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Then they popped the hood.
In place of the vehicle's original gas engine is a 144-volt electric system, powered by a dozen 12-volt batteries.
"Plug it in the wall and your car's ready to go," Thompson said, as Hoots showed off a plug and cable attachable to Sunelectro's prototype, two-passenger Miata.
Formed by Thompson, Hoots and business partner Dale Parker in December 2007, Sunelectro is a Panama City engineering firm that offers applied renewable energy technologies. In addition to home energy efficiency services, the firm performs customized electric vehicle conversions.
"We will convert vehicles for people and provide kits for people who want to do it themselves," Hoots said.
The company's prototype can go between 60 and 80 miles before it needs to be recharged, and both Hoots and Thompson said they are looking at new battery technology that could boost that to 100 miles.
Its motor came from D & D Motors in Syracuse, N.Y., and was designed specifically for electric cars, Hoots said.
While it is possible to convert all sorts of vehicles, Hoots acknowledged that small cars and trucks with manual transmissions are the most ideal candidates for engine conversion.
Sunelectro manufactures its own battery chargers, and the company's converted cars can plug into any 110-volt outlet.
Thompson, an engineer at Naval Surface Activity-Panama City, said Hoots, with his background in industrial plant management and electric motors, initially brought up the idea of converting engines.
Hoots said he's always been interested in alternative energy sources and took a class in Washington, courtesy of Home Power magazine, on converting gas vehicles to electric.
After talking to Thompson and Parker about the idea, Hoots said the three friends decided to start the company. Sunelectro purchased its prototype Miata off eBay for less than $2,000. The car had 160,000 miles on it when the company bought it, but Thompson said it was in good structural condition.
The converted electric vehicle is insured and licensed in Florida, he said, and combines all the safety features of a typical car with the added energy efficiency of electric power.
Battery issue
As he took the Miata for a ride on Jenks Avenue on Friday morning, Hoots said the biggest problem electric cars have encountered so far involves battery life. He said the company's prototype has been taken apart at least a dozen times, as Sunelectro experimented with the model car.
Just as a fuel-powered car uses more or less gas depending on speed, the Sunelectro prototype will expend more battery power the faster it goes, Hoots said. With its smooth acceleration, "you're going faster than you think you are," he said.
The converted electric cars contain efficiency meter gauges that let drivers know how much battery power they have left, and they have a 13th battery that powers the vehicle's headlights and air conditioning, Thompson said.
Hoots and Thompson estimated the cost of converting a car runs from $7,500 to $10,000, with the time and labor needed for conversion dependent on the type and size of vehicle.
Both said the overall savings realized on gas and maintenance costs make an electric vehicle a practical and environmentally sound investment.
Sunelectro is working on four conversion projects, including a 1973 Volkswagen Beetle. The company also is looking for a permanent storefront location, and Hoots said he has talked to some area municipalities and private companies about converting their short-range vehicle fleets.
"Municipalities are good targets because they're limited in where they go," Hoots said of the cars.
Thompson said the company initially wanted to fly under the radar as it developed its prototype, but it has shown the vehicle at Tyndall Air Force Base's Earth Day event and Friday Fest in recent weeks.
He said that, ultimately, the company wants to raise public awareness of the viable uses of alternative energy sources.
"There's a bigger issue here than getting a couple of cars on the road," Thompson said.
To see more of The News Herald or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.newsherald.com. Copyright (c) 2008, The News Herald, Panama City, Fla. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
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