The EDTA Conference and Exhibition was held at The Vancouver Convention Center on the beautiful waterfront in downtown Vancouver B.C. on the 6th to the 8th of Dec. 2005.

Ride and Drive for Press and Attendees occurred at a parking lot near the Convention Center at the beginning of the conference on Tuesday.

The ride and Drive was sponsored by Global Electric Motor Cars, a Division of DaimlerChrysler Corp.

Ford and GM were noticeably absent from the Ride and Drive as well as the Exhibition Hall and Conference.

Ballard Power Systems, maker of PEM Fuel Cells in neighboring Burnaby BC (greater Vancouver BC) did have 2 Ford Focus FCEV (fuel cell powered) to Ride or Drive.
www.ballard.com

Dynasty Electric Car Corp. demonstrated a small, cute EV Sedan. They
termed their NEV's Low Speed Vehicle's. (LSV's).
www.itiselectric.com

DaimlerChrysler and GEM gave rides in their versions of NEV's
www.gemcar.com

Boshart Engineering of Ontario California gave ride and drives in their
rather large South Korean EV converted pickup. It can be used for short deliveries  in the city.
www.boshartengineering.com

Another large hybrid delivery van was demonstrated by Azure Dynamics Corp., formerly Solectria, of Woburn Mass.

Purolator is using several of these hybrid vans (about the size of a UPS
Van) in Toronto with great success.
www.azuredynamics.com

At the Exhibit Hall Lexus had the most glitzy booth with the bright red
2007 GS 450h, the world's first hybrid luxury sedan and is expected to go on sale in the spring of 2006.

Electrifying Times featured it in our centerfold in the recent issue. Lexus also showed off their RX400h luxury SUV hybrid that went on sale last summer.
www.lexus.com

Toyota Motor Sales USA , platinum sponsor with Honda, had 2 new Prius' on display. There are 13,000 Toyota Canada employees distributing the Toyota vehicles in Canada.

They have sold 5,000 Prius in Canada.
www.toyota.com

Equally impressive and cute was Dynasty's bright red LSV mini pickup. Honda displayed their new natural gas Civic GS and their H2 powered Civic FCX.
www.hondacars.com

The most unique vehicle at the exhibit hall was e-Power Synergies Inc of Cordova IL with their hydrogen powered hockey rink resurfacing machine.

It is called the Ice Bear with a unique painting of a polar bear on ice on the side.
www.epowersynergies.com

Four battery companies displayed their new batteries including Cobasys, the spin off NiMh battery company from Ovonics - Chevron Texaco. They displayed their hybrid battery modules. www.cobasys.com

Electro Energy Inc. of Danbury CT with a wide variety for propulsion and hybrid batteries.
www.electroenergy.com

Electrovaya and their Lithium Ion SuperPolymer batteries www.electrovaya.com

and Saft with their NiCads, NiMh, and LiIon batteries www.saftbatteries.com

Here are some comments. by Steve Lough, President of the Seattle Electric Vehicle Assoc.

" Everyone at the conference, from manufacturer, to supplier, to environmentalist, to businessman, to small time EV Club Presidents almost all agreed on the following:

a. Oil is finite and will only cost more and More and MORE.

b. World demand for oil is growing faster than any one expected.

c. Effects of Oil Demand and Cost is being felt from the Pentagon
to the Sierra Club.

d. Gas Fed Hybrids alone cannot curb the oil consumption.

e. Pure Battery Electrics cannot capture the everyday buyer.

f. Global Warming and the Environment IS on the minds of the average car buyer.

g. Fuel Cells and the H2 Economy is too far off, or may never happen.

h. THAT leaves the ONE car that can do both jobs. (Short and Long Trips)... The Plug IN Hybrid... Especially alternate liquid fuels, such as local bio-fuels, and electricity from ever-increasing renewable sources.

Opinions compliments of Steve Lough
e-mail: stevenslough@comcast.net
web: http://www.seattleeva.org

Barry Penner, Minister of Environment, British Columbia, delivered the Keynote at the Closing Plenary Session while accepting the EDTA E-Visionary Award.

I also met up with Chelsea Sexton, the EV1 Activist. (See photo) She was there to promote EVs as well as the documentary "EV Confidential or Who Killed the Electric Car?" to be released in January 06 at the Sundance Film Festival and worldwide soon thereafter.

Stay tuned for the highlights of the most interesting topics and speakers and forums in a few days, such as Robert Stemple's roundtable, ex-GM head that brought the EV1 to market, Plug In light duty and heavy duty hybrids, latest battery technology and bringing the hydrogen economy forward...

Bruce Meland
Publisher & Editor in Chief
Electrifying Times

Click here for a complete list and links to exhibitors.

In the photos you will find:

- Angela Blevins-O'Connor of Valencia CA taking care of Lexus Booth

- In the ride and drive area, the Dynasty Motor Car, called the "IT"

- Bill Moore on an electric Scooter

- "Ice Bear" Fuel Cell Ice Hockey resurfacing machine

- Azure Power Systems's Puralator Hybrid Delivery Van