Richard W. Marks is the President of EnVironmental Transportation Solutions, LLC (EVTSolutions, LLC) and has 36 years of experience in automotive. He worked 25 years for General Motors, 5 years were on the EV1 electric vehicle program and conversion vehicles to electric. He left GM believing he was more committed to this disruptive technology than GM. He initiated a major program to look at more affordable EV’s by doing conversion of current gas vehicles to electric in GM’s plants. He started with the Chevy S-10 pickup and as soon as management accepted the proof of concept electric S-10 prototype, he was moved to other conversion projects. His team worked on 6 conversions on 3 continents. They explored doing a Geo Prism conversion with Toyota in Fremont, CA. They worked on a Geo Tracker 4dr with Suzuki in Ingersol, CN. And lastly they worked on the small “Chevy” (Opel Corsa) being built in Mexico. He worked with Opel in Germany and with some of their suppliers. Each project resulted in a demo vehicle built and tested, but each was rejected by management without reason. He had a great opportunity to work with and evaluate many different conversions being built in the mid-90’s. He offered OEM perspective to the EVAmerica Technical Specs developed to create safe EV Conversions for commercial fleets. At that point he left GM.
He then worked for two Tier 1 suppliers for 6 years, but left to form his own electric vehicle consulting company. For the last 5 and half years he has worked on EcoV Electric and built several prototypes. Since 2005, he has put together his team and aggressively gone after funding to start the enterprise. The investor community in Michigan has shown zero interest in transportation products or in manufacturing. He continues to pursue all avenues to get his company started including using a Direct Public Offering.
EVTSolutions, LLC develops and markets an urban based electric Low Speed Vehicle (LSV), using an established world-class manufacturing partner based in Detroit. The management team consists of 7 automobile executives with successful start-up and entrepreneurial skills. EcoV Electric is a 25 mph street legal LSV that is road worthy with automotive ride, comfort, and reliability while offering a very safe driving experience on public roads. Marks says, “We are changing the paradigm on LSV’s from the original dual purpose vehicle used to play golf in and ride on restricted access public roads, to EcoV, as daily driver on all public roads 35mph and slower and feel safe and comfortable.
EcoV is fun and friendly, practical, and easy on the budget. No emissions, noise, odors, no CO2 released, no more trips to the gas station and nearly maintenance free. EcoV is a road-worthy commercial fleet vehicle for under $10,000. Later after commercial validation, the sales will shift to the retail private owner market. For 50 cents of electricity, you are recharged and ready to go 25-40 miles. With solar charging you have a zero carbon footprint. Unlike most green technologies, EcoV pays you to be green.
Marks is currently completing an EV conversion on 1997 Cavalier. He is writing a book to capture all of his experiences with EV conversions, GM and with EcoV. The book focuses on two primary areas that seem to be missing in most current books and in most conversions; safety including High Voltage and vehicle safety and reliability. With his extensive OEM engineering experiences at GM and with Tier 1 suppliers in the design, development, and validation of many production vehicles and products, he brings experiences and knowledge not widely held by most in the conversion activity. The book will be called “The Converter’s Guide to the Galaxy and EV Conversions.” The book will look at all issues involved in the conversion of existing gas vehicles to electric. He also writes about doing the Cavalier as an example of those best practices. He reviews the parts he used with pictures of the application.
His purpose is not to dictate how anyone should do their conversion, but to arm these converters with facts and data that will provide an understanding of the consequences for each and every decision they make in their conversions.His larger purpose is to work with the Electric Automobile Association ( www.EAAEV.org and www.MichiganEAA.org ) to create a set of standards for safe and reliable EV conversions. This is missing and is needed to improve the quality of EV Conversions being built today, particularly as more and more desire to convert vehicles is being pushed by the increasing price of gasoline (today at $4.09/gal and $127/barrel).
Marks is eager to provide and share insight into all of these issues. He is confident in his knowledge as is a teacher in front of his students. He is not arrogant, as he is sometimes accused by those not willing to understand a different view point based on vast OEM type experiences. Doing your conversion better and safer is not a significantly greater cost, but it does require new knowledge and willingness to understand and apply it. The EV Conversion world is changing daily and new ways, products and ideas will appear as well. He welcomes all of your suggestions and ideas to improve conversions.
He then worked for two Tier 1 suppliers for 6 years, but left to form his own electric vehicle consulting company. For the last 5 and half years he has worked on EcoV Electric and built several prototypes. Since 2005, he has put together his team and aggressively gone after funding to start the enterprise. The investor community in Michigan has shown zero interest in transportation products or in manufacturing. He continues to pursue all avenues to get his company started including using a Direct Public Offering.
EVTSolutions, LLC develops and markets an urban based electric Low Speed Vehicle (LSV), using an established world-class manufacturing partner based in Detroit. The management team consists of 7 automobile executives with successful start-up and entrepreneurial skills. EcoV Electric is a 25 mph street legal LSV that is road worthy with automotive ride, comfort, and reliability while offering a very safe driving experience on public roads. Marks says, “We are changing the paradigm on LSV’s from the original dual purpose vehicle used to play golf in and ride on restricted access public roads, to EcoV, as daily driver on all public roads 35mph and slower and feel safe and comfortable.
EcoV is fun and friendly, practical, and easy on the budget. No emissions, noise, odors, no CO2 released, no more trips to the gas station and nearly maintenance free. EcoV is a road-worthy commercial fleet vehicle for under $10,000. Later after commercial validation, the sales will shift to the retail private owner market. For 50 cents of electricity, you are recharged and ready to go 25-40 miles. With solar charging you have a zero carbon footprint. Unlike most green technologies, EcoV pays you to be green.
Marks is currently completing an EV conversion on 1997 Cavalier. He is writing a book to capture all of his experiences with EV conversions, GM and with EcoV. The book focuses on two primary areas that seem to be missing in most current books and in most conversions; safety including High Voltage and vehicle safety and reliability. With his extensive OEM engineering experiences at GM and with Tier 1 suppliers in the design, development, and validation of many production vehicles and products, he brings experiences and knowledge not widely held by most in the conversion activity. The book will be called “The Converter’s Guide to the Galaxy and EV Conversions.” The book will look at all issues involved in the conversion of existing gas vehicles to electric. He also writes about doing the Cavalier as an example of those best practices. He reviews the parts he used with pictures of the application.
His purpose is not to dictate how anyone should do their conversion, but to arm these converters with facts and data that will provide an understanding of the consequences for each and every decision they make in their conversions.His larger purpose is to work with the Electric Automobile Association ( www.EAAEV.org and www.MichiganEAA.org ) to create a set of standards for safe and reliable EV conversions. This is missing and is needed to improve the quality of EV Conversions being built today, particularly as more and more desire to convert vehicles is being pushed by the increasing price of gasoline (today at $4.09/gal and $127/barrel).
Marks is eager to provide and share insight into all of these issues. He is confident in his knowledge as is a teacher in front of his students. He is not arrogant, as he is sometimes accused by those not willing to understand a different view point based on vast OEM type experiences. Doing your conversion better and safer is not a significantly greater cost, but it does require new knowledge and willingness to understand and apply it. The EV Conversion world is changing daily and new ways, products and ideas will appear as well. He welcomes all of your suggestions and ideas to improve conversions.
