Updating on the "Spirit of DC" ... Moving into "Winter Quarters" While Awaiting Delaware Power System Li-ion Battery Pack Before "Sun Belt" Run ...

Cheers EVADCs, PHEV3A'rs, and EVnthusiasts, One & All -

The "Spirit of DC" is moving into "winter quarters" in Bisbee, AZ. And EVJerry is back at webblogging. Reason being is that Delaware Power Systems out of Vancouver, British Columbia, has offered the "Spirit" a state-of-the-art set of Li-ion battery pack plus charger ... and it'll be some time in January 2009, possibly February, before Robb Protheroe at PluginSupply.com can receive and integrate the new Li-ion battery pack into the PluginSupply.com system. ... Hence, that's the rationale for going into "winter quarters" so to speak! But more info on the "Spirit" and her anticipated EVentful activities below.

But Gads! I need to update since the last posting. Already, it's a week plus since the "Spirit" was at the "Kick Gas Festival" in San Diego! Thanks to former EVA of San Diego Presidential Couple, Bill and Lisa Hammons, the "Spirit" also did a special PHEV photo shoot on Thursday, 16 October 2008 ... before heading over to Phoenix for a visit to the 40th State Capital ... . And the "Spirit" had a special "Ride Along" -- Bisbee's own Donna Austin, who is the VP and Contact for the Borderland EVA - a most recent EAA Chapter. Donna works as the Program Coordinator for the Copper Queen Library in Bisbee.

After Donna's taking pixs of the "Spirit" in Phoenix, Arizona's capital on Friday, 17 October 2008, (the capital's on 17th Avenue & Washington just in case someone wants to view Arizona's finest), the "Spirit" was bound for Tucson. On Saturday morn, the "Spirit" with her Ride Alongs in tow met up Tucson EVA2 members for a "seeing is believing" show & tell at the regular TEVA2 meeting. TEVA2 was the 33rd sister EAA Chapter visited on the PHEV All Around America EVducational Tour.

Upon returning to Home Sweet Bisbee, the "Spirit" has been cooling her tires pretty much for a week or so ... with just local showings and quests for opportunity chargings -- St John's Episcopal Church, neighbors Fred Albert and Peter & Cindy Hermann, ALCO Store in the San Jose Shopping Center, and so on. One local showing was with the Cochise County Fleet Manager, Ruben Miranda, who is keenly interested in PHEVs, HEVs, and EVs.

EVJerry has been working to line up media EVents for the "Spirit." So far there's been radio interviews -- the Home Power Hour with Sustainable Jack and Solar Jim - a FM Low Power station out of Carroboro, and with Bisbee's own Ramses on KBRP 96.1 FM LP. The "Spirit" will be on a "seeing is believing" display at Bisbee's Farmers' Market at 9:00AM this coming Saturday.

Also, it's best to outline some of the planning going on for EVJerry and the "Spirit" per the denoting of "winter quarters" in quotation marks. Essentially, the "Spirit" will be busy in the Southwest -- there are these two workable PHEV3A EVents being projected: First, a "Tour de AZ" for visiting all 15 County Seats in AZ in order to serve as a State model for EAA Chapters to take on as in "PHEV All Around Florida" example; and, Second, a Southwest Run to visit with some dozen EAA California, one Nevada, and two Arizona EAA Chapters.

NOTE: This Arizona stayover will be done in and out of "winter quarters" in Bisbee ... while planning, organizing and coordinating the PHEV All Around America second half Finale - the Sun Belt Run whereby the "Spirit" makes it to eight more State Capitals en route -- New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Alabama! And some half dozen or so remaining separate EAA Chapters to be visited.

SPECIAL NOTE: The expected date of arriving back in Washington, DC via the Amtrak Auto Train from Florida will be Earth Day in order to make the 5th EPA National Sustainable Design Exp0, right on the Capitol Mall, where the "Spirit of DC" was christened a year earlier.

EVen Hawaii and Alaska are being considered for the "Spirit of DC" while awaiting the new Li-ion batteries as part of her PHEV3A Evducational Tours. But further discussion is being held off until more info comes available from a trip to San Diego and a visit with US Navy Transportation personnel as well as from conversing with the Alaska Marine Highway System folks. Funding has been, is and remains a very major consideration in what's turning out to be the longest, largest, most extensive EVent in all of EAA History.

Now, on or about Monday, 3 November 2008, the "Spirit" is tripping back to San Diego, California, but with Nogales, Arizona on the radar screen; it's part of the Arizona County Run, and Nogales is the Santa Cruz County Seat. Then, it's on to Pima County Seat in Tucson and thereafter to Yuma for the 4th County Seat. That's about it for today webblogging. More later on about EVJerry's attending the Green Festivals in DC ... while the "Spirit" cools her tires in San Diego (see >

EVer from Bisbee, Arizona -

"Spirit" & EVJerry