Dr. Rob Wilder is Manager of the WilderHill Clean Energy Index, the first Index on Wall Street for renewable energy, better energy efficiency, and zero-carbon solutions. He was previously on faculty at U.C. Santa Barbara, and University of Massachusetts; he has been a AAAS/EPA Fellow in Environmental Science & Technology, Fulbright Fellow, and National Academy of Sciences Young Investigator. Read more…
|
Recent Posts in
“Customers” Archives November 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 July 2008 February 2008 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 May 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 Subscribe to this Blog
PagesBlog Comment Guidelines Martin in the Spotlight Categories Batteries Company Energy Efficiency Environment First Post Motor On the Road Performance Photovoltaic Solar Uncategorized Vehicle Engineering Links Become a Fan on Facebook Follow us on Twitter |
Archive for February, 2008
Handing Over the Keys VI: Dr. Rob Wilder
Published on Thursday, February 14th, 2008 in On the Road.
Handing Over the Keys V: Aaron ‘p-nut’ Wills
Published on Friday, February 1st, 2008 in Uncategorized.
Aaron ‘p-nut’ Wills is the bassist and youngest member of the band 311. Known for his “funk-slap” bass style p-nut has brought his own sound and entertaining style to the stage. Aaron had a recent opportunity to drive a Tesla Roadster around Santa Monica and through the hills of Malibu. Following are his impressions from the day: Santa Monica was misty and I was getting a turn behind the wheel of my dream car. Zak and Aaron feeding the small crowd answers while waiting for me. I circled VP10 a couple of times throwing in whatever knowledge I could, planning my ingress. As the crowd was getting bigger and stranger, the two Tesla men made it obvious that it was time to get going.  P-nut on Adrenaline I maneuvered myself in the seat and we headed out of the parking lot. The first thing I noticed was the dead pedal and I figure I will just get used to it. Taller drivers might want it further away or removed. Having never driven a non-assisted steering car before it was a slight challenge but, it really made me think about where to point the nose. My shoes got stuck while accelerating, here and there, so wear thin soled shoes. VP10 was going north on Santa Monica Blvd and after feeling the effect of the accelerator we were on PCH. Sitting so low I got the sensation that we were moving faster than we were, I couldn’t help but be a little cautious at first; I didn’t want to be the first guy to put one in the ocean. The canyons above were where I wanted to drive. Topanga Canyon: a beautiful place indeed, heightened by the wicked knife of a car easily slicing the tree lined street. Pure driving pleasure. Our contact with the driving public made it hard for me to push the car too hard. My purpose wasn’t to see what it was capable of at the extremes but, how it would feel on the day to day. I determined that even the simplest of tasks will be tactile and exciting with a car so rich in feedback. Old Topanga was where the drive got really fun, more twists and turns, less traffic. Effortless entry into tight corners, outstanding performance. The Tesla drive was so beyond my expectations it’s hilarious. I have always thought the light car with a powerful engine was a fantastic philosophy and this car cannot be beaten in those terms. I can’t wait to have the car in my garage ready to go at any moment. All in all I had the car for about an hour, one which I will never forget. I was sore from smiling and it was time to bring VP10 back to the trailer in which it dreams of a world where all cars give so much and leave behind so little. Many thanks to Zak and Aaron respect Aaron Wills |
