Carbon Motors : Blog

The Real Deal.

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

In the last few days I have been asked to comment on the announcements by two of Detroit’s legacy retail automakers regarding their ‘new police car entrants’.

First and foremost, we welcome and applaud each and every effort that will help better protect our neighborhoods and improve the safety of our 840,000 brave women and men who put a badge a law enforcement uniform everyday. But inevitably, some of those efforts will fall short from what the true mission requires.

Carbon Motors is focused on securing our country with an environmentally responsible, purpose-built, homeland security platform: a patrol vehicle that will provide unparalleled safety, superior performance, and lowering operating costs. And we’re going to create thousands of new green American jobs in the process. After working with more than 3,500 law enforcement professionals from all 50 States to design the Carbon Motors E7 we’ve learned that a retail passenger car, retrofitted to look and sound like a patrol car typically meet less than 20% of the true law enforcement operating requirements. The Carbon E7 meets 97% of those requirements.

While it may not be my place to determine the right answer for our country, I can tell you where the answer to that question will be found.

The answer will be found on the test track, at the annual city budget review, it will be found at the fuel pump, and the service shop. It will be found on the factory floor on U.S. soil, at the crash test barrier, and during the vehicle decommissioning process.

It will be found during a high-speed chase, in a straight line or on a twisty road. It will be found at a crash scene and during a rollover. It will be found at the worker’s compensation review, during the audit of routine maintenance, and during the vehicle uptime review. It will be found during the carbon footprint audit.

It will be found when something goes wrong and how customer service handles the issue. It will be found during the officer recruiting and retention process. And it will be found in the classroom. It will be found during training and during the protection of a high value target. It will be found at the scene of a natural disaster and most unfortunately during a terrorist attack.

These are serious times and a serious mission requires a serious product. Our law enforcement officers deserve and require world-class equipment, just as our troops overseas have, to keep America safe from every possible threat, including domestic terrorism. I ask you to stand with us at Carbon Motors and unite for a common cause. Demand that our first responders be treated with the respect and dignity they have earned and deserve, and that they be given the appropriate equipment to protect and secure our homeland. The Carbon E7 is the Machine that can accomplish the true mission. It is the real deal.

10.2% Nationwide Unemployment.

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

With the release of the U.S. Department of Labor jobs data last Friday, November 6th 2009 marked a couple of ominous milestones that distressed most Americans, even those with a job. These have raised serious alarm bells for the Congress and the Administration:

• The October jobless rate hit double-digits – 10.2% for the first time since 1983.

• 15.7 million Americans are out of work (that doesn’t include workers who’ve given up looking for work, or those who taken part-time jobs because they can’t find full-time work).

• October marked the 22nd straight month in which the U.S. economy lost jobs, the longest string of job-loss months in 70 years.

The Congress and the President acted quickly to extend another 20 weeks of jobless benefits for those Americans whose benefits have expired. It also led to calls in Washington for new investments in infrastructure, even another round of stimulus spending. But even those Americans who are working worry they won’t have a job next week, or next month.

Americans need more than just signs that better days are ahead and that the U.S. economy will generate new, good-paying jobs. Signs are not good enough these days. People are tired of statistics, unemployment figures, bailout numbers, ballooning deficits – people want results. No ifs, ands, or buts. Period.

Carbon Motors can’t solve America’s national unemployment problem, but we do want to do our part and we have a plan for Connersville, Indiana in Fayette County – a county experiencing in excess of 16% unemployment. Carbon Motors is going to build the new, highly fuel-efficient E7 patrol vehicle in Connersville, and create 10,000 direct and indirect new green American jobs of national importance. The E7 is an environmentally responsible patrol vehicle designed by police officers, for police officers – built by Americans for Americans.

Did you know that the 450,000 law enforcement patrol vehicles across this country were not actually manufactured in the USA? Those jobs without question belong on U.S. soil.

Realization of the plan, though, involves the support of many. The City of Connersville, Fayette County, and the State of Indiana have bent over backwards to provide substantial support to Carbon Motors and now we turn to the federal authorities to provide the last building block. That key is held by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through a loan program designed to foster investment in new green technologies – the ATVM loan program. Once approved, it is a loan we will repay with interest – so that the next new innovative industrial firm can make additional positive impact on our country.

We are working through the process with DOE and we appreciate their kind and gracious attention to this important matter. Since the application meets or exceed all legal, business, and technical requirements, will bring thousands of new American jobs to a refurbished brownfield facility, and will address countless interagency issues, we are confident that the loan will be approved soon.

We are convinced that the DOE and the Administration will agree that expediting the production of the Carbon E7 is not only a much needed investment in America’s green future and homeland security infrastructure but it is in the socioeconomic and national security interests of the United States of America to do so. There are 10,000 people in Connersville and 840,000 law enforcement first responders across this country in every congressional district waiting for the green light – ready to get to work!

The Carbon Council at Work!

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The look and feel of Carbon’s E7 really began taking shape in the summer of 2007. The design team at Carbon Motors worked feverishly on refining the vehicle’s exterior appearance and subsequently moved to cockpit layout and interior ergonomics. It was during this time that the Carbon Council swung into action for their first hands-on experience in purpose-built design.

Among those who participated were Captain Matt Libby of the Port Wentworth (GA) Police Department, and Sergeant Powell Harrelson of the Pooler (GA) Police Department. Capt. Libby and Sgt Harrelson translated their many years of experience behind the wheel of a patrol vehicle into extremely useful data that helped sculpt the officer-centric interior.

During the process, members of the South East Traffic Enforcement Network of the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety gathered every possible type of patrol car in use today for a comprehensive overview of what is being done today. We discussed what could be done to vastly improve officer safety, ergonomics and officer comfort. And then the officers sat in foam package models (one to one interior scale models) along the way to polish and fine-tune the ideal working environment. I mean let’s face it – nobody likes an encounter with a grumpy officer, so let’s make them as safe, happy and comfortable as possible, right?

The result of all of this hard work is, of course, Carbon’s running prototype of the E7 machine that is currently headed to Boston to wrap up this year’s Pure Justice Tour around the United States (now over 45 tour stops to date!). Capt. Libby and Sgt. Harrelson recently caught up with The Machine in Denver, Colorado at the 116th Annual International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference and Exposition. It was an exciting and rewarding experience to share in their moments of reflection. And like so many before and after them whose fingerprints shroud the E7, Carbon’s first Signature Series shirt is dedicated to you!

Pure Justice Tour to Hit Boston!

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The Carbon E7 will be coming to the Boston area on Tuesday, November 10, 2009. The tour stop is being hosted by the Massachusetts State Police and will be open to the public 1:00pm – 4:00pm.

Massachusetts State Police
Fleet Administration Section
490 Worcester Road
Framingham, MA 01702

Looking forward to seeing you there!

11 MPG. You Are Kidding, Right?

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

As you know, our motto has been “Designed by Law Enforcement, For Law Enforcement” and with our announcement of calling Connersville, Indiana home we’ll add “Built by Americans for Americans!”

Well, the “Designed by Law Enforcement” bit has very much to do with the over 3,500 Carbon Council members from all 50 US States that have volunteered their time, their opinions, their help, and their support to make sure the Carbon E7 is The Machine it is meant to be. As part of our loan application with U.S. Department of Energy under the provisions of Section 136 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, we asked the Carbon Council to provide us some real world data on their actual fuel economy experiences.

As you might imagine, most officers don’t necessarily drive like civilians. The driving pattern sometimes looks like “idle idle idle idle idle idle idle (do this for a couple of hours) then WIDE OPEN THROTTLE then idle idle idle idle……well you get the picture!).

So what was the bottom line average fuel economy? Remember the country has over 450,000 retail passenger cars retrofitted to be police cars that secure our communities across the country.

11 MILES PER GALLON (ELEVEN) – that is not a typo

This is the largest most visible government fleet in our country and in this day in age (it is almost the year 2010) we cannot possibly find this acceptable anywhere in our country. To that end, we are confident that the Obama Administration will seek to lead by example in this arena and drive for a much more fuel efficient fleet of vehicles that secure our homeland.

11 MILES PER GALLON. We have to fix this….now!

MEMO: the nation’s law enforcement fleet consumes an estimated 1.5 billion gallons of gasoline and emits over 14 million tons of CO2 annually; the Carbon E7 will cut that by up to 40%.

Why We Do This

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

I found myself chatting with a young lady during our Pure Justice Tour stop in Phoenix, Arizona yesterday and I am compelled to relay the story to each of you. Her name is Sherry and she shared with me how she became involved in law enforcement – it was through her younger brother, Rob.

Sherry was already ten years old when Rob was born and she remembered playing with him as a baby and proudly helping her mother take care of him and as he grew up. She spoke of his character and his fun and gentle nature – he was, of course, her baby brother. These were obviously very fond memories she held near to her heart.

As Rob entered into adulthood, he found his calling in law enforcement as a police officer with the Chandler (AZ) Police Department. Like any family member would be, Sherry was aware of the inherent dangers of law enforcement. But she supported her brother’s decision and admired him for his courage and his resolve to serve his community.

On one very bad day in June of 2002, Rob ended his watch while responding to a call to assist another officer. Rob’s patrol car was struck by an inattentive driver, causing 38 inches of intrusion into the cabin of his vehicle. Although he suffered no major injuries from the impact, he was rendered unconscious and his lower limbs were pinned in the vehicle. Rescue workers worked to free him, but efforts were called off due to the flames engulfing his car. The last of the rescuers had to be physically pulled off of Rob narrowly escaping the explosion that claimed Rob’s life.

When faced with a family member who has lived through such a tragedy, one cannot help but to be moved by the sacrifices made by the officers, deputies and agents of our nation’s law enforcement first responders. It is infinitely more touching, and incredibly humbling, when they take time out of their schedules just to get a glimpse of what’s in store for the future of law enforcement and to thank you for the work you are doing on behalf of those still on the job – those who leave their homes and families day in and day out, not knowing if they will return.

Sherry presented me with a challenge coin that she had made in her brother’s honor. I began collecting this type of law enforcement memorabilia since we began the Tour in October of 2008, but I must say that this is now my most cherished one. My daughter made my first challenge coin display book and gave it to me as a gift last Christmas. I can’t wait to get home and share Officer Rob Neilson’s story with her as we place his coin in the number one slot in my book. It will help me to better explain to her why we do this.

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Returning to Our Roots

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Most people are probably unaware that Carbon Motors was originally founded in Los Angeles, California. For the first couple of years, the Carbon team conducted its market research from a small office in Westwood, where the list of now over 100 requirements for law enforcement vehicles began to take shape.

Many of the details surrounding vehicle design, the corporate structure and the team we intended to recruit were discussed over breakfast at Good Stuff in Hermosa Beach, lunch at Wahoo’s in Manhattan Beach and a couple of late night ventures into The Kettle (thank you for the round-the-clock service!). Every now and again we would let our hair down (I had more of it back then) and ‘relax’ at the Rainbow Bar and Grill or the House of Blues. And I’m sure more than a few of you will recall the good times we had at the Bonfire Beach Party we hosted as a final hoorah before our departure!

Well on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 Carbon Motors will bring the Pure Justice Tour back to L.A. as guests of the Los Angeles Police Department. From 11:00am to 3:00pm, Carbon’s E7 will be on display at LAPD Headquarters – Parker Center Building, 151 Judge John Aiso St, Los Angeles, 90012. We are looking forward to reconnecting with many of our personal friends, as well as those in law enforcement. As I said in a previous blog, “the photos don’t do it justice,” so everyone be sure to stop by and see the real deal – live and in person!

"So Where Do I Apply For A Job?"

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

“So Where Do I Apply?” must be the #1 Frequently Asked Question since we announced that Connersville, Indiana would be home at the end of July 2009. We have a great deal of work ahead of us before we begin full-scale production, and we have certainly been flattered by all of the calls, letters, emails, blog postings, and general smoke signals with such kind words and tremendous enthusiasm for our efforts to produce the world’s first purpose-built law enforcement patrol vehicle — thank you!

As you might imagine, the types of skills that are going to be needed in the short, medium, and long-term will vary as we go “through the process”: engineering the vehicle; building digital prototypes and a few dozen physical prototypes; planning the overall architecture for the site; testing the vehicles up north in below freezing weather (where even people in igloos will laugh at us); then crossing death valley in a desert somewhere for high temperature testing; to hitting the tracks in Europe for some fine tuning (Nürburgring here we come!); crashing a few of these prototypes into a wall (Ouch! No test dummies need apply, but thanks!); refurbishing the facility; installing the final assembly and end-of-line testing equipment; and showing our customers what we have in store for them all along the entire journey….

Oh, and there is some major IT work to be done; we must bring on dozens of suppliers, develop a few websites and marketing plans; go on more Pure Justice Tours; develop and conduct service training sessions; maintain positive and collaborative government relations; sign a few contracts, keep score with some accounting; there’s a bit of legal work, safety training, and environmental engineering yet to complete, and along the way, we need to have some town hall meetings so everyone stays on track, pulling in the same direction! And finally……..finally…..cutting that ribbon when the first E7 rolls off the assembly line! To say the least we certainly haven’t been and won’t be, watching the grass grow.

OK, so let’s answer the question, “Where Do I Apply”. At this stage, there are 2 key items that must be addressed before the hiring in earnest can begin.

First, the widely publicized environmental issues with the site must be addressed and we are working with the responsible authorities to that end. Everyone is pulling in the same direction which is good first test of the local, state, and federal authorities working collaboratively with the private sector. Tough test but lots of smart and driven people working on it….

Second, on 12 August 2009 we filed our application to secure a loan in the amount of $310 million with U.S. Department of Energy under the provisions of Section 136 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (the “ATVMIP – Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program”). As the Carbon E7 addresses significant cross-cabinet issues across the U.S. Departments of Justice, Energy, Homeland Security, Transportation, and Labor and moreover it is in the national security and socioeconomic interests of the USA that the Carbon E7 be expedited to production, we are looking to see that the U.S. Department of Energy meets its announced internal target of “4 months from application date to flow of funds”.

When the job openings do become available we will certainly post them on our site. I understand the intense interest in joining the team (and again we are flattered!) but we need a little time to get ready for some pretty significant growth. Besides we are still in process of filling out the Change of Address forms! On that point, I do like the sound of:

Carbon Motors Corporation
One Carbon Motors Drive
Connersville, IN 47331 USA

Hope you like it!

Hello Connersville! 12 Aug 2009

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

A few of months ago, I was looking to replace a personal computer at home. Being a die-hard Apple Mac fan, I quickly settled in on an iMac – something that would be used for household duties and the kids’ entertainment. In the interest of maintaining peace and harmony in the home, I agreed to first seek out a used machine.

After much searching, I found a suitable candidate… in Seattle, Washington (I live in Atlanta {for the time being!}). I conversed via email with the owner, Rich, to see if we could come to some sort of an agreement. Much to my surprise, he was a software engineer who cared very little about sharing the details of his computer with me. In fact, his entire response was focused on my email address… and the company from which it came… and the product that it would soon produce.

As it turns out, Rich had apparently been following the Carbon Motors story for some time, and he had only one real request – “Can I get a Carbon shirt?” This was just too funny, and so flattering. And we are hearing this more and more lately, from each and every Pure Justice Tour stop to the communities responding to jobs of national importance. The folks in Connersville sold out of over 800 shirts for Carbon Motors Day in May, and then another 2,000 of them for the “Rally for American Jobs” in July. By the way, yesterday, Bill Li (our Chairman and CEO) stopped by to say hello and thank the team at Athletic Arena 2 (530 West 30th Street, Connersville, IN 47331) who printed the shirts – and to see if there was an interest in doing some more stuff with Carbon Motors.

So far, we’ve been asked for posters, coins, license plates, hats, lapel pins and buttons. And since we plan to launch the “The Carbon Collection” as our online store in the near future, we would like to hear your suggestions! Priority will be given to vendors in Connersville, and I look forward to reviewing any proposals you might have – hopefully we can stir up some business together. I’ll be moving to Indiana very soon, so go ahead and post your suggestions on this blog and I’ll make a point to stop by your shop, chat, and check out a sample or two!

By the way – Rich, your shirt is already in the queue!

Purpose-Built Customer Service

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Purpose-Built Customer Service

One of the most frequently asked questions we are asked when on the Pure Justice Tour is, “how will Carbon Motors service the E7?” Obviously, we intend to deliver world-class service to backup a world-class product. It is important, however, to thoroughly understand the definition of “world-class” through the eyes of our customers. And this process begins long before the sale ever takes place.

Yesterday, Carbon Motors held the first Service Summit in Lansing, Michigan, as part of the Pure Justice Tour along with our new friends at Snap-on, Inc. (NYSE: SNA). Fleet administrators from all over Michigan and Ohio attended the event, providing a wealth of information on service related matters from as simple as how many rings it takes for someone to answer a call when they have an issue, to something as complex as the types of technical training and certifications they wish to receive. We discussed how to get more officers to want to take better care of their vehicles (read: on time preventative maintenance and seeking needed repairs sooner), how to minimize the downtime of the vehicles and even cup holder placement (yes, it is that hot of a topic!).

Through the end of October, we will host 11 more Summits spanning the entire U. S. Mainland. Each location will offer additional insight into the wants, needs and desires of law enforcement’s fleet administration. If you are charged with the duty of maintaining, repairing or otherwise caring for law enforcement vehicle fleets, please send an email with your name, agency, address and phone number to E7@carbonmotors.com in order to participate in a Service Summit near you! Participants, as well as those just wanting to help out, are also encouraged to fill out a quick online survey here in order to help set the framework for the Service Summit discussions.