Silence reigns as EVs take center stage
Expo highlights latest tech advancements
GLENDALE, Ariz. – In a stadium parking lot full of vehicles, one thing was noticeably absent – the noisy thrum of engines. The sprawling lot had transformed into an all-in-one vehicle demo track, dealership and car show. Visitors drove through the lanes instead of sitting in post-game traffic. Families zipped around on scooters, bikes and skateboards.
Apart from the screech of tires, the vehicles made little noise. No exhaust fumes lingered in the air, and exhibitionists did not have to worry about running out of gas during the event. Every vehicle was electric. Electrify Expo took over State Farm Stadium May 4 and 5, showcasing battery-operated vehicles in nearly every category.
“The curiosity level for electric cars, trucks and everything else electric is skyrocketing,” said BJ Birtwell, founder and CEO of Electrify Expo. “The consumers get to basically try everything out there.”
While many people were shopping the major brands for their next car, the expo had displays built around recreational lifestyles. Organizers showcased numerous modes of transportation, helping consumers find vehicles to traverse the desert and cruise golf courses.
“The environment is great for EVs,” Birtwell said. “It’s come to be known as Battery Valley.”
Demos for alternative modes of transportation attracted the most attention.
Lightship RV: Road-tripping, pulling trailers
Founders Ben Parker and Toby Kraus, who previously worked at Tesla, and their team designed the Lightship RV’s aerodynamic edges, wide tinted windows and shining silver exterior, giving it a look as futuristic as the technology.
Parker and Kraus recognized that trucks and RVs are integral to America’s road-tripping identity and wanted to create an electric RV to complement electrified trucks.
Parker said the Denver and San Francisco based company has solved the “Achilles heel” of electric trucks and RVing: limited mileage from hauling extra weight.
“Most trailers are dead weight. The truck is doing all the work,” Parker said. “But in our case, the motor helps the trailer propel itself so that from the perspective of the truck, the trailer is weightless.”
Lightship has a self-propelling motor, making it float on the hitch. The 26foot-long roof is fitted with solar panels, creating a near-infinite battery life as long as the sun is out. Instead of relying on a generator or a power hookup, the panels power the air conditioning, appliances and other utilities.
The company also designed their RVs to serve as a home solar system when stationary. Owners can use Lightship as backup power during outages or to save money on their energy bills and buy less from the grid.
“Now, instead of your RV being something you use three or four weekends a year, you’re using it every day,” Parker said.
Motorbike: Designed for off-road travel
Nine-year-old Levi Carmichael’s birthday is over a month away, but he already knows what’s on his wish list.
After taking laps around the demo track, he hopes to convince his dad to buy a Mantis Mini, a small electric motorbike from Rawrr, a Los Angelesbased electric two-wheeler brand. Designed for young and smaller-framed riders, the Mantis Mini is an offroad bike with a detachable battery.
“It was so fun,” he said.
“It’s between a motorcycle and an emountain bike,” said Edward Ying, a senior consultant specialist in social media and social commerce for Rawrr. “It was designed for off-road.”
The bikes’ detachable batteries make it easier to take bikes on outdoor adventures while protecting the environment.
Solar golf carts: Arizona a good market
Phantom, the California-based electric vehicle brand, created a golf cart to suit sunny cities like metro Phoenix and the wildlands while embracing EV technologies.
Parked in the middle of the expo grounds, visitors examined the camoprint exterior of the Solar 2+2, a fourseater golf cart and off-roader all in one vehicle. Their electric carts are lifted and fitted with tires to travel off-road and reach 23 mph to cruise the roads.
They have solar panels and rechargeable lithium batteries, which take eight to 10 hours to charge from zero to 100%.
“With the weather being so nice yearround, Arizona is definitely a big market to reach,” said Tommy Pease, a sales specialist for Phantom. “There are a lot of golf cart communities out here. People take golf carts to pick up their kids.”
The company is working with the Department of Motor Vehicles to make them street-legal across the country.
All of the brands at the Electrify Expo recognized the need for electric products across the industry, not just cars.
Phantom offers electric alternatives in several categories, like scooters, bikes, skateboards and even an electric suitcase that can follow its owners around the airport.
Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.