Posts Tagged ‘Atlanta’

Auto-Mobi.info, July 22, 2010

While customers can already test drive the low-speed Wheego Whip at the Jim Ellis Saab Atlanta location at 5862 Peachtree Industrial Blvd, Jim Ellis Automotive Group is taking greater strides to provide low-emission, fuel efficient vehicles to the greater Atlanta area.

As the sole dealer of the Wheego Electric Cars, when the Wheego LiFe rolls out in September, Jim Ellis will be the first dealer in Atlanta to offer fully certified highway-speed fully electric vehicles for commercial and retail consumers.

“We want to become the auto dealer expert in this emerging technology,” says Jimmy Ellis, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Jim Ellis Automotive Group. “Jim Ellis is proud to have been chosen as the exclusive dealer in Atlanta GA for the Wheego car line of electric vehicles. This is an exciting development in our green initiative – promoting sustainable energy options while providing stylish, cutting-edge vehicles for our customers.”

However, the Ellis group has been quietly moving toward greener, more sustainable brands and vehicles for some time. Of course, the group began as a single Volkswagen dealership on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard in 1971, and VW has long been known for their clean diesel TDI brand. The high-demand Volkswagen Jetta TDI has been named the “Green car of the Year” for several years running.

The luxury Audi TDIs also win accolades for being fuel efficient, low-emmision cars and SUVs. Jim Ellis Audi Atlanta has been promoting the TDI’s sustainability via partnerships with other environmentally-conscious brands, such as the LEED certified Philps Arena and the Loews Hotel in Midtown.

With the addition of their new Buick GMC dealership in Buford, Georgia, the Jim Ellis dealerships have a total of three General Motors sales and service points. General Motors is already offering Hybrid and Flex fuel options of many of their trucks and SUVs, including models of the Chevrolet Tahoe, Silverado, the GMC Sierra and Yukon models. Of course, General Motors is also working on the much-anticipated Chevy Volt electric vehicle, too!

Earlier in 2010, the Ellis group opened a Mitsubishi dealership at their 1141 Cobb Parkway location in anticipation of the i-MiEV and other innovations coming from the manufacturer such as the 2013 Evolution IV, a hybrid model of the sporty Mitsubishi Lancer.

The Porsche Cayenne Hybrid will be available later this year, and other automotive manufacturers are also gearing up to produce and sell eco-friendly vehicle options.

In the weeks to come, the Jim Ellis Green initiative will be fully launched, including a searchable green inventory that isolates only the lower-emission, higher-mileage and alternative fuel options from among the inventories of all of the Jim Ellis dealerships.

About Jim Ellis Automotive Dealerships: The Jim Ellis Auto Dealerships are a family-owned and operated business with dealerships located in Atlanta and Marietta, Georgia. The Jim Ellis dealerships sell new cars from Audi, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Hyundai, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Saab, Wheego Electric Vehicles and Volkswagen, as well as a wide selection of used cars. To learn more, or to browse a complete inventory online, please visit the Jim Ellis Family website (http://www.jimellis.com).

Wheego was added to the ElectricOnWheels.com site, July 15, 2010

Wheego All Electric Car - Atlanta USA

NEWS RELEASE

ATLANTA (July 15,  2010) – WHEEGO ELECTRIC CARS, manufacturer of all-electric vehicles, today announced it has appointed Jim Ellis Auto Dealerships as its dealer throughout the Greater Atlanta, Georgia area.

“We are headquartered here in Atlanta,” said Wheego President Jeff Boyd, “so we are very familiar with the reputation of the local dealerships. In Atlanta, the Jim Ellis name is synonymous with excellent business practices and top-notch customer service. We are very pleased that Jim Ellis has chosen Wheego Electric Cars as part of their portfolio as they launch Georgia’s preeminent Electric Vehicle dealership.

“Wheego Electric Cars is about to beat all the major auto manufacturers to market with an affordable all-electric car,” said Jim Ellis Auto’s COO, Jimmy Ellis. “We will launch our EV initiative with the Wheego Whip LSV, a low-speed all-electric car that is particularly suitable to neighborhood driving and fleet usage. Customers can take the low-speed car for a test drive at our dealership in July and get a sense of the engineering, styling and overall quality of the Wheego brand… and, they can also reserve the first highway speed, crash tested, all electric car on the Wheego website for delivery beginning in September. When Wheego rolls out the highway version, called the LiFe, we’ll also have the car available at our dealership for our Atlanta area customers to test drive. It’s a great fit for anyone who commutes under 50 miles each way because you can drive the car 100 miles on a charge; and, then, just as easy as a cell phone, you can plug it in every night to recharge. You’ll zip right by the gas station every day. Plus, you can drive this car in the HOV lane in Georgia by yourself.”

The highway-ready Wheego LiFe goes approximately 100 miles on a charge, and retails for $32,995. The Wheego LiFe qualifies for a $7,500 Federal tax credit, and a $5,000 Georgia state tax credit, dropping the effective net price in Georgia to under $21,000. In addition, Georgia drivers will be able to drive the Wheego LiFe in the HOV lane (with no additional passenger in the car) by obtaining an alternate fuel vehicle license plate.

The Wheego LiFe comes fully-equipped with driver and passenger airbags, anti-lock brakes, air conditioning, and power windows and locks. The 115V lithium battery pack can be charged from a standard 120V outlet, a 240V outlet or any of the J1772 standard charging stations being installed in public locations throughout the US. It is available in red, white, blue, black, silver, and green. The Wheego Whip LiFe is a two-seat subcompact car with fit, finish and features that compete with any other subcompact car on the market. 

Atlanta drivers can reserve a Wheego LiFe by visiting www.wheego.net and making a fully refundable $100 deposit. The highway-ready LiFe will be available through Jim Ellis Auto Dealerships beginning in September. For more information or to locate a Jim Ellis dealership, visit http://www.jimelliswheeego.com.

About Jim Ellis Auto Dealerships

Jim Ellis is a family-owned business with twelve sales and service locations and almost 40 years’ experience in the Atlanta area. Jim Ellis was honored in 2008 as Time Magazine’s Dealer of the Year, and has won the Consumer’s Choice award for Business Excellence for the past six years. For more information about Jim Ellis Auto Dealerships, visit the company website at www.jimellis.com.

About Wheego Electric Cars

Wheego Electric Cars is an innovation-driven and environmentally-conscious manufacturer of Electric Vehicles (EVs).  Under the leadership of Mike McQuary, CEO and former MindSpring entrepreneur, Wheego Electric Cars has become a leader in the integration of advanced technology components.  Wheego Electric Cars is one of the first EV companies to deliver affordable fully capable, street legal all-electric cars for everyday consumer use. The Wheego line of electric vehicles is emission-free, making them an ideal choice for consumers and businesses who want to reduce their carbon footprint. Wheego is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The cars are assembled in Ontario, California.

For more information about Wheego, and to view the list of Wheego dealers, visit the company website at http://wheego.net

Go To Wheego Website

ATLANTA (July 15,  2010) – WHEEGO ELECTRIC CARS, manufacturer of all-electric vehicles, today announced it has appointed Jim Ellis Auto Dealerships as its dealer throughout the Greater Atlanta, Georgia area.

“We are headquartered here in Atlanta,” said Wheego President Jeff Boyd, “so we are very familiar with the reputation of the local dealerships. In Atlanta, the Jim Ellis name is synonymous with excellent business practices and top-notch customer service. We are very pleased that Jim Ellis has chosen Wheego Electric Cars as part of their portfolio as they launch Georgia’s preeminent Electric Vehicle dealership.

“Wheego Electric Cars is about to beat all the major auto manufacturers to market with an affordable all-electric car,” said Jim Ellis Auto’s COO, Jimmy Ellis. “We will launch our EV initiative with the Wheego Whip LSV, a low-speed all-electric car that is particularly suitable to neighborhood driving and fleet usage. Customers can take the low-speed car for a test drive at our dealership in July and get a sense of the engineering, styling and overall quality of the Wheego brand… and, they can also reserve the first highway speed, crash tested, all electric car on the Wheego website for delivery beginning in September. When Wheego rolls out the highway version, called the LiFe, we’ll also have the car available at our dealership for our Atlanta area customers to test drive. It’s a great fit for anyone who commutes under 50 miles each way because you can drive the car 100 miles on a charge; and, then, just as easy as a cell phone, you can plug it in every night to recharge. You’ll zip right by the gas station every day. Plus, you can drive this car in the HOV lane in Georgia by yourself.”

The highway-ready Wheego LiFe goes approximately 100 miles on a charge, and retails for $32,995. The Wheego LiFe qualifies for a $7,500 Federal tax credit, and a $5,000 Georgia state tax credit, dropping the effective net price in Georgia to under $21,000. In addition, Georgia drivers will be able to drive the Wheego LiFe in the HOV lane (with no additional passenger in the car) by obtaining an alternate fuel vehicle license plate.

The Wheego LiFe comes fully-equipped with driver and passenger airbags, anti-lock brakes, air conditioning, and power windows and locks. The 115V lithium battery pack can be charged from a standard 120V outlet, a 240V outlet or any of the J1772 standard charging stations being installed in public locations throughout the US. It is available in red, white, blue, black, silver, and green. The Wheego Whip LiFe is a two-seat subcompact car with fit, finish and features that compete with any other subcompact car on the market. 

Atlanta drivers can reserve a Wheego LiFe by visiting www.wheego.net and making a fully refundable $100 deposit. The highway-ready LiFe will be available through Jim Ellis Auto Dealerships beginning in September. For more information or to locate a Jim Ellis dealership, visit http://www.jimelliswheeego.com.

About Jim Ellis Auto Dealerships

Jim Ellis is a family-owned business with twelve sales and service locations and almost 40 years’ experience in the Atlanta area. Jim Ellis was honored in 2008 as Time Magazine’s Dealer of the Year, and has won the Consumer’s Choice award for Business Excellence for the past six years. For more information about Jim Ellis Auto Dealerships, visit the company website at www.jimellis.com.

About Wheego Electric Cars

Wheego Electric Cars is an innovation-driven and environmentally-conscious manufacturer of Electric Vehicles (EVs).  Under the leadership of Mike McQuary, CEO and former MindSpring entrepreneur, Wheego Electric Cars has become a leader in the integration of advanced technology components.  Wheego Electric Cars is one of the first EV companies to deliver affordable fully capable, street legal all-electric cars for everyday consumer use. The Wheego line of electric vehicles is emission-free, making them an ideal choice for consumers and businesses who want to reduce their carbon footprint. Wheego is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The cars are assembled in Ontario, California.

For more information about Wheego, and to view the list of Wheego dealers, visit the company website at www.wheego.net.

by Jim Motavalli for bNet, July 9, 2010

Why should predictions be restricted to the end of the year? I make them all the time, and this is such an interesting crossroads for the auto industry that I’d like to offer some now for 2011, right here in the dog days of summer:

1. A Slow Start. Although Ford, Chevrolet, Tesla, Fisker, Coda, Nissan, Wheego, Think and many more are preparing new battery and plug-in hybrid cars for late this year and early next, a manufacturer that sells 10,000 of any of these cars should count itself lucky. EVs are a really new concept for people, and there will be a lot more tire-kicking than contract-signing.
2. Zip Code Rules. As I reported earlier this week, sales will be concentrated in California. But it’s more than that – early EVs for 2011 will be expensive, so they’ll be heavily represented in certain affluent zip codes on both coasts. Praveen Mandal, president of charging company Coulomb, calls this “clustering.” That is one of many challenges that utilities have to face as they try to figure out how to build out the grid to accommodate EVs. Scott Simons of the Detroit-area DTE Energy told me that his company is working with automakers to try and identify those neighborhoods and beef up infrastructure there with bigger substations and more.
3. Winners and Losers. The entry market strongly favors established players, and they’ll be the ones that will see the most action in 2011. Nissan, for example, has huge built-in advantages in promoting its Leaf battery car. These include a name recognition, a national dealer network and money to pay for TV advertising. Chevrolet has the same for the Volt “range extender,” and Ford for its electric version of the Focus. Newcomers like Think, Coda and Wheego will have credible cars, but they’ll really have to be clever about the guerrilla marketing and publicity to get their voices heard.
4. Subsidies Matter. Many states are now offering tax incentives for EVs, but California rules with a $5,000 cash rebate (that could run out quickly). By offsetting steep purchase prices, these credits will really make a difference. A Nissan Leaf for $20,000 instead of $32,000? Yes, but only in California. EV sales could take off past 10,000 per carmaker if the feds pass pending legislation called the Electric Vehicle Deployment Act of 2010, which has bipartisan support. In the wake of President Obama’s appearance at the Smith Electric Vehicle plant in Missouri this week, the Electrification Coalition’s Robbie Diamond pointed out that Obama has said he would sign it, but “now is the time to move that legislation forward.” The bill would give EV buyers in select “deployment communities” incentives worth up to $10,000.
5. “Range Anxiety” Will Fade. The fear that EVs will run out of juice halfway home will keep a lot of people from buying them in the first half of 2011, but such nail biting will evaporate in the third and fourth quarters. Few people really need more than 100 miles of range –- they just think they do. Good word of mouth from EV early adopters should clear that up.
6. Cities Will Lag in Setting up Charging Networks. I went searching for a Manhattan-based EV plug-in, but found only one. The bigger the city, the longer this will take, especially in the early days of 2011. Although EVs are really more city than suburban cars, charging them will be a headache in New York, Chicago and other cities where space is at a premium and most people live in apartments. Los Angeles? The city is already set up for cars, and so gung-ho about EVs they’ll find a way to get ‘em plugged in.

Jim Motavalli is the author of Forward Drive: The Race to Build Clean Cars for the Future, among other books. He has been covering the environmental side of the auto industry for more than a decade, and writes regularly on those topics for the New York Times.

July 7, 2010  Atlanta Business Radio invited Wheego VP-Marketing Les Seagraves to guest on their show:

Listen in here!

The all-electric Wheego Whip LSV is available on the General Services Administration Schedule 23 for Low Speed Vehicles (LSVs).

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) June 29, 2010 — WHEEGO ELECTRIC CARS today announced the Wheego Whip LSV is available on the General Services Administration Schedule 23 for Low Speed Vehicles (LSVs).

The GSA contract facilitates Wheego Electric Cars selling LSVs to Federal Agencies, affiliated companies and military installations across the U.S.

“The Wheego Whip LSV is an excellent choice for government fleets,” explains Wheego President Jeff Boyd. “It is one of the few all-electric vehicles on the GSA schedule that is a ‘real’ car and not a golf cart. It is street-legal, with an all-steel body, enclosed cabin, heater and radio, plus available air conditioning. It’s all-electric and produces zero emissions, so it will help government agencies meet their federally mandated energy conservation goals. We anticipate our highway-speed car, the Wheego LiFe, will be added to the GSA Schedule after it launches in the U.S. in September.”

Executive Order 13423 – “Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management,” signed by former President George W. Bush, mandates that federal agencies (a) improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions of the agency, through reduction of energy intensity by (i) 3 percent annually through the end of fiscal year 2015, or (ii) 30 percent by the end of fiscal year 2015, relative to the baseline of the agency’s energy use in fiscal year 2003.

The initial Wheego offering is the Whip LSV, which is available now. The Whip LSV is an all-electric low speed vehicle which can be driven on roads with posted speed limits of 35 miles per hour or less, including streets on military bases across the U.S. The Wheego Whip LSV is now listed on GSA Schedule 23 for LSV’s under contract number GS-30F-0036W.

The next Wheego offering, the Lithium-based full-speed Wheego LiFe, will begin shipping to customers across the U.S. in September. It will go approximately 100 miles on a charge, and will be fully crash-tested and highway-ready. Wheego is taking reservations for the Wheego LiFe now at Wheego.net.

About Wheego Electric Cars
Wheego Electric Cars is an innovation-driven and environmentally-conscious manufacturer of Electric Vehicles (EVs). Under the leadership of Mike McQuary, CEO and former MindSpring entrepreneur, Wheego Electric Cars has become a leader in the integration of advanced technology components. Wheego Electric Cars is one of the first EV companies to deliver affordable fully capable, street legal all-electric cars for everyday consumer use.

The Wheego all-electric cars are sold through a nationwide dealer network. Dealers interested in representing the Wheego brand should contact Jeff Boyd at jboyd(at)wheego(dot)net.

For more information about Wheego, visit the company website at www.wheego.net.

###