fayfreethinkers.com

Putting together a press release for the store. Any feedback/critiques would be appreciated:

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[...] Henschell’s Scooters LLC
685 E. Huntsville Rd.
Fayetteville, AR 72701
479-601-5102
hscooters@yahoo.com

Electric Transportation Now an Option in N.W.A.

FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS. – JUNE 12, 2006

A new business selling electric vehicles has just opened in Fayetteville. Residents of N.W.A. now have an opportunity to drive a vehicle around town without burning gas or emitting fumes.

Local resident Darrel Henschell recently opened “Henschell’s Scooters”, Arkansas’s first E-Max electric scooter dealership. Darrel has been in business servicing and tuning pianos in this area for 15 years, but has long been interested in electric vehicles and the quiet efficiency they provide.

These electric scooters look almost identical to their gas cousins, yet if you look carefully you will see there is no exhaust pipe or gas tank. Hidden within are the newly developed silicon batteries that power it. Instead of going to a gas station to fuel up, you simply connect the scooter to any standard electric outlet. Henschell is even providing his customers one year of free charge-ups at his store as part of the deal.

How long does it take to charge? The company claims an 80% charge in about 1.5 hours with two chargers. But how far can you travel on a charge? Henschell’s son, Taylor (age 15), did a test with his electric scooter and made it 37 miles. While doing this test Taylor cruised into school on empty and needed to charge up to get home. When the principal balked about using the school’s taxpayer funded electricity, Taylor offered to pay the 25 cents worth of electricity he would need.

Twenty-five cents? It’s true, Henschell metered it himself. Converted to miles per gallon (at present rates), if a quarter takes you 37 miles down the road, this works out to about 400 miles to the gallon.

With high fuel costs, it may be time to consider alternatives to using a two ton vehicle for around town trips. Now, as the interest in more efficient vehicles is increasing the option of electric transportation is looking more promising than ever.

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If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Darrel Henschell contact him at 479-601-5102 or email hscooters@yahoo.com

Darrel wrote:Twenty-five cents? It’s true, Henschell metered it himself. Converted to miles per gallon (at present rates), if a quarter takes you 37 miles down the road, this works out to about 400 miles to the gallon.

First, an anal tip from an anal writer: avoid using the second person (i.e. "you") in formal writing.

I would consider changing that to the following:

Thirty-seven miles on twenty-five cents? It’s true, Henschell metered it himself. Calculating based on current gasoline prices, the cost equivalent is 400 miles per gallon.

Or maybe:

Thirty-seven miles on twenty-five cents? It’s true, Henschell metered it himself. Calculating based on current gasoline prices, this saves as much in fuel expenses as having a vehicle that gets 400 miles per gallon.

Discuss.

Good point, I'll go with your first suggestion.

Betsy also suggested switching the first sentence with the second, which seems rather obvious after it is pointed out.

D.

Darrel wrote:Good point, I'll go with your first suggestion.

Feel free to alter that as you see fit, of course.

congratulations!

i still think you should do a delivery thing for seniors or something for "advertising" and raising awareness. if i didn't require a steel chasis, i'd get one (when i win the lottery) in a flash.

a blue one. with flames on the side. and maybe streamers...

Darrel, would the E-Max standard (not sport) model be able to take me up the Cleveland street hill (i.e. Sang to Oliver)?

mole wrote:if i didn't require a steel chasis, i'd get one (when i win the lottery) in a flash.

DOUG
Any particular reason that you require a steel chassis? You want to put refrigerator magnets on it?

mole wrote:congratulations!

i still think you should do a delivery thing for seniors or something for "advertising" and raising awareness.

DAR
I plan to do a media blitz via the press release this coming week. Trouble is, according to a bulletin I just received, these new silicon batteries used in the scooter just passed some independent tests showing they really do last longer and aren't very hampered by temperature so the military is snapping them up, exceeding the ability of the battery company to make them. Thus there will be a 60 day delay before I can get more scooters.

MOLE
if i didn't require a steel chasis, i'd get one (when i win the lottery) in a flash.

DAR
I assure you the E-max (and even the little Pukka) have a steel chassis. In fact, they started with a standard gas scooter steel chassis and beefed it up with extra steel so it could support the extra battery weight and a couple hundred pounds of passengers.

HOGEYE
Darrel, would the E-Max standard (not sport) model be able to take me up the Cleveland street hill (i.e. Sang to Oliver)?

DAR
Ooooh, if that is the one I am thinking of, it is indeed a doozy. Yes, I think it would. The E-max is supposed to be able to handle (start from a stop) on a 18% grade. I suspect that street is steeper than that and it is pretty long too. I have been trying to find a map for the area that shows road grades. I have read that the Sport 2,000 watt motor is about equivalent to a 5 horse engine. Another fellow did some calculations and came up with 3.8 hp or so. The standard model (1,500 watt) may have about 1/3 less than that. That is not an incredible amount of power to pull a 265lb scooter plus a 150-175lb person up such a steep long hill. It might do it at 10 mph or something. But do come by and take one for a ride and test it on some hills. I just missed you the other day when you came by.

But, as with a bicycle, I would avoid such a hill if your goal is to commute around (rather than just doing a power test). Owners report that as they ride longer they learn methods to increase their range. This means using discretion with regard to long very steep hills. There are lots of ways to avoid them. A hill like that will kick your batteries ass (just as if I was riding a bicycle up that hill I would promptly throw-up at the top and be exhausted for quite a while).

As I have been telling people, we are so oblivious to how much power we generally use and waste with our vehicles. We sit in our giant steel boxes and push buttons and our engines with hundreds of horse power propel us around as if hills don't exist. When you first get on a bicycle in your neighborhood you suddenly notice the hills, both going up and going down. "Where did this hill come from!"

Riding around in a vehicle with 5hp or so will make you cognizant of hills. It will slow down. For guys zipping around and wanting to keep up better, I recommend the sport model. But take them both for a ride and see for yourself. I took the speed limiter off of a Sport today (some states require a 28 speed limit for scooter class, Arkansas doesn't). It sure was nice zipping along at 35 mph rather than 28. A fellow with a chinese gas scooter came by and we had a race. The sport blew him away. I think a standard would have taken him although perhaps not at top speed up a hill.

D.

Hey Darrel, I passed by your shop today! Very impressive! You have a REAL SHOP! And a big sign!

When I'm riding my (gas) scooter, I try to avoid big major hills. Sometimes I go up North Street and people behind me get kind of impatient when I slow down to 15 mph at the steepest part.

Nice picture!

Betsy wrote:Hey Darrel, I passed by your shop today! Very impressive! You have a REAL SHOP! And a big sign!

DAR
Darn straight, you must come by sometime and try an electric ride.

When I'm riding my (gas) scooter, I try to avoid big major hills. Sometimes I go up North Street and people behind me get kind of impatient when I slow down to 15 mph at the steepest part.

DAR
Yes, these efficient low powered vehicles do make you aware of hills. You have a right to be on the road and to travel at up to 15 miles below the posted speed limit. Sometimes people need to just slow down.
My scooters all have a turbo button. You must get one of those add to yours.

Nice picture!

DAR
Thanks. It is best to never fool around and perhaps fall off of your scooter. We took several pictures and I looked weird all of them except for that one.

Just kidding!

D.



Tamara's first riding lesson. Look at her good posture. Her yoga teacher would be proud:



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HOGEYE
Darrel, would the E-Max standard (not sport) model be able to take me up the Cleveland street hill (i.e. Sang to Oliver)?

DAR
Okay, I can now answer this question scientifically. Last night I tried it with our yellow standard. I made it up the first part of the hill at 20, got up to 25-27 on the middle part and then got right down to 5 mph half way up the long steep part. Then I had to help a bit with my leg. I did this for awhile and then felt sorry it and just short of the top turned around. So no. There is a grade it is just not geared for.
Better. I went to the bottom, took a left on Sang and had a nice ride around the hill. Lots of nice hills and I could take them all at least 20. Plus, inertia is a wonderful thing. Getting a run at a short steep hill helps a lot. You can zip right over it. So this took me right around to Oliver.

D.


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