North Florida Retirement Village (aka The Village) is located in Gainesville, Florida and offers a variety of retirement lifestyles, from independent to assisted living.  The 104-acre campus is a place of natural beauty, with small ponds, native pines and live oak trees, which were carefully preserved during its construction.  Yet, it is only 10 minutes from major shopping malls, theaters and restaurants.  It is also close to the University Of Florida.  The Village provides world-class healthcare, recreational activities, cultural events and more.

Independent living facilities come in several configurations, from individual cottage homes at Cottage Place to luxury apartments at Magnolia Grand, Magnolia Grand South and Lake House.  Resort-style apartments are available at The Cypress and Tower Villas.  

Assisted living options provide for residents who require varying levels of medical and living assistance on a regular basis.                          

- Rose Court is a 50-room assisted living center designed for those who require some assistance with daily living.  Residents can decorate their private rooms with personal possessions and furnishings. 

- Jasmine Pointe is the newest facility, offering 60 larger accommodations, many suitable for couples.  Efficiency dwellings are perfect for single occupancy, while one bedroom accommodations are available for single or double occupancy.

- Azalea Trace is a 20-room residence for people with memory impairment.  The limited number of residents allows staff to focus on individual attention, increased security, and the enhancement of social interaction. 

All residents have access to a 24-hour healthcare staff, housekeeping and linen services, scheduled transportation and a comprehensive daily activities program, three meals serves restaurant-style each day, a resident-activated alert system, assistance with bathing, dressing and grooming, and ongoing monitoring of health needs and medications.   

Whichever lifestyle a resident chooses, they have access to The Tower Club. The Tower Club is a luxurious clubhouse which offers residents a cafe-style dining area, private dining areas for special occasions, the Windjammer Lounge, a computer cyber center and reading room, a health and fitness center, an art studio with ceramics kiln, a heated outdoor pool and hot tub and two outdoor tennis courts.  Additionally, there is “Clippers” hair salon, offering barber and beautician services.  The William E. Rion Auditorium is available for themed dinners, performances and more. 

North Florida Retirement Village recently purchased a 15-Passenger Electro Bubble Buddy Low Speed Vehicle with a full enclosure and running boards from GatorMoto Utility Vehicles.  They use it for transportation around their beautiful campus.

To learn more about North Florida Retirement Village, visit their website at http://www.thevillageonline.com/.

The University Of Central Florida in Orlando has taken a giant step toward becoming a more environmentally friendly campus by providing electric vehicle users a way to charge their vehicles.   

Located in the D1 parking lot on the east side of Memory Mall, the carport uses solar panels to produce electricity which can then be used to charge electric vehicles.  Construction began last November, and the station opened in January.  The total cost of the project was about $380,000, which includes the cost of structural construction, solar panels and electronic hardware.  The cost was covered by a research grant from the Florida Energy Systems Corporation.  

Unless a vehicle uses more than 10 kilowatt-hours of power, there is no charge for using the carport.  

The carport has four parking spots.  Each space has a standard 120-volt, 20-amp outlet and two of the spaces will also include 240-volt 20-amp outlets to support larger vehicles.  The pedestals are also reconfigurable to provide for future vehicle charging configurations as they are developed and come into use. 

The facility will first serve as a test bed for research and provide UCF with a way to charge its fleet of plug-in electric vehicles.  It will be made available to students as the demand for this service grows. 

To learn more, visit http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/solar-charging-station-planned-for-student-use-1.2162596.

The biggest rollout of electric vehicle infrastructure in the world is about to begin in the United States.
 
Urban planners are now deciding the locations of more than 11,000 charging stations in 11 major cities.  Their goal is to have them up and running by the end of 2010, when Nissan and General Motors are expected to begin selling the first mass-market electric cars.  This could be good news for all electric vehicle owners.
 
Last year, the Department Of Energy awarded a $99.8 million contract to Electric Transportation Engineering Corp. (eTec), an electric transportation research and development firm, to build electric vehicle charging networks in five states.  Construction is due to begin soon and completion is expected to take about 36 months.
 
By this summer, charging infrastructure will be deployed in the following areas:  Phoenix, AZ; Tucson, AZ; San Diego, CA; Portland, OR; Eugene, OR; Corvallis, OR; Seattle, WA; Nashville, TN and Chattanooga, TN. 
 
The current plan is to offer Level 2 and Level 3 charging.  Level 2 charging systems recharge electric vehicles in 4-6 hours utilizing 220 volt power.  Typically, they are used for overnight charging at home or at a business that operates a fleet of electric vehicles.  Level 3 charging is often referred to as fast charging.  It allows electric vehicles to be recharged in minutes rather than hours.  Two hundred fifty Level 3 chargers will be deployed in high-density areas of each of the five launch markets and in major transportation corridors to allow electric vehicle users to commute between major cities.
 
A demonstration period of 2 years is planned, so that transportation officials can evaluate the program.  Hopefully, the results will be good enough to expand the charging station network to include more locations.
 
For more information on the EV Project, visit the website at http://www.theevproject.com.

We are always looking for new sources of information for fellow electric vehicle enthusiasts, and we have a new resource to share – the Electric Auto Association!
 
This not-for-profit group was formed as a 501(c)(3) charitable/educational corporation in 1967 in San Jose, California.  Their current headquarters are located in Aptos, California
 
Their purpose is:
 
1.  To act as a source of information for their members, other organizations and the public on the current state of electric vehicle technology worldwide.

2.  To encourage experimentation in building electric vehicles, focusing on improving energy and resource efficiency, reducing emissions and improving vehicle safety.

3.  To promote and organize public exhibits of electric vehicles built by members and others in order to inform the public on the progress of electric vehicle technology and conduct public opinion polls.

4.  To use all media, such as newsletters, websites, information packages and other paper and electronic media designed to inform the public and promote the use of electric vehicles.
 
With chapters in 30 states, Canada and Europe, they are spreading the word worldwide that electric vehicles are a clean, easy and fun method of transportation.  The Association also has educational chapters located at Alamance Community College in Graham, NC; Appalachian State University in Boone, NC; West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV, and James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA.  The National Electric Drag Racing Association (NEDRA) in Santa Rosa, CA is considered a specialty a chapter of The Electric Auto Association.
 
The group’s website (http://www.eaaev.org/) offers great information on all types of electric vehicles, from LSVs and NEVs to the electric and hybrid production models coming from the large automobile manufacturers.  They also produce a monthly newsletter, Current Events, that offers timely news and information about the state of electric vehicle technology, availability and related legislation. 

In their brochure, Plug Or Pump?, they make a very valid point about the future of electric vehicles: “The price of gasoline will continue to rise.  As the production volume of EVs increases, the purchase price will decrease.  Each mile, each year, gas-powered cars add  more pollution and greenhouse gases into the environment.  As the electrical grid gets cleaner, by increasing the use of renewable energy sources (mandated by law), EVs will continue to get cleaner!”  Sounds like a great argument for going electric, doesn’t it?