials here if you’re interested.

P.S. If you have any other grocery tips or observations I haven’t mentioned, please post them below!

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June 21st, 2010 at 4:16 pm

Mitsubishi Electric Car Drives 1300 Miles on a Single Charge

Mitsubishi Convert a Gas-Powered FTO & Set a World Record

Mitsubishi Convert a Gas-Powered FTO & Set a World Record


I bet I know what you’re thinking: “But I thought the 2011 Mitsubishi MiEV only does 100 miles per charge?” Well, brace yourself because it’s actually old news that I had a hard time finding information on. The skeptic in me gets the feeling Mitsubishi are trying hard to forget this event ever took place.

You see, Mitsubishi actually set this record over ten years ago. Way back in 1999 Mitsubishi took a standard gas-powered FTO and converted to run on electricity. Simple stuff: I’ve done it myself.

They used a high-tech (for the time) Manganese Lithium-Ion battery which clocked in at 881 pounds (400 kilograms), then threw on a few basic aerodynamic modifications. Nothing too out-there, just a spoiler and belly-pan like many home-converters do.

Then, after 24 hours of the most severe “hyper-miling” you’ve ever seen, the team at Mitsubishi were able to achieve 1300 miles (2142 kilometres) on a single charge at their test track. The record hasn’t been beaten since.

As you can understand Mitsubishi were immensely proud of this event. At the time, there were press releases and announcements made on Mitsubishi’s website. The media picked up on this achievement too and spread it around the world. All was well.

Then the mood changed. General motors started crushing their EVs, Honda crushed theirs, Toyota tried the same (and mostly failed) and Mitsubishi tried hard to scrub the internet clean from lingering news of this incredible record.

Try a “google search” on this event now, and all you’ll get is scraps of second hand news. Even Mitsubishi’s own website only vaguely mentions the event once with no details and no figures. That’s all they want you to know.

But why? Why is this such a taboo subject for Mitsubishi? Surely they should be proud – unless they’re hiding something of course. Thing is, I’ve always had a feeling that Mitsubishi aren’t really they keen on electric cars just yet.

Yes, I know they’re building one (known as the MiEV) for the mass market, but it’s not that impressive in the scheme of things. First of all, despite ten years of lithium battery improvements, the upcoming MiEV can still only achieve 100 miles per charge. Not only that; it’s bloody hideous.

Something’s just not right there. Even during the guts of the recession in 2009 Mitsubishi still made a profit of $51 million US – and that was without a single electric car sold to the public.
This leads me to believe Mitsubishi are still ultimately focused on their internal combustion engined fleet of vehicles at this moment, with a new models being designed & manufactured as I type.

Yes, eventually they will have no choice but to adopt an all-electric range (as will all car makers), but I believe that eventuality is still more than 20 years away. There’s just too much money in internal combustion to throw it all away yet.

It seems their win-win solution in this case is to make an electric car with the same 100-mile range as the vintage Baker Electric from 1910. This will appeal to the green crowd, while simultaneously making their gas and diesel vehicles look better too.

Then the last step is to try to erase the long range EV achievements of the past so people are none the wiser. They needn’t worry; the general public is naïve with short memories. Right?

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June 20th, 2010 at 4:24 pm

Robert Llewellyn’s Fun Electric Car Video

Robert Llewellyn Gives Mother Earth a Cavity Search

Robert Llewellyn Gives Mother Earth a Cavity Search

I’m very thankful towards the British actor Robert Llewellyn, as last week he released a video on Youtube showing, explaining, and entertaining the world in the ways of the humble, yet often misunderstood electric vehicle.

The video is a 10 minute pilot episode of a potential new series called “Fully Charged“, which looks at what’s new and exciting in the world of electric vehicles – as well as the mythology that surrounds them.

Mr Llewellyn – who owns an impossible Welsh surname that slows down my typing every time I get near it – has does something other electric car videographers have so far failed to do; and that is to explain and dispel EV myths in a fun & easy-to-understand way.
He uses fast-changing scenes, dispels loads of fun facts, and has an animated on-screen persona that makes it hard to look away – even when cringing at the many stereotypical accents he uses throughout the video.

From here on I’ll be able to simply link to questions in future emails, rather than rewriting the same explanations over and over.
For example, I get asked about the supposed “cleanliness” of electric cars quite often. It’s the most common question I get asked in fact, next to “No, seriously, can electric cars really go faster than 20 mph?”.

You see, electric cars are actually cleaner to operate than gasoline or diesel vehicles with less carbon emitted – even when charging off coal-fired electricity.
It’s a fact that’s been proven in more than 40 independent studies. Yes, that’s right, 40. It’s undeniable. Yet there are still people who challenge these results. Now while I encourage skepticism when it comes to electric vehicle claims, hanging onto that belief is just crazy.

What annoys me the most about people asking the “carbon question”, is that they don’t actually care about carbon output; they just want an argument and believe they have a good standpoint.
Explain to these people that they’re wrong and watch out – they often get quite angry. The thing is, these people typically drive large cars – and they like it that way. They don’t give a hoot about carbon output, they just see the electric car as a threat to their 20th century way of life.

Finally I can just tell people to check out Robert Llewellyn’s (that name turns me into a “Hunt & peck” typist) video and save myself a lot of effort. Which, by the way, is available by clicking here.

If you’re like me, then you’re probably still a decade or two away from being able to afford a Tesla, iMiEV, or Leaf so I suggest you go start a home-conversion before that oil does one of the two things Mr Llewellyn suggests it will.
Good luck!

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June 17th, 2010 at 5:15 pm

Electric Cars: Cheaper Than Walking

walking from car

We know electric cars are cheaper to operate per mile than internal combustion engines, but what happens when we broaden the spectrum to walking?
It sounds absurd at first glance, but before we start burning witches and jumping to preconceived conclusions, let’s have a go at working it out properly.

There’s going to be a lot of estimating, but it’ll be fun none the less. I should also point out that I’m not going to try and swing the results in any particular direction, because I’m in favour of both walking and electric vehicles. Let’s just do it and see where the results end up.

First of all, let’s assume that we have 5 miles to either walk or drive to a particular shop on a nice sunny day with a north-east breeze of 2 knots (hey, it’s my hypothesis – I can play God with the weather if I want to).

Our two theoretical test subjects Adolf and Winston are stretching & warming up in the driveway. It’s quite a sight I assure you. Adolf is going to take his home-converted electric car to the shop, while Winston is going to walk there instead.

To make things even easier, I’ll put everything into a simple table so you can compare (and feel free to pick apart) my logic and estimations. I’ve tried to source real data where possible, and conservatively estimate everything else for both test subjects.

Adolf and Winston

Now that’s a fascinating result which I certainly didn’t expect.

It appears driving an electric vehicle in this scenario works out more cost effective than walking the same route. Other issues, such as the comparative carbon footprint, the cost over long distances, and the financial cost of the time spent walking versus driving would be fascinating to work out.

Also, I’m curious at the differences in time spent and efficiency in cold weather conditions. Would Winston need twice the food/drink in winter conditions? Would Adolf need to invade Poland in order to source more energy? Oh come on, surely you saw that joke coming.

For the time being however this has proven to be a fun way to fill an hour. I’d now like to see a comparison involving electric motorcycles versus pushbikes. I’d expect the pushbike to be the overall winner – but that’s what I assumed would happen with a walking/electric car comparison.

Now I really want another electric car!

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In case you’re bored, here’s how I came up with these figures. Feel free to pick them apart at will.
Energy Used Per Hour Walking: ~330 KJ/h = 0.91 kWh
Travel Insurance: ~$196 USD / year for an American male; 120 minutes = $0.0447 USD
Car Insurance: ~$286 USD / year for a Converted EV; 8 Minutes = $0.0043 USD
Shoes: ~$90 USD / year for a quality pair; 120 minutes = $0.0205 USD
Tires: ~$400 for a set of 4 with a life of ~3 years = $133.33 / year; 8 minutes = $0.002029 USD
Registration: ~$90 USD / year; 8 minutes = 0.00136 USD
Servicing: ~$8000 USD Lithium batts every 12 years = $600 USD/year; 8 minutes = $0.0091 USD
Doctor: $50 USD / year; 120 minutes = $0.011415 USD

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June 16th, 2010 at 3:09 pm

Nissan’s 30 Minute Recharging Station is $21,600

Shocking, just shocking.

Shocking, just shocking.

Nissan has again unveiled their high-performance charger which can revive the battery pack of the new Leaf electric car in just half an hour. We already knew about it from San Diego Gas & Electric’s public charging plans a few months back (just agree with me), but this time it’s about to be spread through Europe. Well, part of Europe. Sort of.

The roll out of the Nissan Leaf in Europe includes Britain, Ireland, Portugal and the Netherlands, with the first country out of that selection being the land of the clog. No word on when people can fork out for the car or the charger yet however.

This means one day in the future our Dutch friends will be able to drive into a mall – or perhaps even a recharging station – flip the “gas cap” and recharge in 30 minutes. Tuliptastic.

These units aren’t cheap however. The recharging device is the size of a fridge, and costs around $21,600 USD. This means it’ll most likely only be malls and shopping centres installing them to begin with, with everywhere else offering a normal recharging outlet instead.

The quick charger can restore 80 per cent of battery power within 30 minutes, compared to around eight hours for a conventional recharging station.

Nissan’s ultimate goal is to make sure that no electric car owner is further than 40 kilometres away from the next public charging facility. So which will come first, the car or the charger?
Personally I’d rather we the option of larger, longer-range battery packs rather than thousands of expensive public chargers being installed.

Don’t hold your breath on either. Most of the world won’t be able to purchase a factory-made electric car for many years to come, either due to the sheer cost, or the lack of availability, the lack of a recharging infrastructure.

Mitsubishi set the record for maximum distance per charge back in the 90’s with a converted car powered by a 400 kilogram (881 pound) Manganese Lithium-Ion battery. The team at Mitsubishi were able to achieve 2142 kilometers (1300 miles) on a single charge at their test track.

Here we are eleven years later with more advanced battery technology and yet the only battery option on the Nissan Leaf is 100 miles. It’s almost as if Nissan don’t want people to stop buying their gas clunkers. Surely not? The planet’s worth more than just profits, right?

As well as the Tesla Roadster and upcoming Model S, a quick google search will show you a handful of home-converters who’ve converted their own vehicles to electric, achieving ranges exceeding that of what the major auto makers are going to offer.

If it can be done by Tesla and blokes in their garages, it can be done by Nissan and Mitsubishi. Come on guys, at least give us the choice of upgrading to a longer range battery, instead of charging tax-payers for more recharging stations.

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