Did you know that, whether or not you have an existing solar energy system, you can tap into a combination of up-front incentives, financing, to build up your savings into a 6-Month Emergency Fund and lower monthly costs?
Once-considered luxury items, such as Solar Power, Plug-In Vehicles, and Energy Storage, now payback quickly for cash purchases and are within reach for most homeowners, due to up-front incentives and lower total monthly costs from loan or Property Assessed Clean Energy financing.
Makello can provide you with a FREE Energy Savings Estimate! If you share your utility data with us we can create a solar energy system that is specific to your needs. We will NOT share your data.
Our model can also show the cost saving benefits of a Plug-In Vehicle or Energy Storage system, or both, in addition to your solar system. All of our team works to get you the most comprehensive, thorough Energy Analysis in the San Diego area as quickly as possible.
The software engineers are constantly updating our computer model to reflect the most current utility rates and product costs. We have a dedicated GIS analyst who can qualify you for as many rebates and incentives possible. Our Energy Efficiency experts can also provide other solutions to reduce energy costs such as appliance changes or switching utility rates. Press one of the buttons to see how much you can save!
Synopsis: An EV “Ride N Drive” event takes a supernatural detour, when riders temporarily, uncontrollably and inexplicably become “Energy Zombies”, smitten by the overpowering experience of driving electric for the 1st time, with instant torque, no noise and zero emissions.
Click to watch Joyrider “Fozzy’s Makello Story”. Do you think Joyrider should be a series? Leave a comment in YouTube, Like, and Share!
Actors: William May-Kidd: Charlie Johnson; Ping “Tek” Han: Songxuan Liu; Flint “Fozzy” Bjorn: Jarod Donahue.
Mythology
In 1916, Camille Jenatzy, a race car driver known for his red beard as “the Red Devil”, reportedly contacted an unknown driver-mechanic named Otto Stiggler by Telegraph. The message requested for Otto to take his place for hire, in the first race to the top of “Pike’s Peak” Colorado Springs, Colorado, driving a “La Jamais Contente”, the first Electric Vehicle to break the 100km/hr speed record, modified to improve driver position aerodynamics.
Illustration of the original “La Jamais Contente”, first automobile and Electric Vehicle to reach 100 km/h, in 1899.
Photo of Camille Jenatzy and his wife riding in the “La Jamais Contente”
While the vehicle was “in transit from Belgium”, Otto was instructed to practice often at Pike’s Peak, to learn the dirt race course’s hairpin turns, dips and ruts, while using his preferred selection of many gas powered vehicles of the day.
”La Jamais Contente” arrived 2 days before the 1st Pike’s Peak Race, and was transported by carrier truck directly to the starting line to preserve battery charge for the course. By the time the prototype vehicle was unpacked, the 1916 Pike’s Peak course access was about to close.
The condition of this 1943 road is a significant improvement to the early Pikes Peak races.
Otto managed to convince a departing race attendant, Ali Madohan, to allow him to drive the course. Ali gave Otto a signal flare to use when he reached the finish line at the top of Pike’s Peak, or in case of emergency.
According to Ali, with help from a Good Samaritan, Otto struggled to squeeze his lower body into the recessed cockpit. The shape of the cockpit required the upper body to be reclined in an almost supine position, below a nearly fully enclosed canopy that reporters described as “a metal coffin with a “cupola” shaped protrusion for the driver’s head”.
After pushing the vehicle to the starting line, Ali received a “ready sign” hand signal through the “cupola” opening slit, and the attendant waved the starting flag.
“La Jamais Contente” leapt from the Start Line quickly and silently, but within seconds, according to Ali’s statement, “there was a simultaneous flash of light and a crack of thunder,” which reportedly knocked several birds to the ground, temporarily stunned, and sent Ali ducking for cover with his hands over his ears.
This mysterious nearby object was found to transmit wireless power.
These three lights in a nearby field are pictured receiving wireless power.
Ali was quoted as saying, “I heard a mixture of barking and laughing. The barking seemed to come from the trees above and below both sides of the road. The laughing sounded like it came from inside a big metal drum, and it reverberated off the canyon rock walls, until the car disappeared into the hills beyond the 3rd turn.” Any objective observer would have assumed Otto was howling with laughter.
Upon witnessing a flare that originated from the finish line area, Ali recorded an unofficial pre-trial time of 20:45.90.
Otto and “La Jamais Contente” did not return to the Start Line to qualify for the 1916 Pike’s Peak race. The first Penrose Trophy was awarded to Rea Lentz with an official record time of 20:55.60, driving an internal combustion engine vehicle.
After several days missing, and at the request of Otto’s family, local officials formed a search party. The carrier truck was reportedly found near the former site of the Tesla Experimental Station, which was a wireless power transmission test facility.
Nikola Tesla sitting under his transmitter in his Colorado Springs lab surrounded by millions of volts.
Nikola Tesla created an experimental station outside of Colorado Springs to test wireless transmission of electric power.
A printed telegram transmission from Jenatzy was located in the truck and detectives contacted authorities in Belgium for more information. The truck was found to have been purchased anonymously at auction from the lot of decommissioned assets originating from Tesla’s Experimental Station.
Colorado detectives learned that the unidentified carrier truck who called himself “Dino” had fled the area. A rambling note in the vehicle, alleged that Otto was not the race driver of the modified “La Jamais Contente”, and that a man who identified himself as ‘Camille’ was seen near Otto before the race, assisting with preparations.
The family of Camille Jenatzy was interviewed and they reported to authorities in a sworn statement, that Camille Jenatzy died in 1913, and that the original “La Jamais Contente”, was in Belgium, and that no one had contacted them from the United States about shipping Camille’s prize winning, record setting electric race car.
The vehicle was never recovered and the circumstances surrounding Otto’s disappearance remains a mystery, as to who was the driver, Otto, “Dino”, “Ali”, “Camille”, or as some believed, Camille’s ghost, or possibly Nikola Tesla himself.
What some attribute to folk lore, others say is conspiracy, yet others say is fact. But is it possible that wireless power was part of “La Jamais Contente” unofficial Pike’s Peak record? Tesla had recently designed, tested and de-commissioned the preliminary version of the “Wardenclyffe Tower” nearby in Colorado Springs. Tesla’s invention later proved capable of transmitting power wirelessly through the atmosphere, via a propagating wave through the Earth’s mantle, as he claimed, to any location around the world.
Nikola Tesla designed and built the Wardenclyffe Tower in Long Beach, New York between 1901 and 1902 to experiment with wireless power transmission. Click on the photo to learn more.
About The Creators
Joyrider is a fictional story loosely based on actual events, for the purpose of entertainment, sharing and exploring the concept of the “EV Grin”, which is the infectious joy and smile that instantly takes over a person when they first experience driving electric.
Makello is a diverse team with backgrounds in software engineering, environmental science, management, GIS, and home and business energy services. We are committed to help reduce greenhouse gas pollution and work with non-profit and community organizations to help educate the public about Solar Panels, Plug-In Vehicles, & Energy Storage benefits. If you are interested in any of these technologies in your home, contact us for a FREE Energy Savings Estimate! With rebates and incentives they can be cheaper than you may think!
Pandemic stressing out the family finances? Turn your home and vehicle into a clean energy emergency fund!
Getting laid-off is stressful even in the best of times. In the midst of a pandemic, job loss and financial surprises can drain your savings account fast. Did you know that whether or not you have an existing solar energy system, you can tap into a combination of upgrade incentives and financing that can return money to you. A Solar, Plug-In Vehicle and Energy Storage lifeline!
Recently, a solar-powered homeowner asked Makello to quote adding a Level 2 electric car charger for their Nissan Leaf, an installation often priced at $500 or less. Most solar companies refuse to take these small jobs as they are unprofitable for the installer.
But at Makello, we look at things differently. We know from experience that with the dizzying array of Solar Power, Plug-In vehicle, and Energy Storage incentives and energy cost savings, energy upgrades can pay for themselves. When the homeowner shared that their rooftop solar was installed for free under a low-income residential solar program (SASH), and that they had been laid off due to the pandemic, we started crunching numbers to see what we could do.
We offered a plan to improve the homeowner’s cash flow and create a 6-month emergency reserve fund out of available incentives.
As you can see in the savings over time graph, the system is cash flow positive every year, meaning lower annual cost, through the term of the PACE financing, and then savings accelerates.
Incentive Finder – Makello’s own GIS mapping database uses the home’s geographic location to determine eligibility for a wide variety of energy upgrade grants, rebates, discounts and tax credits.
Optimize Upgrade – Makello’s own Energy Analysis software shows the optimal Solar, EV, and Energy Storage upgrade plan, for the eligible incentives. In California, benefits such as emergency backup power for home and vehicles, water pumps, air-conditioning, air-purifying and fire-fighting equipment can all be worked into the upgrade plan. In this case, Makello showed that a larger upgrade would tap into $23,448 in incentives, and give the homeowner more solar, energy storage, a second EV and Level 2 charger.
PACE program financing – The State of California offers a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing plan. Homeowners can qualify based on a recent tax return or pay stubs. The financing does not appear on a credit report, is not considered a loan, does not trigger a property reassessment, and can transfer to the next home buyer.
Create a 6-month financial ‘lifeline’ – Makello’s “Lifeline” incentive payment program tracks the incentives and requirements, and allows the homeowner to choose the best time to draw on their earned incentives. In the example used here, a homeowner can decide after receiving the up front incentives to purchase a new or used Plug-In Vehicle, further reducing their monthly costs, or pay their most urgent bills, such as mortgage, food, and medical.
Makello’s GIS mapping database, uses county parcel location to help homeowners determine eligibility for a wide variety of solar programs. We also use mapping to help non-profit organizations to design programs in disadvantaged communities that promote solar energy and electric vehicle incentives for economic and environmental benefit.
Makello works with non profits and other agencies to create maps for Environmental Justice initiatives.
How the PACE Program works:
The PACE program is intended for those that can demonstrate the ability to pay. Homeowners provide a recent tax return or a pay stubs for income verification, and credit check, and Makello provides the Energy Analysis to show that the energy efficiency project will be cash flow positive.
Book a FREE 15 minute appointment to: 1) Find out how Makello can help you. 2) Discuss your energy needs. 3) Get a FREE Energy Savings Estimate.
PACE financing ranges from 5 to 30 years term for solar, 10 years for Energy Storage, and can be used for other energy efficiency improvements, such as electric panel upgrade, EV Charging, and a long list of energy efficiency upgrades. PACE can be as low as $0 down. It provides tax deductible interest.
For our homeowner in this example, Simple Payback is possible in 3.7 years through Annual Energy Cost Savings. That means it’s a good deal for a cash purchase or loan. For those on a fixed income, traditional loans might not be a viable option. In the cases where PACE financing is Cash Flow Positive, we can present the PACE option as an alternative to traditional loans and leases.
Makello provides full disclosure about PACE terms and program information, as well as programs offered through banks and credit unions. Please contact us and we’ll be happy to discuss the alternatives.
I met Charlie, the CEO and founder of Makello, during the summer while I was interning at Groundwork San Diego’s EarthLab in partnership with UC San Diego’s Center on Global Justice. While at the EarthLab, I was a college mentor for Groundwork’s High School Green Team. We were learning about electric vehicles, and Charlie was one of the guests who volunteered his time to come speak to us about the benefits, technology, and affordability of Plug-In Vehicles.
Book an appointment to receive Makello’s Ethical Energy Savings Report, which is the result of a detailed trade-off study of discount utility rates, grants, rebates, tax credits, and equipment options, to determine the fastest payback and highest return on investment to meet your home, business and vehicle energy needs.
The fee for the Ethical Energy Savings Report is refundable (less the 3rd-Party $15 utility data access charge) or credited towards our installation services, after you attend the presentation meeting and complete a 5 minute survey after permission to operate.
Includes up to 5 hours research by the Makello team, and 1 hour Q&A, by Makello’s Ethical Energy Efficiency Expert.
The first time I met him was with the Electric Vehicle Association of San Diego. Charlie and other members of the EV Association came to the EarthLab and spoke to us about electric vehicles, their experiences with them, why they loved them, and allowed us to ride along in their vehicles!
Charlie and other members of the Electric Vehicle Association of San Diego met with Groundwork San Diego’s High School Green Team.
Charlie volunteered his time on four occasions during the four week program. The second time I met him, he and Songxuan came to the EarthLab to do a solar and electric vehicle demonstration. We used solar ovens, metal sheets that reflect sunlight into a concentrated location, to heat up solar chili and cornbread. It was so good! He also gave us a quick presentation on “What to Know About Plug-In Vehicles”. The presentation was really cool because he demonstrated how the car, a MINI Countryman Plug-In Hybrid, could be used as a battery bank, using it to power the laptops and monitor, and explained how solar could charge up the car. We also got to look at the battery packs for his converted Plug-In Prius.
During his presentations to us, he acknowledged that he was a small business owner, but never tried to sell us on his products. Instead he explained how the technology worked, why the technology is more environmentally and community friendly, and how the technology could, in fact, be made affordable to families in disadvantaged communities. Solar and electric vehicle adoption contributes to safer, cleaner communities. Less greenhouse gases and smog are emitted from cars and power plants, leading to better air quality in communities.
Makello, Groundwork San Diego, and EVgo grand opening at Northgate Market at 1410 S 43rd St, San Diego, CA 92113; 4 CCS/SAE 50kW and 5 CHAdeMO 50kW EV Chargers.
Book a FREE 15 minute appointment to: 1) Find out how Makello can help you. 2) Discuss your energy needs. 3) Get a FREE Energy Savings Estimate.
Charlie was also at the grand opening of the EVgo public charging stations at Northgate Market in the Chollas Creek Community that Groundwork helped sponsor and EarthLab’s Green Team attended.
The final presentation for my Groundwork San Diego/EarthLab internship that Charlie attended. Also in attendance were UCSD professors, Groundwork San Diego staff, EVgo staff, and Chollas Creek Community members.
Charlie also attended the final presentation for my summer internship at Groundwork San Diego. I appreciated how Charlie volunteered so much of his time to EarthLab and the Green Team, and I could see myself working for someone whose business motivation does not come from maximizing profits, but is rooted in education, conservation, and community well being. I exchanged contact information and soon had an internship with Makello! More information about my Makello internship is available here.
Thank you everyone, for attending North County Climate Change Alliance’s “What to Know About Plug-In Vehicles” presentation at Vista Library! It was an honor for me to have all of you as my audience and I hope you enjoy my presentation as well as the wonderful Plug-In Vehicles we brought.
Book a FREE 15 minute appointment to: 1) Find out how Makello can help you. 2) Discuss your energy needs. 3) Get a FREE Energy Savings Estimate.
Maybe you got a chance to see some of these great Plug-In Vehicles on display:
Jaguar I-Pace
Kuberg E-Motorcycle
Honda Clarity
Hyundai Kona
Hyundai Ioniq
Fiat 500 EV
Nissan Leaf
Chevrolet Bolt
Chevrolet Volt
MINI Countryman Plug-In
Toyota Prius Prime
Pedego E-Bikes
Tesla Model 3
For the 80 attendees, and for those of you that couldn’t make it to the event, you can view or download the slides below as well. Soon you will be able to watch the entire presentation on Makello’s YouTube channel.
For the 80 attendees, and for those of you that couldn’t make it to the event, you can watch the entire presentation on Makello’s YouTube channel.
Are you ready to save money on solar power, EV charging or Energy Storage? Get an instant quote from Makello!
If you like the slides, you can also view or download them below.
A big thank you to North County Climate Change Alliance for making this amazing event happened! We look forward to participating in more great events from NCCCA.
When Ferdinand Piëch was in charge of Volkswagen, the company was an empire in the automotive industry. Their ambition and pursuit of engineering perfection was beyond the world’s imagination. Times, however, have changed.
When Ferdinand Piëch was in charge of Volkswagen, the company was an empire in the automotive industry. They purchased Rolls Royce just to get their hands on Bentley, they resurrected Bugatti by building a car that broke the production car top speed record, and they built a car with a Volkswagen badge that could rival the Mercedes S-Class. Their ambition and pursuit of engineering perfection was beyond the world’s imagination. Times, however, have changed.
Are you ready to save money on solar power, EV charging or Energy Storage? Get an instant quote from Makello!
Under Martin Winterkorn, Volkswagen earned a new engineering award for cheating in emission tests, known as Diesel Gate. Volkswagen was fine $25 billion in the United States and Europe, several top executives faced criminal charges, and Winterkorn inevitably resigned. You can really tell the former glory of the empire was gone when Volkswagen take the famous “Das Auto” slogan out of their advertisement. Despite this massive and almost unforgivable mistake, I still haven’t lost faith in Volkswagen’s ability to return to its former glory. After all, no other car company underwent the redemption of having a car built under the orders of one of the world’s most evil dictators turned into a symbol of love and fashion, and as a result, one of the best selling cars in the world. As I stood in front of the VW exhibition stand, looking at this almighty car, I sensed a powerful comeback from Volkswagen to seize the crown of the automotive industry.
Volkswagen Beetle Final Edition on 2018 LA Auto Show
No, not the Beetle Final Edition (although I do feel slight sad that it is going away), it is the Volkswagen ID. R Pikes Peak!
Volkswagen ID. R Pikes Peak electric racer 2018 LA Auto Show
Ever since 1916, drivers and manufacturers have been pushing themselves and their race cars to the absolute limit by climbing 4720 ft on this 12.42 mile track with over 156 turns and chasing after the outright record. In this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, the Volkswagen ID. R Pikes Peak, in the hands of Romain Dumas, completed the course with a time of 7:57.148 minutes, breaking the 8 minute barrier for the first time. Not just the fastest in it class, not just the fastest Volkswagen, and not just the fastest electric car, the fastest ever, over 15 seconds faster the old record holder, that monster Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak driven by Sébastien Loeb back in 2013. [1] The all-electric ID. R, with an electric motor on each axle, weighs just under 2500 lbs and produces 680 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque, giving it a 0-60 mph time of 2.25 seconds — faster than even Formula 1 and Formula E cars. [2] Arriving in Colorado with the goal of beating the electric car record of 8:57.118, Dumas and the ID. R outperformed even Volkswagen’s own expectations and established a new benchmark for electric race cars.
Volkswagen ID. R Pikes Peak electric racer 2018 LA Auto Show
Book a FREE 15 minute appointment to: 1) Find out how Makello can help you. 2) Discuss your energy needs. 3) Get a FREE Energy Savings Estimate.
Now you might think, a one-off race car is nowhere close to our day-to-day electric cars and therefore its advanced technologies are unpractical for production electric cars. However, the ID. R is just the tip of an iceberg in Volkswagen’s operation to become the number one electric vehicle manufacturer. Following the events of Diesel Gate, VW group reached an agreement with the U.S. government to ease its punishment by setting up and provided $2 billion of funding to Electrify America, a company committed to be “a catalyst for promoting Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) by offering transformative, customer-centric infrastructure and energy management solutions”. [3] In Europe, VW group teamed up with BMW, Daimler and Ford to establish Ionity, a joint venture with the mission to build a pan-European high-power-charging network for electric vehicles to facilitate long-distance travel. [4] The advantage of such large scope charging networks is that they will be compatible with majority of the electric vehicles on the market, unlike Tesla’s Supercharger. As the effects of climate change continue to develop globally, such push for electric vehicle adoption would be inevitable in the future, this punishment to Volkswagen may turn out to be a step that enables it stay ahead in the game of future mobility.
Furthermore, many of the technologies seen on today’s everyday cars were adopted from racing technology. New ideas were often developed and tested to the extreme in motorsports, then emerged as mature versions for consumers. This is also the case in electric vehicles. The way manufacturers got around the problem of limited range and long charging time in Formula E was simply switching to a different car, but drivers of the new generation of Formula E racers no longer had to jump out of their seat in the middle of a race with the help of improved fast charging. In 2019, Porsche will start production of the Taycan, an electric sports car capable of recharging 80% of its batteries in just 15 minutes through Porsche’s 350 kW Electric Pit Stop. [5] And there is reason to believe that as time goes by, this technology will be equipped on a more affordable car under the VW group.
The Volkswagen Microbus was once very popular in the United States. It first caught on in Europe because of its massive space for passengers and cargo, but in this country, that space was saved for freedom and love. The adorable expression of the Microbus has made it a symbol of freedom, an ambassodor of love, and a moving reflection of the American spirit. In the recent years, the model got reduced down to the Transporter T6, a mundane MPV that has as little styling as a cargo van. Over the years, VW has tried to revive the legend with the Microbus concept, the Bulli concept, and the BUDD-e concept [6], each is more electrified and futuristic than the other but all are missing that cute factor on the original Microbus that makes your heart beat faster. As the techonology of electric vehicles matures, a group of enthusiastic people started to convert their old Microbus into EVs and thus gave them a chance to shine again, but the rest of us are just waiting in disappointment for Volkswagen to make a comeback, until now.
Emerging in VW’s production plan, along with the ID., is the ID. Buzz, a new Microbus concept car that by far resembles the original Microbus the most. And this time, they are for real. It will be based on VW’s MEB platform, and the U.S. market can expect to see a production version on the road in 2022. May I just say, the world needs more of this clean technology, and more importantly, our eyes need more of this beauty.
Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo concept on 2018 LA Auto Show
If we look back in history, every birth of a Volkswagen icon occurred at one of the company’s hardest times. The Beetle rose from the wreckage of the Wolfsburg factory following the end of WWII; the Golf emerged after sales (even for the Beetle) plummeted in the 70s; and now following a massive scandal and the decreasingly important role for internal combustion engines, the ID. family is ready to make history. The Chinese word for “crisis” is consisted of the words “danger” and “opportunity”. The way I see it, despite the danger from sanctions imposed by the U.S. government and the loss of public trust, Volkswagen is working hard to turn this crisis into an opportunity for redemption at this turning point of the automotive history. And one day in the near future, the folks at Volkswagen will reach that goal, making the true cars of the people in the form of zero-emission vehicles, just like the way they envisioned it in the company’s very own name.
Are you ready to save money on solar power, EV charging or Energy Storage? Get an instant quote from Makello!
The Rivian R1T’s stadium-shaped headlights and the daytime running light bar form a striking expression that you cannot forget. The front grill looks like a face with the eyes and nose flipped upside down. Who would give a car a face like that?
Front view of Rivian R1T electric truck on 2018 LA Auto Show
But being next to a R1T at the LA Auto Show, I come to realization that Rivian’s design is highly distinguishable, incredibly futuristic, and surprisingly attractive.
Tesla is the market leader in electric vehicles, but other companies strive to challenge Tesla for relevance in the electric revolution. By focusing on outdoor adventure electric vehicles, Rivian becomes more than just an electric car company. Designed for freedom, the essence of a Rivian promises the spirit of an adventurer, with the power to conquer any hill, and the clean conscious lifestyle of zero emissions.
Rivian’s designers have cleverly used the middle section of the daytime running light as a charge light indicator, adding some user friendliness to this clean design. The full width tail light and the word “Rivian” in that oversized font also make the R1T stand out with its modern yet rugged style.
Back view of Rivian R1T electric truck on 2018 LA Auto Show
Speaking of lights, did I mention there is a flashlight hidden in the door panel of the two front doors? Not only is this a re-interpretation of Rolls-Royce’s famous umbrella concept (since Rivian’s users wouldn’t mind a little rain), but it also act as a showcase of the company’s technology. The flashlights are each powered by a battery cell exactly like the ones in the traction battery pack powering the truck. The weight and feel of the flashlight is sturdy and reassuringly reliable.
Another advantage of electric vehicles is the abundance of space where there would normally be a gear box and internal combustion engine. At the front, there is 330L of storage space under the hood; in the back, the full-size spare tire under the floor of the cargo bed is an improvement over the Hennessey Raptor whose cargo bed is entirely occupied by its spare tire. Automatic features include a 180 degree ergonomic folding tailgate and a retractable tonneau waterproof cover is an innovation that can be enjoyed by anyone.
Now, criminals, have you struggled to put a body in your car? Do you have trouble transporting a nuclear warhead discreetly with your vehicle? Well, good news! The 350L gear tunnel in front of the rear axle that extends from one side of the vehicle to another is here for you! Just kidding, the gear tunnel won’t help you escape justice, but it will give outdoor adventurers plenty of room for and easy access to their gears without climbing into the cargo bed. This unconventionally located space is the best proof of Rivian going to great lengths to solve users’ pain points.
Storage space in a Rivian R1T electric truck
One of the reasons why electric vehicles didn’t have a bigger market share today is the public’s concern over range. Rivian overcame range anxiety by controlling temperature and battery performance in a thermally managed sandwich beneath the vehicle. Two layers of 432 cylindrical lithium ion battery cells in each of its modules are separated by a cool plate between two layers of battery cells. As a result, the Rivian R1T having 180 kWh battery pack is capable of 400+ miles range. Even the basic 105 kWh version is capable of 250+ miles.
The electric platform of the Rivian R1T electric truck
A terrifying 750 horsepower and 14,000 Nm of torque gives the R1T truck a supercar like 0-60 mph time of 3 seconds while retaining the pickup practicality with five tons of towing capacity.
What interests me the most, however, is its off-road capabilities. Many performance electric vehicles are equipped with four wheel drive simply by fitting an electric motor on each axle, but Rivian took a step further and built their four wheel drive system by fitting an electric motor for each wheel. This is good, because this four wheel drive system will be properly put to use when Rivian’s passionate users takes them through the roughest terrain in their adventures.
Book a FREE 15 minute appointment to: 1) Find out how Makello can help you. 2) Discuss your energy needs. 3) Get a FREE Energy Savings Estimate.
The R1T is also capable of wading through a meter of water (good for evacuating from sea level rise and climate change accelerated storms), made possible by a watertight carbon fiber composite battery shell which is then covered by a smooth “ballistic shield” in the underbody of the vehicle. I still remember bursting into laughter when I saw Richard Hammond drove the G63 AMG 6×6 through a one-meter deep pool in Abu Dhabi on Top Gear, and I am sure watching the R1T do that would look just as good.
I once worried that the automotive industry’s trend toward electrification, autonomy, and connectivity, might extinguish the personal connection we feel between ourselves and our machines, making the world less exciting. But, Rivian is pioneering a new field of electric vehicles with the spirit of adventure in each of its products. I have faith that Rivian and their 600 employees, will have the strength to conquer the competitive challenges and establish its name. Behind the wheel of a Rivian, one can enjoy the amazing gift of nature that Mother Earth has provided, while preserving it for our grandchildren, with zero emissions driving.
Click on the videos below to learn more about Makello and Electric Vehicles.
This graph shows approximately how much you pay SDGE per year using various amounts of electricity, specifically as an average of the Coastal and Inland areas.
“SDGE’s Electricity Rate Hike”: How to Read It If your home uses about 900 kWh of electricity a month (found on your electricity bill), find 900 on the horizontal axis, and then go straight up to the orange line (how much SDGE charges after the rate hike in September 2013). Your annual bill is approximately $3,000, which is close to $1000 more than before the September 2013 rate hike. Compare that to your potential electricity bill with Wipomo’s Energy Ecosystem: almost nothing every year.
SDGE’s Annual Charge to You The annual cost of electricity from SDGE was made from SDGE’s own data posted on their website, here. We took the average cost of the Coastal and Inland areas at each monthly kWh usage (after the rate-hike) and multiplied that by 12 months. The result is the average annual cost of electricity for a given monthly electricity use.
To calculate how much SDGE raised your electricity bill, we did the same procedure with the cost of electricity before the rate hike, and then found the difference.
You can see from the graph: the more you use, the more money it costs. On the other hand, the more you use, the more Wipomo’s Energy Ecosystem can save for you. Your annual cost could be nearly $0 if you buy it upfront. You may even see that SDGE pays you if your system produces enough energy. SDGE will still charge the standard service fees for being connected to their electricity network, but on a per-year basis, a typical San Diego home (4 person household, 4 bedroom, 2 bath), could save as much as $5,000 annually, depending on their actual electricity needs. If you can’t purchase the system, it’s likely not a problem. In many cases, you can save instantly by financing the Energy Ecosystem. That means your monthly payments could be lower than your electric bill. What about the initial cost of purchasing the energy ecosystem? See below.
Lifetime Energy Cost – 25 years: How to Read It
The lifetime saving graph captures a fuller picture that includes the cost of purchasing the energy ecosystem. And in this case, it also captures the cost of fueling 1 vehicle. Just like in the annual graph, find how much energy you use per month on the horizontal axis. As an example, we’ll take 900 kWh again. The red line shows how much you will likely pay SDGE for electricity in 25 years. At 900 kWh, that’s about a whopping $250,000! What could you buy with $250,000 if you could keep it? With Wipomo’s Energy Ecosystem, you can keep the lion’s share of it. The green line shows how much you will likely pay for electricity if you buy only the Solar Photovoltaic part of the Wipomo Energy Ecosystem. At 900 kWh, the 25-year-cost comes in at a much lower $115,000, approximately. That’s almost $150,000 that you don’t have to pay SDGE. The blue line shows you can save more if you use an electrically powered vehicle. If you break free from SDGE, you can do the same from the gas companies: power your car with your own fuel from solar photovoltaic electricity at less than 1/3rd the cost of gas.
The Cost of Doing Nothing The Cost of Doing Nothing is calculated using Wipomo’s cost projection models. We started from the base scenario: a residential home with 1 Toyota Tundra. We used this base scenario across different amounts of energy consumption (kWh). Our model assumes that SDGE continues raising its rates at its historical level across all tiers: 6% per year. The model also calculates the annual fuel cost of a vehicle fuel rating of about 22 MPG and average annual use of 15,000 miles. The model used a flat rate cost of fuel.
Wipomo Solar Power We’ve been developing this model for years so that we can hand over nearly instant quotes. Our model calculates exactly how much Solar Power you need (in kW and dollars) to produce any percentage of energy use for home or business. At every point along the horizontal axis, the cost of purchasing solar is in the final life-time cost.
The life-time cost of purchasing solar explained.
We try to be as detailed as reasonably possible, so within the lifetime cost, we’ve added a few other figures: 1- the cost of fueling your vehicle, for comparison purpose 2- the lifespan of solar modules and 3- future SDGE rate hikes. For point 2, solar modules actually have a very long lifespan of up to 30 years. Their efficiency does start to degrade slowly, however. So by year 25, the solar modules can produce only approximately 80% as much energy as they can in year 1. If your solar modules’ energy production falls below your consumption, you will have to pay SDGE the difference. That’s why we also include future SDGE rate hikes because you will be paying the higher rate. Still, you’re saving a lot of money and you can always add more solar modules later.
Wipomo Solar Power + 1 Electric Vehicle Adding an electric vehicle into the mix increases your savings. In this graph, we modeled switching out an inefficient vehicle for a Super Prius: a Prius upgraded with Wipomo’s EV battery pack and plug. You can charge your vehicle with your own solar electricity. The model accounts for needing more solar modules to cover the extra electricity you need for an electrically powered vehicle. Although there is an upfront cost of purchasing a new EV or upgrading a Prius to a Super Prius, over the lifetime of the solar system and electric vehicle, you save even more money.
If you are tired of paying SDGE, tired of electric energy rate hikes and ready to see how much money and how quickly solar photovoltaics and/or electric vehicles can save for you, call, email or request a quote today. -Joseph Ocampo, Wipomo Research Intern
