GatorMoto Utility Vehicles would like to congratulate the RubeLab in Eustis, Florida on the success of its first-ever RubeRally on March 20, 2010.  In keeping with RubeLab’s commitment to aid in the development of technologies to solve local and global environmental problems, the RubeRally was a “race” open to any street legal vehicle that did not burn fossil fuel.  The racecourse followed a triangular route of approximately 15 miles, through the historic district of Eustis, along the shores of Lake Dora in Mt. Dora, to Tavares (county seat of Lake County) and back to Eustis.

The race was not about speed — all of it took place on streets where the speed limit was 35 mph or lower — but about answering a series of questions correctly, with clues to those answers along the race route.  Racers received detailed maps and instructions at the start of the race, and the prize was a trophy designed and crafted by well-known local sculptor Doug Hays.

GatorMoto Utility Vehicles entered two vehicles in the Rally, their 6- and 8-passenger electric roadsters.  GatorMoto Utility Vehicles owner, Ted Jackrel said “We had a blast!  The weather was perfect and it was a lot of fun.  We just wish we had more time to spend in the three cities along the way; three hours was just not enough.”

While we did not win the race, we had a great time participating and made a lot of friends along the way.  Congratulations to this year’s RubeRally winners — we look forward to participating again next year!

GatorMoto Utility Vehicles has found an international market for its electric vehicles in an unexpected place – oil-rich Saudi Arabia!

 The Al-Azzouni Group visited the company’s website (www.gatormotoutilityvehicles.com) and ended up purchasing 50 Electro Transport Buddy 15 Passenger LE’s, giving them the capability to move up to 750 people at once!  The units had ramps and wheelchair locations built in to accommodate the elderly and handicapped, and were recently used for transportation at the annual Mecca Festival.

These vehicles will travel 50-55 miles on a single full charge and are 100% gasoline-free, making them quiet, efficient and environmentally friendly.

With its close proximity to the Port Of Jacksonville, GatorMoto Utility Vehicles is perfectly located to serve the international marketplace, and we are looking forward to attracting even more international clients in the future.

It seems that everybody is getting on the “green” bandwagon these days.  We all understand that the earth has limited resources, and pollution is killing off species at an alarming rate.  Many people would be more willing to replace their fossil fuel driven vehicles with alternative fuel vehicles, but finding the proper fuels for these state-of-the-art vehicles is a major concern.

The US Department Of Energy’s Alternative Fuels And Advanced Vehicle Data Center has established a website which lists fueling stations for everything from biodiesel and electricity to propane.

While Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District Of Columbia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming do not have public charging stations for electric vehicles at this time, other states such as California (with 413 electric charging stations) have made a major commitment to providing access to alternative fuels.  Currently there are 506 fueling stations providing electric charging facilities nationwide.

The Department Of Energy’s Alternative Fuels And Advanced Vehicle Data Center’s website, http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/locator/stations/, provides not only a count of stations offering various alternative fuels, but also a search engine in which you can choose the type of energy you require and a place to put in your zip code to find the nearest source.  There is even a mapping feature that will allow you to map a route indicating where your specific fuel needs can be met along the way.  Driving electric just got a little easier!

Hopefull, the numbers of electric charging stations will grow as demand for electric vehicles continues to increase.

GatorMoto Utility Vehicles now offers high quality back up cameras as an option for all of their electric vehicles!

These systems can either be hard-wired or wireless, depending on your requirements.  They feature a 7″ TFT-LCD monitor that can also be used for DVD/VCD/TV/GPS, a multi-function remote control and a camera with infrared night vision capabilities up to 10-15 meters.

The equipment is waterproof, damp-proof, anti-fogging, quake-proof, high voltage surge proof, and high temperature resistant.  They are suitable for all weather conditions. 

The monitor offers 7″ broad view angle 16:9 display mode, adjustable Image Brightness/Color/Contrast, 2 video inputs and 1 audio input, AV input and audio output in panel, adjustable bracket installation, switch display mode by remote control, and car backing backsight function with automatic image switch to right or left.

The camera is compact (2.835″ long, 2.047″ wide and 1.654″ high) and has a resolution of 380 TV lines with a shutter speed of 1/100,000 second.

Priced from $359 for the wired model or $459 for the wireless system, this is a great and inexpensive accessory to add safety to your electric parking shuttle, touring vehicle or delivery vehicle where objects may hinder your ability to see behind you.