What's that smoke?

CNN Coverage

It looks like it's starting again - another war based on our insatiable desire for oil. Oil prices have immediately started rising as have international tensions.

From the same article

What if we reduced our need for foreign oil by switching to renewable wind and solar (powering electric vehicles and appliances) and focused our energies on caring for people in need? What if we focused on the Golden Rule rather than the black gold? What if we chose to focus on people?

PlugInAmerica.org

May we seek logical, helpful, healthy solutions and find ways to keep from killing each other.

Fossil Free Friday: Electric Honda Cubs [Updated for the DIY Crowd]

[Updates can be found in light blue at the bottom of the page.]

 

Here at Mesquite Hugger, our favorite electric vehicles are the ones that used to run on gasoline. Scooters, cars, trucks, boats...they're all welcome here. If the budget is low and the creativity is high, well, that just makes them better. So, today, let's talk about conversions of the most-produced gas burner of all time - the Honda Cub. Yep, the humble little Honda that has trod roads all over the planet is none too sexy, but it has been an amazing success and a durable workhorse.

The Honda Super Cub -  the most produced motor vehicle in history!

The Off-Road Version CT90
 

Groovy, baby! (Be sure to check out the rare cafe racer version at the top of the ad.)

And lately, it's also been a very cool platform for a number of electric conversions. Even Honda has gotten into it and has been been showing off an electric version they will apparently produce:

AutoEvolution: Honda E-Cub Concept

The electric Honda E-Cub is cool and sleek and all kinds of good stuff from the company that  brought the Cub to us in the first place. And, to keep me from burning any gasoline, I'd definitely ride it (and I'm sure I'd enjoy the ride), but it sure doesn't call to me on a deeper level. (Maybe that's a good thing.)

But there are some conversions out there that do light a little fire. Recently, a conversion from Shanghai Customs has been making the eco-news rounds. It's very minimalist flat-tracker cool. Check it out:

DesignBoom: Shanghai Customs

So clean and simple - that big rear hub is the electric motor.

The gauge cluster is now a smart phone.

The old petrol tank is now the battery pack

When I first saw the Shanghai bike, I thought it was the Australian Deus Electric Cub showbike that was making the rounds a few years ago. When the Deus first appeared I did a lot of drooling and dreaming. Sure, I'd want a substantially puffier seat, but, man, that thing is cool!

Look, Ma - no rear shocks!

DesignBoom: Deus Electric

Okay, I hear a few of you grumbling about living in the real world and all that good stuff, so here are a few more Cub and CT conversions from EVAlbum.com. They both give a better view of what us down-to-earth types might build if we found ourselves with a Cub, a hacksaw, and a dream. (I think these are pretty cool too!)

EVAlbum 2005 Honda Super Cub 50

 

 

EVAlbum 2002 Honda CT110 eMail
 

In case you are now feeling inspired, finding a hub motor for your build shouldn't be too hard...

Roughly the same as the Shanghai motor

...and somewhere near you there is a sad little Honda Cub or CT sitting in the weeds just waiting for an ambitious tinkerer like you to jump in:

Find it here

 

[Updated area 8-28-2017]

 

I should've done a little more research. For those of you who (like me) really, really want to build your own E-Cub, Inside EVs posted an article about the E-Cub last week explaining that Shanghai Customs will be starting a Kickstarter campaign to sell you an E-Cub electrification kit which contains a motor, a controller, wiring, a battery pack, and a custom-made swingarm. If you've never tried your own conversion project, trust me, this would be an awesome way to start your project! More details in the link below the IEVs logo:

 

Inside EVs: E-Cub - Some Assembly Required

May you get your motor running, and may it be fueled by wind and sunlight and electrons!

PS. Here're a few more things to inspire your electro-conversion dreams:

A few more electrics from Shanghai Customs

Another take on the Cub from the EmpiDog blog

Electric Euro Cycles We Can't Have #4: Super SoCo

Yep, this electric cycle popped up on the internet this week. It was a bit of a surprise, but not really. I've been waiting for somebody to start building this bike - it just makes too much sense. You take a fairly simple frame, put the electrical components and battery in the center of the frame, and use a hub motor in the rear wheel. It's the same concept as the Motorman Cycle from last week's post, but on a larger scale. No chain. No gears. No problem.

 

techradar: Super Soco Article

 

I ran across the Super Soco in a techradar article. It's intended to be an urban commuter, not a hardcore sportbike. Really, its closest competitors will be scooters, not motorcycles. Let's say that you're that person who loves the idea of a scooter but does not love the idea of being seen on a scooter - the Super Soco could be your machine.

 

Super Soco Website

60 volt, 1200 watt Bosch powertrain - nice!

 

Ready for the entire European market - hmm...

Pretty simple - I like it!

You can find the owners manual on their site

Yep, it's another of those green vehicles you just can't get over here.

 

But not being able to buy a Soco may be okay. You see, the Super Soco, while pretty darn cool, doesn't make much financial sense over her. Looking at conversion rates (and ignoring import taxes) this bike would cost around $3000 here in the states. And it would need to be registered and insured. And most states (like Texas) would require a motorcycle operators license to ride it. Pretty soon this little eco-friendly money saver would cost a fair amount of cash but would barely outperform most electric bikes. It is limited to 30mph. Here is John Porter's conclusion in the techradar article:

 

 

While this particular patch of grass may look a little greener, I'd rather have a Karmic Koben S e-bike or something similar (that we can have over here). But then again, if the Soco were a 50mph cycle, I might have to reconsider.

 

May your quest for green transportation be a joyful one, regardless of which side of the Atlantic you find yourself on.

The Dream Shows up Again - Solar VW MicroBus!

The most persistent Mesquite Hugger DIY dream is to take an old van, convert it to electric power, and add solar power to the roof - a self-powered clean machine with the ability to haul a little stuff. The star of my dream is usually an old Econoline van or an old Greenbriar van. But's also been a Grumman postal truck, a Vespa Ape, a Cushman Truckster, a Subaru 360 van, a Crosley wagon and pretty much every other box-like vehicle out there. VW Microbuses have made the list on many occasions.

An email from Gear Junkie popped up this week and [BOOM] there it was - a solar-powered Microbus. Yep, they emailed me the dream.

Here's the video

The bus was built by Brett Belan from Oregon. And it's pretty standard for a converted EV, at least as long as you don't look up. When you do look up, you see a pretty hefty solar setup, over 1200 watts on a platform that tilts up to more efficiently catch some rays.

And when the panels are tilted up, it creates a great sleeping area, so Belan crafted a tent that attaches to the panels.

You can take it with you.

How's that for a room with a view?

You can learn more about the Belans' Bus here.

May you come into your own by following the sun!

Bonus electric bus (without the solar)

Electric Subaru 360 (Lane Motor Museum)

Where are they now: the MotoChimp Electric Scooter

Yep, I hear you, there's not a lot of joyfulnicity in eco news lately. The mirth has been a little elusive.

But it still rears its lovely and funky head here and there.

A new Fully Charged video came out this week reviewing a little scooter we talked about last year - the MotoChimp. Last year it was a fun little sidebar, but this year there's lot more to the story. Check out the video.

The Fully Charged Video Review

Here in Lubbock it's been amusing (and a little terrifying) to see all the young college guys embracing two oddball scooters - the Honda Ruckus and the Honda Grom. And if they'll ride those...

Why not?

Really, why not? If you're looking for cheap, local, eco-friendly transportation, why not ride something that makes you (and everyone around you) smile in a really big way. It has a 40 mile range, charges in one hour, will fit in your sock drawer, and it let's the world know that you take your planet-saving very, very seriously (but not your tough guy/gal image.)

The Last MH Post with a MotoChimp

Nope, it's not available here yet, but that just gives you a little more time to get used to the idea before you place your order.

Learn more about the MotoChimp at motochimp.com

Knippa, you could wear your gorilla suit!

May you have some eco-friendly fun today.

Droolworthy Vintage Electric: The Ian Motion Mini

Old cars. Every few months they get to me. It’s the old-car jones that creeps into my bones Yes, new cars are nice too, but there’s a far-from-logical appeal to a car that has stood the test of time and still gets the job done. Lately, it’s been a little Ford Fairlane sedan I pedal past on most weekdays. In my head, I’ve already pulled the gas burner out and replaced it with an electric motor. The gas tank is gone and replaced with salvage cells from a Nissan Leaf. (I love the old cars but not enough to keep trashing our planet!)

Yep, I'd drive it!

But, as a guy who owns a few half-finished, homegrown conversions, I understand that those projects are best left with those who have a surplus of time and/or money.

So, I sigh when I ride past the old Ford on a vehicle I have successfully converted to electric – a 250-watt bicycle. But there is hope out there for guys and gals like me. One example hit the social media circus just this past week -  The Ian Motion Mini.

The website

One look and I was hooked. Ian is a French company that restores and converts old Austin Minis into slick little modern electrics. The specs look to be fairly similar to those of a new Nissan Leaf. The creature comforts are minimal, but holy moly that thing looks good and would have to be fun to drive. And the Ian is not somebody’s rough-draft experiment. This is a company that focuses on converting one car so they can work through the evolution process before they send out a car. It’s a beautiful new old car that quietly screams how good life can be when we get rid of the gas pump.

From their website:

Enjoy the promo video

May we all not-so-quietly scream how good life can be until we get rid of the gas pump and go renewable. And may you truly enjoy the journey!

Fossil Free Friday: Fun Electric Conversions on Ebay and Craigslist

Yep, it's me being lazy again, but there is some fun stuff to check out this week. Enjoy:

Fiero!!!! Ebay

Check it out - a Fiero that runs! (And it's electric!)

All the deets

 BMW Ebay

The 2002 BMW is my favorite BMW

(and this one is electric)

BMW deets

VW Beetles

 

Slug Bug Red (Ebay)

Slug Bug Orange (Dallas Craigslist)

Isuzu Pickup

 

Electric Pickup! (Austin Craigslist)

These are not conversions, but I thought you might want to see them:

Zero Motorcycle (Dallas Craigslist)

 

Green Citicars on Ebay: Tennessee and Alabama

 

May you find something out there that helps you get off the gas, clean up the air, and grin everywhere you go!