Green Gears

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Green Gears has already performed numerous conversions for major corporations and institutions from Google and PG&E to city and county agencies, from Vermont to Minnesota to Seattle and San Diego. We constantly monitor the status of our work while teaming with other leaders in the field to stay at the cutting edge of service and technology. Our capabilities include: Certified Hymotion PHEV system installation (currently for Toyota Prius and Ford Escape) V2G (vehicle to grid) research and development State-of -the-art installation facility staffed by master technicians San Francisco City and County clean and green certified Experts on data acquisition systems for all PHEV’s RFP contract writing and receipt processes Crash and emissions testing expertise Test center for HEV technology for light and medium duty trucks Converting to PHEV PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) technology adds to the efficiency of regular hybrid-electric vehicles and minimizes your carbon footprint. Lithium-ion batteries in the rear of the vehicle store electricity that feeds an electric motor. When the batteries are depleted, the factory hybrid system simply kicks into operation. On shorter trips, a vehicle may never employ its combustion engine at all. How long does it take to convert a vehicle? Our standard turnaround to complete a conversion is only two days. What special equipment is required to charge the vehicle? When we say ‘Plug-in’, that’s about as complicated as it gets. A five to eight hour charge time in off hours and vehicles are fully charged and ready to go. What kind of savings are we talking about? Depending on government rebates and frequency of use, the outlay for a PHEV system could pay for itself in just two years. And that’s not even factoring in the environmental benefits of reduced emissions or the projected rise in fuel costs over time. What kind of vehicles can be converted? Green Gears currently converts the Toyota Prius and the Ford Escape hybrid to PHEVs. We are also committed to developing plug-in technology for other fleet vehicles, particularly light trucks. Can individuals get these conversions at Green Gears? No. While we realize that many enthusiasts are interested in this technology for their personal vehicles, at this stage our focus is on businesses with fleets needing conversion. Green Gears in the News San Francisco's Green Garage Published by Matt Kelly August 31st, 2007 in NextGear. Electric cars are making a comeback as more consumers are looking for better technology to help the environment By Mike Lee UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER July 18, 2007		Our founding Gearheads Pat Cadam has led the charge toward innovations in transportation through Pat's Garage, San Francisco's premier auto mechanic shop for hybrid cars and trucks. The first to qualify as a Clean and Green business, Pat's Garage works with the San Francisco Department of Public Health as a model for automotive repair businesses that want to adopt environmentally friendly practices. Pat's Garage has been voted best car mechanic by the San Francisco Bay Guardian and its readers for the past three years running. Nick Rothman coordinates installation and customer support for Hymotion, the leading manufacturer of plug-in lithium batteries for PHEV conversion. A former auto technician specializing in Prius repair and maintenance, Nicholas has authored instruction manuals and developed service procedures concerning all aspects of automotive care. A graduate of Lewis and Clark College with a degree in foreign languages, Nicholas speaks fluent Japanese and French, talents that come in handy when the Green Gears crew goes to fancy restaurants and can’t read the menus. Contact Green Gears Clients and Partnerships PG&E Google Hymotion San Francisco City and County Los Angeles County Southern California Air Quality Board Sonoma County Water Board U.C. Riverside Aerovironment Our Blog For more up-to-date information check out these subjects on Nick's blog. Cost Savings Future Technologies Google How To News for consumers News for Fleet Managers Next Gear PHEV PHEV technical training Plug-in Conversions Plug-in Hybrid Technical stuff
JIM BAIRD / Union-Tribune	Pat Cadam (left) and Nick Rothman installed a lithium ion battery pack in the trunk of a Toyota Prius in San Diego yesterday to convert the standard hybrid to a plug-in vehicle.
Maybe the electric car isn't dead after all. Nearly four years after General Motors canceled its pioneering EV-1 program, pilot projects and commercial production of electric vehicles are gearing up in San Diego County and beyond. Read on...
Green Gears Converts Google's Hybrid Fleet June 15, 2007 See Pat and Nick install a Hymotion PHEV conversion system in this promotional video about Google.org's Climate Change Program aimed at accelerating the adoption of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and vehicle-to-grid V2G (vehicle to grid) applications. World's First PHEV Training Session February 10, 2007 Over a dozen professional automotive technicians from diverse backgrounds came to the world's first PHEV training session at Pat's Garage in San Francisco on February 10, 2007. See Calcars.org