It is not beyond the realm of possibility that Maui will be the place to demonstrate that the electr

The 80 or so participants seemed about 60-40 split between car rentalin new york city out-of-town experts and curious residents. Many of the visiting participants sported the business cards of international banks, car rentalin new york city name consulting organization, high level government car rentalin new york city agencies and top ranked universities.
Conspicuous car rentalin new york city by their absence were Maui s elected car rentalin new york city officials, local banks and other media. The presence of those representing the visitor industry, car rentalin new york city supposedly a key player in the romance between the Valley Isle and new forms of transportation, was slim and brief.
Though car rentalin new york city Hawaii in general and Maui in particular has long been touted as a perfect demo venue for all the new energy technologies, the EVA event was one of only a few recent presentations where the data was hard and the participants came equipped with substantial hands-on practical experience.
Among those who spoke was Jim Ruby, manager of fleet services for the University of San Diego, who discussed the challenges of keeping his school's car rentalin new york city 500 alternative vehicles running. His fleet ranged in size from smaller- than-a-golf-cart to larger than a city bus and everything in between.
Ruby, a former Chrysler engineer with high-level mechanical skills, discussed what kinds of repair and maintenance services are necessary to keep his vehicles in top shape and also the changes he and his associates have made in the garage for a cleaner greener repair facility. His carts, cars, trucks car rentalin new york city and buses run on electricity and a variety of alternative fuels.
Another speaker who came to the subject with a wealth of current data was Dave Rolf, executive director of the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association (HADA). An enthusiastic advocate for Hawaii's role in the expanding electric vehicle market, Rolf said that statewide in 2011 and 2012 there were 366 Nissan Leafs and 48 Chevy Volts sold. The figures for the Mitsubishi iMiEV recently rolled out in Hawaii were not available. He did not mention numbers for the Toyota Prius, the leader in hybrid vehicles.
The new Toyota Prius plug-in, a hybrid vehicle which combines electric and gasoline-operated functions was frequently mentioned and is expected to be available in Hawaii soon. Other speakers identified the the plug-in and other vehicles in the Prius line as the cars whose sales are increasing the most rapidly, is the most wanted alternative car, and is also the car that is currently the hardest to get.
Despite predicting a rosy future for electrics and hybrids, they presently constitute a very small portion of new car sales in Hawaii. According to figures published in Hawaii Dealer Magazine car rentalin new york city for the first quarter of 2012 there were over 35,000 new vehicles sold in the state in 2011. Industry experts predict that number will grow to 38,000 this year.
Though the numbers of actual cars and charging stations in operation in Hawaii is small, (some might say miniscule), the data presented did indeed seem to indicate a "Kitty Hawk moment" might be at hand when the practical applications and costs migrate from the purely theoretical toward the realm of the possible and (dare we say) inevitable.
With that in mind, Mike Ferry, transportation programs manager for the California Center for Sustainable Energy and coordinator for the San Diego Region car rentalin new york city Clean Cities Coalition, spoke on the results of recent surveys his organization has conducted. Ferry said San Diego is one of the leading areas in adoption car rentalin new york city of this new technology. He profiled the early adopter of electric vehicle (EV) technology:
(Hawaii car rentalin new york city has recently passed car rentalin new york city legislation requiring that parking lots with more than 100 stalls install charging stations for electric vehicles, but according to comments by those present, the specific wording of this regulation may be significantly modified in the current legislative session).
The next step up is called Level 2 (which is where most of the owners seem to be). Level 2 runs on 220 current,  similar to that used to operate a clothes dryer, car rentalin new york city and can charge an electric car overnight.
There are no level 3 chargers on Maui. The speaker added that in some places where level 3 chargers are available, the local utility companies have added a hefty fixed surcharge to the cost of using them.
Ferry showed a graphic which indicated that many of the early adopters have programmed their charging operation to begin late at night and finish by 6 a.m. to take advantage of off-peak utility rates.
The question of what the cars actually cost now and what they might cost in the future seemed elusive and dependent to some extent car rentalin new york city on if the cars could actually be purchased and serviced in Hawaii. The numbers also hinged on what rebates car rentalin new york city are and will be available at the federal and state level and what the cost of electricity is now or likely to be in the future.
One of the most direct and persuasive presentations came from Jason King, a local resident. He gave an enthusiastic endorsement of his Chevy Volt, now in operation car rentalin new york city for a year, which he runs from power he generates himself at his off-the-grid solar powered home in Huelo.
"We don't need MECO," he said. "We don't need that grid any more. Maui could be such an example," he said, pointing out that the generation of alternate energy can be "pollution free and such a boost to the economy."
His sentiments were echoed by a number of other speakers. All confirmed that the local demand for the electric and hybrid vehicles presently exceeds car rentalin new york city the supply and that people who ordered them sometimes have to wait months for delivery. It is not unknown to be charged a premium for cars that are in high demand. They cited a recent article in Bloomberg News and Forbes Magazine.
According to Bloomberg, electric drivers formed the fastest growing segment in the US auto market in the first quarter of 2012. National sales in this sector climbed to 49% during this period to total 117,182 vehicles, up from 78,527 during the same period in the previous year. Toyota Motor s Prius hybrid and General Motors Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid electric car each posted record sales in March 2012.
Forbes had a similar take, noting Volt, Leaf  and Prius sales hit records in March 2012.  Volt sales jumped to 2,289 in March; Leaf sales to 579; and Prius sales to an amazing 28,711, up 54% from March a year ago.
Forbes termed Prius "one of America s and the world s most successful vehicles." And the Prius has blazed the hybrid trail, as Toyota alone sold more than 38,000 hybrid vehicles of all sorts in March.
Those contemplating making the switch find it doesn t come cheap. Even the lowest priced alternative car  (with all rebates and incentives included) car rentalin new york city still costs well above $20,000. Despite the high dollar threshold,  limited driving range and relatively untested charging equipment the appeal is undeniable and the actual driving experience is far better than anticipated.
The new plug-in Prius got raves from Consumer Reports, but is not expected to be widely available until next year. Maui Now test drove the Nissan Leaf during the lunch break and found it smooth, fast, comfortable a car in every respect, except that it s totally silent and it doesn't use gas.
What that spread will be in the future remains to be seen. What the regulatory climate will be in coming years is another unknown. Currently the price of gas is loaded with add-on taxes, while the price of electricity does not include comparable road taxes and surcharges.
It is not beyond the realm of possibility that Maui will be the place to demonstrate that the electric and/or hybrid vehicles are not just futurist fantasies, car rentalin new york city but practical transportation alternatives. Certainly Maui is paying serious attention at very beginning of what may prove to be a phenomenal growth curve.
Among the speakers at the conference was Yutaka Hayashi of Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). His firm has already committed over $30 million car rentalin new york city to a smart grid demonstration project in Maui Meadows which includes a transportation component.
While these ventures are not strictly limited to electric vehicles, the ability to generate new energy in clean formats would certainly enhance the atmosphere for the adoption and use of electric vehicles locally.
Byron Washom, who has a substantial reputation as an innovator, is a UC San Diego consultant who comes to Maui regularly in connection with a Department of Energy planning grant to Maui College, in the amount of almost $300,000. UCSD and the Hawaii Department of Business and Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) are also active partners in the award.
Washom car rentalin new york city pointed out that of the multiple planning  grants given in the nation, Maui's was ranked in the top three in innovation. It was the only one, he said, that focused car rentalin new york city on the visitors rather than residents as a prime target.
Though the visitor industry working group did give a brief report early in the day, their conclusions were not optimistic. The report said that despite the fact that 85% of all Maui visitors rent cars, there is presently only a single electric vehicle currently available for rent on Maui, and fewer than a dozen active charging stations.
What was less apparent were the true costs: how the fast-developing technology will modify and lower those expenses, whether the powers-that-be at home are capable of rising to the challenges of installation of charging devices and whether the Hawaii driving car rentalin new york city public is ever going to see enough product availability to make electric vehicles car rentalin new york city a viable alternative for any market be it rental fleet for visitors or individual cars for residents.
It was equally clear that electric vehicles and their hybrid cousins are a much better solution in terms of fuel cost, air quality and environmental impact than the cars Mauians and their guests presently drive.
Hawaii Dealer Magazine -First Quarter 2012 Smart Cars/Smart Grids and Hawaii- Magazine of Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association (HADA). Lots of interesting stats and data. To read the issue online click here .
NE