SAVE VERDEGOH! SALE – This Sunday, October 2nd from 1-6PM at 1027 Columbia Ave.

Hello everybody. Even though we finally got our Car Dealer License a couple of weeks ago and we were poised to turn the old Pewitt Brothers Gas Station into a very cool electric vehicle service and conversion center, we are at the end of our rope with VerdeGoh!

The prolonged struggle with the City of Franklin for the past six months (to get these facilities open) has drained all of our cash reserves. Quite frankly, we’re out of operating capital. Our attempts to secure additional capital through equity partners, an SBA loan, etc. have been thus far unsuccessful. Catherine and I have had our home on the market since May, but we’ve been unable to find a buyer. Proceeds from our home sale would have gone towards VerdeGoh!

Catherine is again teaching math at Father Ryan High School and is very happy. I  returned to selling signage and branding services early this past spring. Our home bills are covered (thank God), but we are facing a mountain of debt for the VerdeGoh! project.

So, we’re going to have a big “garage sale” this weekend! From 1 to 6 PM on Sunday, October 2^nd, come by 1005 and 1027 Columbia Ave. (the buildings are side by side) to VerdeGoh! We’re going to raise as much money through sales that day as possible. Some things that will be happening that day:

1. We will have some great DEALS on a lot of the old VerdeGoh! General Store fixtures, displays and merchandise. We have a  few really cool pieces and antiques, etc. that many folks really pined over at the old VerdeGoh! General Store. Now’s the chance to get a piece of history!
2. If you’ve been in the market for one of our TOMBERLIN EMERGE street-legal Low-Speed Vehicles/Golf Cars (http://www.tomberlin.net/#/section/emerge) THAT DAY will be the day to get one! We’ll have special pricing and discounts on Sunday. Plus, you’ll get a 10% Tax Credit and we have financing options from 24-60 months!
3. We have several New Demo Electric Vehicles that are for sale. We have a few different Electric Low-Speed Vehicle VANS, an LSV E-TRUCK and our Camo ELECTRIC ATV (perfect for Hunting Season!). These vehicles need to move. They will have SPECIAL pricing.
4. We’ll likely have our friends from No Gas out of Nashville bring some of their very cool, retro-looking Electric Scooters down for display. They will also be for sale!
5. PAINT! We still have our paint mixing machines and quite a bit of MYTHIC ZERO-VOC/NON-TOXIC paint left over. We’re limited to certain sheens and bases but we can make you a great deal on some paint if you’ve got a special project and are flexible.
6. We’re also working on having a special food vendor on-site and maybe some other fanfare as well.
7. It’ll be family-friendly so bring the kids. You’ll also get to see the building and the genesis of what the new VerdeGoh! could have been, or with your help, still could be.

It’s still a long-shot, but with your help, we may be able to save VerdeGoh! We’d still have a bit of a climb, but your support could buy us that critical extra time and funds to pull this thing around. Thanks for all of your support and love over the past few years. See you guys on Sunday!

Thanks,

Josh

Also, please let us know if you’d like to volunteer or help with this event. We’ll be cleaning up and setting up this week and Saturday. We would love to have some of our friends and family around before or during the sale. Please contact me at josh.womack@verdegoh.com or on my cell phone #615-207-4934 if you’d like to lend a hand.

New VerdeGoh! Location in downtown Franklin! – Coming Very Soon

Hello Folks,

We got the keys to the new VerdeGoh! Buildings in downtown Franklin last week. Our new location(s) is 1005 Columbia for VerdeGoh! General Store and VerdeGoh! Electric Vehicles Service and the VerdeGoh! Electric Vehicles Car Lot will be at 1027 Columbia Ave., which is the adjacent lot. When I wrote the business plan for VerdeGoh! back in 2007, I always envisioned that all of VerdeGoh!’s operations would be at one location. Either by the stars aligning or God’s good graces, that opportunity has finally come about. And trust me, having a car lot next to retail near downtown Franklin is miraculous in and of itself. Thankfully the code and the previous uses of each site allow for it. We look forward to being an energetic force for the continued re-vitalization of the Columbia Ave. stretch out of downtown Franklin.

We have many exciting things planned for the new location. First, we are in negotiations to have an on-site Coffee/Food partner. We also will have free NEV (neighborhood electric vehicle) charging, 220-Volt (Tier II) charging for bigger electric cars and a “free bike share” program for customers so they can ride our bikes around downtown Franklin after coming from out-of-area, among all of our other services. Additionally, we have plans for patio seating, a small Electric Car Museum and more! As the availability of true electric cars (that can go on the interstate) is still scarce, we look forward to showing our customers the many options we provide for EV Conversions – where we turn gas cars into all electric ones.

Catherine and Jordan will still be with us as will a couple of new faces. Namely, my friend Paul Balciar will be coming on board to help us grow the electric vehicle sales. Paul worked for GM & Delphi or over 25 years and will be an invaluable asset to the team. We will open the VerdeGoh! Electric Vehicle options first followed soon by the VerdeGoh! General Store and then the food service offer. Last, stay tuned for more correspondence from us. We’re going to be reaching out to our friends and customers for your input and feedback as to the things YOU would like to see at the new VerdeGoh!

Thanks gain for all of your continued support. We made it through the recession, and while things are still tenuous, we believe that we can make it down the road  a little further yet. Talk to you again soon…

- Josh

VerdeGoh! EV Conversions, Tax Rebate Controversy, Etc…

Hello All,

Well, some of you may have seen the TCPR (Tennessee Center for Policy Research) article from last week over at www.tennessee.watchdog.org and linked at Nashville Business Journal. The focus of the story is the $2,500 TN state Tax Rebate that Gov. Bredesen offered for the fist 1,000 Nissan Leafs sold in Tennessee, and how the EV conversions that VerdeGoh! does are not included in the program.

After learning of this program at a TVA sponsored event in early September, I drafted a letter expressing VerdeGoh!’s request that our EV Conversion customers have access to these rebates as well as Nissan Leaf purchasers. My letter was sent via regular mail and also electronically to Gov. Bredesen’s Press Secretary Michael Drescher (whom I attended High School with in late 80′s and know personally) during the week of September 13th, 2010. You can read a copy of the letter here.

I was interviewed by TCPR’s Investigative Reporter Chris Butler on Thursday, November 4th. Up until that point, I had not received any response back from anyone at Gov. Bredesen’s office. I can only assume that TCPR reached out to the Governor’s office for an official response, because I did finally get a response from Ryan Gooch (Gov. Bredesen’s Energy Policy Director) on Monday, September 8th. Mr. Gooch has informed us that ECOtality (the Federal Contractor for the EV Project) has the control over determining what vehicles are eligible for Tennessee’s Tax Rebate. Mr’s Gooch’s direct comments were – “The EV rebate program is part of the state’s commitment to the DOE-supported EV Project being led by ECOtality.  ECOtality, as the primary federal contractor, is responsible for determining vehicle eligibility requirements for participation in the EV Project in each local area.”

VerdeGoh! has a good working relationship with ECOtality and particularly their local-level representative. We have high hopes that our EV Conversion customers will have access to the benefits that The EV Project is offering to consumers. We’ll report back later as new information arises.

Here are some photos of the S-10 Truck EV Conversion we recently completed for Belmont Music Professor Dan Landes. As you can tell, we took an older vehicle and gave it a new life!

BEFORE                              AFTER

MORE PHOTOS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE MIKE MCWHERTER LEARNING ABOUT THIS CONVERSION

 

AUDI TT QUATTRO EV CONVERSION

This week, we begin the conversion of this 2002 Audi TT Quattro into a high-performance, all-electric car. After completion, the vehicle will have a top speed over 100 mph and a range exceeding 120 miles per charge. The LiFe Po4 battery pack for this vehicle will be a whopping 38 KWH (to put it in perspective, the Nissan Leaf is about 24 KWH).

VerdeGoh! Electric Vehicles is pleased to announce that we are now the regional dealer for the battery and battery management company Flux Power (www.fluxpwr.com) who are our supplier for these components for this vehicle. VerdeGoh! EV is now also a regional distributor for NetGain Motors. This conversion will use the robust NetGain WarP 11 DC motor. This is the PERFORMANCE Electric Vehicle that many consumers want and we’re building them. Contact us at what_is@verdegoh.com or #615-567-6951 for more information about how you can get an EV Conversion from VerdeGoh! Electric Vehicles

Earthwise Electric Yard Equipment – Guest Testimonial & Current Incentive

Hello All,

Here’s a guest testimonal from one of our Customers regarding the powerful, Earthwise Cordless Electric Lawnmower & Trimmer found at VerdeGoh! General Store…

VerdeGoh! General Store,

I wanted to let you know that the Earthwise battery powered mower and trimmers are surpassing my expectations.  I have used several electric mowers including Black and Decker, but all lacked sturdiness, they had cheap wheels, were too light to stay level well, and did not cut to the edge of the deck, so edging was an issue.  This unit is basically built like a gas-powered mower, but has the electric engine.  I cut 6 inch grass without any problems, and the mulching is as good as my gas mower was.  Finally the adjustability of the deck height and the other controls are a breeze.  It is virtually totally assembled as well.

The line trimmer is perfectly balanced and super lightweight. It was nice not smelling like a two-stroke engine when I completed with my work, and totally Quiet!  No ear plugs required.  It had plenty of power and I have corner lot with about 400 feet of trimming to do, and it still did the job.  In this case the modestly higher price was definitely worth it.  I can recommend these products to anybody.

Thanks.  Matt Magallanes, Franklin, TN

Let’s Go ELECTRIC, for Yard Equipment!

Poor Air Quality Alerts continue to be issued for Middle Tennessee due to high levels of emissions, ozone, particulates and pollen. As we enter the lawn & garden season, here are some facts about gasoline-powered lawn equipment…

800 Million Gallons of gasoline a year are used in the U.S. to fuel lawn equipment.
The EPA states that 17 Million Gallons of Gas are SPILLED EACH YEAR refueling lawn equipment.
The Union Of Concerned Scientists states that running a gas mower for one hour emits the same amount of air pollutants as eight new cars driving 55 MPH for one hour.
Running a gas lawnmower for one hour is equivalent to driving an average car 340 miles in terms of VOC and other toxic emissions.

So then, VerdeGoh! is TAKING ACTION and helping you to take action with us and for yourself as well!

THIS SUMMER, VerdeGoh! General Store is offering $10 off our cordless Earthwise Electric Lawn Implements and $20 off our cordless Earthwise Electric Mowers  and premium Scott’s Reel Mowers IF you bring in your old comparable gas-powered item. We’ll recycle your old gas-powered tool in exchange for a quieter, cleaner, more convenient and more cost-effective electric option.

Our Electric Cordless Mowers use approximately 5 cents of electricity per charge versus $1.00 of gasoline per the same amount of cutting time. Our reel mowers don’t use any power other than elbow grease. Plus the maintenance costs on an electric mower are less than half a gas-powered over 10 years. Emissions from the electric mower are dramatically lower than gas-powered and the only CO2 emissions from the reel mower is your breath as you get a nice workout.

We could go on and on, but we think you guys get the picture. For smaller yards and courtyard maintenance, electric and natural are the ways to go! C’mon into the VerdeGoh! General Store and make your trade!

Items Available for the Recycle-Incentive Program

Cordless Earthwise Mower ($20 trade-in)
Scotts Reel Mower ($20 trade-in)
Cordless Earthwise Grass Trimmer ($10 trade-in)
Cordless Earthwise Hedge Trimmer ($10 trade-in)
Cordless Earthwise Blower ($10 trade-in)
Cordless Earthwise Mini Chainsaw ($10 trade-in)

6 Years Ago, I Wrote These Words…(No April Fool’s Joke)

With this week’s announcement of the open up of more offshore U.S. oil drilling, I’m reminded of a “treatise” of sorts that I wrote and posted to the Internet-at-large 6 YEARS AGO this week. It’s long and wordy for sure (it wouldn’t be Josh Womack any other way now would it?), but I think it will give a lot of insight into my mindset regarding resources efficiency and how I come at the issues of sustainability. I also think it paints an interesting portrait of where we were then, where we are now and maybe where we’re going as a nation.

Many people – especially in these geographical parts – have a misperception about many of the local folks involved in the local green and sustainability movement. In my conversations with many of the local leaders in our movement, I’m always delighted to know that most of us are really quite moderate and politically centrist. Most of us believe that you can be pro-business and pro-green. With most of us, the goal is “smarter” solutions to the issues we face in our future, not a full-scale, unrealistic deconstruction of the modern world as it is today.

So, for the masochists among you, here’s the read…

- Josh

_______________________________________________________

It seems that this chain e-mail has really made the rounds lately. While it MAY
SEEM like it makes sense, there are some things that one should know about the
retail oil industry before biting off on this plan that seems to coincide with
conventional wisdom. Namely, that over 90% of the price of a gallon of gas is
determined before it reaches the store from which you buy it.

http://www.lifuel.com/gasdollar2003.pdf

The main problem facing us today and in the future is that oil production can no
longer meet demand. The real distressing news is that if we remain on our
petroleum-based economic path, this problem will only get worse and can’t be
reversed.  The ramifications of this reality are shocking, but there is something
you can do to stave off this coming disaster. You are being called on not only to
save the environment and get lower gas prices, you are being called on to SAVE
THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE! Please take the time to read the following.

Listen, I’m no raging environmentalist. Sure I partake in my neighborhood
recycling program, but I’m by no means a rabid “tree-hugging” Greenpeace card-carrying,
anti-WTO activist. I come at this greatest issue of our lifetime (yes, even
greater then Terrorism) from almost a complete social and economic standpoint.
I’m not really too concerned about global climate change. Since climbing out of
the trees in Africa, Humans have time and time again shown their ability to adapt
to, and in even thrive in, extreme conditions.

This issue at hand is not really about the AVAILABILITY of oil itself or that the
world’s oil “is running out”. It’s about the availability of INEXPENSIVE OIL.
It’s not just the vehicles on our highways that use gas. Petroleum is used in almost
everything that is manufactured – your cell phone, your computer, your DASANI
water bottle, your ink pens, your baby’s toys, your IPod, every retail sign face,
IT’S ENDLESS. And that same oil is used as often used as a power source
to fuel the factories that make all the things made from oil!

The irony is that the recent acceleration of the American WAY OF LIFE may
ultimately be it’s own demise. As the “Wal-Martization” of industry, i.e. more
products for cheaper, has really stepped up over the last decade, the effects are
inevitable. So that EVERYONE in America can now get those “$29 DVD players” we’ve
had to ship the manufacturing to China. Because the Chinese make it cheaper, our
American population buys more DVD Players then we should be able to because
they’re so cheap. Those DVD players have PLASTIC casings, PLASTIC motherboards
and PLASTIC remote controls – PLASTIC all made from refined petroleum. Because
the American Consumers are able to buy so many extra DVD players, and countless
other goods, the Chinese (a nation of 1.2 BILLION) worker’s standard of living
ALSO rises, affording them their first opportunities to buy their own DVD Players
and CARS. DVD players that are made from OIL and cars that run on OIL. on 3/30/04
it was announced that 20% OF THE CHINESE POPULATION IS NOW MIDDLE CLASS. With a
population of 1.2 BILLION that means that China’s MIDDLE CLASS is the same size
AS 90% OF THE U.S.’S TOTAL POPULATION!

The oil industry has known for 30+ years that they were lagging the in
exploration and the development of more efficient means of accessing and refining
the product. Not to mention, there was a wholesale lack of attention to
developing alternative fuel resources and technologies on any substantial level.
This current reality was projected and theorized by economists and oil industry
experts long ago. Although they’ve faced some legitimate hurdles, for the most
part, they’ve neglected to put THEIR PROFITS back into adequate infrastructure
development. They underestimated not only the American consumer’s thirst, but
also the subsequent effects of this “more for cheaper” mentality that has now
permeates EVERY aspect of our society.

Hence, demand IS starting to outstrip production capacity. The end of “CHEAP OIL”
will affect the entire globe. This phenomenon is referred to as “PEAK OIL.” In a
nutshell, the PEAK OIL theory details the global ramifications if the demand for
AFFORDABLE OIL surpasses the production capability. Namely, it predicts increased
global hostility, more wars and conflict, starvation, population die-off and
other assorted “warm and fuzzy” things.  There are a few things that could help
get us off this course, but they have to HAPPEN NOW (well, actually, they should
have started 20 years ago).

One might assume that somebody would come across this information if they were a
conspiracy theorist or militant environmentalist/conservationist. I’m neither of
these but I came to learn of this situation through other angles.

In my line of work, I sometimes work with both independent petroleum marketers
(your mom-and-pop convenience stores) and the big global petro-conglomerates (BP,
Shell, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil etc.). So I frequently get information on the
status of various parts of their industry – retail, prospecting, refinement,
taxation, etc. When we went into Iraq last March, I started paying a little more
attention to reports across the board.

With this White House Administration, there were clearly several objectives as
outlined by the Cabinet Level Advisors that were to be achieved. Known as the
NeoCons (i.e. Bush’s “post  9/11″ strategic advisors Paul Wolfowitz, Karl Rove,
Rumsfeld etc. – see http://www.newamericancentury.org for details on this group),
this non-mainstream group of ideologues began formulating their positions in the
1960’s-1970′s and have increasingly gained political clout and influence ever
since. This is especially true since the turn of the century. Their particular
goals for Iraq were documented and as follows…

Obviously, one main goal was the removal of Saddam Hussein. Second being the
creation of a logistically sound secondary base for operations in the region
(outside of Saudi Arabia). And of course the third being the blatant, most
important yet unspoken one. That objective being access, not to just oil, but
“cheap oil.”

Saddam Hussien has been politically and technically impotent for years.
Regardless of one’s political affiliation, Saddam Hussein was NOT an IMMEDIATE
threat to the U.S. or our direct interests. But to the Bush Administration’s
defense, they couldn’t exactly come out and tell Congress and the American people
the real need for Hussein’s ouster. The threat of terror and Iraqi liberation you
can sell, but the three reasons given above never would have flown. We needed
access to massive amounts of easily extracted crude oil and we needed it quickly.

So o.k. then, the opportunity to “legitimately” go after Iraq came about due to
9/11. And while we’re taking out a regional threat and establishing a centralized
base of operations, we’re mostly going after the oil. Fine, cool, our way of life
protected and served. Makes sense…kind of.

So with impending control, or at least strong influence over these resources, I
wondered if the Global Petroleum Corporations would really pass along any
“savings” to the American Consumer if they were to have access to cheaper oil.
During this time, I was also beginning to get more press and info on pilot
alternative energy programs (electric cars, biodiesel, electric hybrids, ethanol, hydrogen,
etc.) through my usual sources.

Along the logic lines, I start investigating these new developments, quite
honestly, to see if there are developing markets in which I could invest and/or
from which I could personally profit. The more I discovered, the more the big
picture started to coalesce. The big oil companies and Bush cabinet-level
staffers know about this forthcoming disaster. After all, Bush’s cabinet are
mostly Big Oil veterans! Overt (Iraqi War, Halliburton contracts, big alt energy
AND traditional petro tax incentives, etc.) actions are self-evident, but the
more you look at, the more you learn that their actions represent a mad scramble
to stave off this impending chaos.

For the past two years, you’ve had renowned economists and big oil executives
dropping hints to this situation in code speak all throughout the
press. Again, some theorists have also been predicting this for decades. Well,
now its here and we’re ill-prepared for it. Getting to the Middle East’s
resources is a stop gap measure, an effort to “maintain” standard levels of
pricing if you will. Again, it’s not about HAVING enough oil. It’s about being
able to provide it at a cheap cost. That means producing it at the level needed
for consumption.

Quite frankly, the big oil companies just didn’t reinvest enough back into
exploration and infrastructure and more importantly neglected a needed shift to
alternative and DOMESTIC sources of fuel. Also, they underestimated the demand
for non-transportation uses of the product and the economies built around the
production, sale and use of those “oil made” goods globally. The mad dash to
reconstitute the Iraqi petroleum infrastructure was paramount. We needed
something quick to ease the pressure.

In this era of the “War On Terror” how can we distance and (of course) protect
ourselves from those in the world that “hate us” and wish to cause harm and panic
among America and its interests? The current method being employed is the threat
and execution of military action against those who we deem as engaging in,
representing or supporting terrorism. While the threat and use of force may
provide short-term benefits, ultimately it may exacerbate the problem. Also,
globally, this approach incites skepticism. The concern of our allies and
adversaries is that we will act arbitrarily or subjectively on this mandate. Or
that we will use this mandate for subversive gains.

Another, and maybe more long-term beneficial way to thwart terrorism, is to quit
meddling on their turf. Getting rid of our interests there would help immensely. Our
allies and adversaries alike are becoming more and more threatened by our
preservationist actions. It’s because they see the proverbial writing on the wall
as well.

The details and statistics exist to support that this phenomenon is indeed
happening, already exist. In the coming months, more and more of this will
publicly surface.

I’m deadly serious when I say that the American way of life (and civilization as
a whole) is seriously threatened. We’ve lost the availability to “Cheap Oil” and
the short-term ramifications over the next decade could far supercede any massive,
traditional business undertakings that could thwart this impending disaster.
So you want to be a real PATRIOT? Do you want to really help fight TERRORISM? Buy
an electric, electric-hybrid or BioDiesel capable car. You’ll be keeping AMERICAN dollars IN AN
AMERICAN INDUSTRY instead of shipping them over to the INDUSTRIAL REGIME –
OPEC! Without this dependence on their “product,” we’ll no longer have the need
to have relations with the oppressive Saudis and their tyrannical neighbors. No
presence in the Middle East nullifies the Islamic Extremists’ main grievance
against the West – our political and industrial entrenchment in their holy land.
With their driving principle neutered, subsequent REACTIONS to their threats or
terrorist acts will be UNDENIABLY and without any doubt justified to the entire
global community.

My first child turns 2 in June. I enjoy our American lifestyle. I want my son to experience all of the blessings our society currently offers us. But, I fear that if we don’t act soon, all he’ll only know a world of hostility, fear and hopelessness.

_______________________________________________________

Let’s Clear The Air Here, Shall We?

One of the main driving goals at VerdeGoh! General Store is to help our friends mitigate toxicity in their lives. This is particularly true of many of our home products. Recently, Catherine and I have had so many people in our lives battling cancer. I believe in the coming years that scientists and doctors will further map the relationship of genetics and environment and begin to learn what the triggers are that cause these mutant cells to ravage the people in our lives we cherish. Two of our more expansive brands that focus on toxicity mitigation – Mythic Paint and Better Life – have just upped the ante with these new and exciting products offerings.

MYTHIC PAINT & LAND OF NOD partner for special color palette!

The new Land of Nod Spring Catalog features Mythic Paint colors abound, all taken from the new color collection devised for the partnership. This new alliance helps further Mythic’s leadership as the go-to Non-Toxic, Zero VOC paint on the market, while adding exposure to Land of Nod’s increasing focus on healthier products. In addition to spotlighting this special Mythic Color Palette, Land Of Nod is also featuring two other prominent VerdeGoh! General Store products – Little Twig & Green To Grow. This again proves, that VerdeGoh! General Store is consistently ahead of the curve when it comes to providing the best, up-and-coming products for healthier living. Come into the store to find out more!

Also, our friends at BETTER LIFE heard your pleas and have brought forward three new naturally-bourne, good-for-YOUR-air products. These are SO fresh and new, they’re not even on Better Life‘s website yet, but VerdeGoh! General Store‘s got ‘em!

* Oak-Y Dokey — wood furniture cleaner and polish
* Take It for Granite….(or marble or quartz) — stone countertop spray
* Einshine — stainless steel cleaner and polish

See them in the photo below!

Just like Mythic Paint, Better Life‘s products contain ZERO VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). Now don’t let the “organic” part of VOC fool you. These “organic” chemical components are pretty darn raunchy. VOCs are found in most conventional household cleaning products, even some that claim to be “green.” VOCs are a major source of respiratory ailments and trigger negative neurological reactions. Take a look at this YouTube video of how a gerber daisy holds up after being placed in a container of Better Life‘s Flooring Product and two other competitor products. You’ll be FLOORED by the results (*This was what really happened. This wasn’t staged).

Better Life’s ingredients are all plant-based and don’t include chemicals. But don’t let the fact that they are made from natural materials fool you. Better Life‘s multi-purpose cleaner – WhatEver – actually removes more bacteria from this countertop than a leading, conventional multi-purpose cleaner. See for yourself…

Come on into the VerdeGoh! General Store and we’ll help you find these products; Products that help make your environment cleaner in a more natural way without all the harmful side effects.

You can breathe easy now.

- Josh

What’s New at VerdeGoh! Electric Vehicles & other musings…

Alright folks. The past week or so has been pretty busy in general in VerdeGoh! land. This is especially true on the electric vehicle side of things. Early last week, Jordan and I helped found the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the EAA (Electric Auto Association). We had been meaning to get this up-and-running since last March, and finally found a quorum of like-minded, local folks to get us started. We’ll have more news from the Cumberland Valley EAA group soon.

Nissan showed its Leaf electric car around Middle Tennessee last week. Jordan and I took a field trip to the Sommet Center event to view the vehicle. While we couldn’t get too close to the vehicle (they had it roped off), from what we can tell it seems to be pretty well designed and certainly has an interesting body shape. Good job Nissan and thanks for taking a lead in the industry. Our fellow CVEAA members Matt and Rich even made the Nissan promo video from the event! Even cooler for VerdeGoh! is that we got to spend a little time with Steve Johnson of Lightwave Solar (see Steve and Jordan in photo above in front of an electric car charging station). Lightwave Solar is VerdeGoh! General Store’s partner for Commercial and Residential Solar Power Generation products & services. Jordan and I also got to visit Steve at his home this past weekend and check out all of Steve’s cool projects. We’re excited about the opportunity to work with Tennessee’s most respected, knowledgable and successful solar company. Be on the look-out for more information on this forthcoming program soon.

Also, the VanGoh! electric van arrived last week and we got to do a little test driving with it. This 120-volt EV can be configured as an MSV (medium speed vehicle) and can be either a passenger van or fleet panel van. The extended range & speed capabilities, cargo area and moderate price point make it a great urban town car or local delivery fleet platform. We’ll be offering some customization options for this vehicle including graphics/wrap packages, flooring choices, accent accessories, etc.

Click on the graphic above OR go to the following link to see a 5 minutes reel on the VanGoh! & Dan Landes EV Conversion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFhC_agYTNE

We’ve officially begun our first full EV conversion of an existing highway vehicle. Belmont Music Professor Dan Landes is our inaugeral customer. After helping him to source an S-10 pickup to use as the platform or “glider,” we have now almost completed the gutting and recycling of the salvageable parts from the Internal Combustion Engine. Next week we’ll begin installing the EV parts. We expect Dan’s vehicle to reach up to 70 MPH and have a range of 55-70 miles per charge as per the specifications and buget he provided. Plus, he’ll get a 10% Tax Credit.  This component of the VerdeGoh! Electric Vehicle offer has been planned since we launched in 2008. We’re excited to begin this new era of our business.

Last, we’ve also started carrying H20Conserv’s Soy-based “waterless” and low water car cleaning and detailing products in the VerdeGoh! General Store. The IClean product is a waterless cleaner designed to be used with a micro-fiber towel, IShine is a waterless wax substitute that acts and performs like a paste wax and IWash is the high-concentrate cleaner product that uses just a couple of cap-fulls and a gallon of water to get the whole car washed up to 24 times.

This product is made in Memphis and is non-solvent and zero-VOC. It’s also non-toxic and biodegradable. “According to the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), the average homeowner uses 116 gallons of water per car wash. Since this water is then mixed with chemicals, soaps and residual oil and gas from cars that generally flow into storm drains, it contaminates rivers, lakes and streams.Many areas of the US enforce strict water regulations, and residents in cities or apartment complexes often do not have access to a hose.” Jordan has already tried these products on some of our vehicles and customer’s vehicles. He swears that they work and work really well.

Who doesn’t want to save water, time and money?

- Josh                                        H20 Conserv product in action below…

VIP Magazine Info and Mythic Paint Info & Coupon, Etc.

Please Read this Month’s VIP Williamson magazine for the “Movers & Shakers” piece on VerdeGoh! (pg.32) and Josh’s editorial on the Mythic Paint we carry in the VerdeGoh! General Store. (pg.36) Also, check out this issue of VIP Williamson for our 10% Off Coupon in the VerdeGoh! Ad (coupon valid for January and February). (pg.43)

www.vipmag.com/williamson_co_eMag/index.html

So what are other Mythic Paint users saying about the product?

“My son has severe allergies and asthma.  When my wife and I purchase food and products, we are always concerned with how it will impact his health.  We purchased Mythic paint specifically because it is no VOC.  I was very pleased with it.  It performed well with rollers and brushes and looks great. We’ve already painted our cabinets, built-ins and kitchen.  Moreover, my son has experienced no side effects.  Thank you Mythic and VerdeGoh! General Store!”  – John M., Franklin TN

“Very pleased with my experience with this product. In addition to all of the benefits that come with using a paint with zero toxins, the paint performed well in coverage, had very low odor ( a faint “sweet” smell ), and cleaned up better than any paint I’ve ever used.” – Jimmy G., Franklin TN

“The Mythic paint from VerdeGoh! General Store we used in our daughter’s room was great! Thanks! The quality was every bit as good as anything else I’ve used before, and I could literally breathe easy!” – Chris U., Franklin, TN

“I’ve had a great experience with the Mythic paint – the fumes are minimal, and I like the coverage and texture very much.  I’ve had many compliments on the painting I have already done.  I used the Mythic primer before the painting in my downstairs living area, and it provided a wonderful canvas for the paint; it went on easily and produced a nice, plaster-like surface. However, I am not priming the other areas (new house) and it is not necessary. This is the only paint I will use in my house.” – Lynne K., Murfreesboro, TN

“We recently had two rooms in our house painted, and decided to try out the Mythic paint from the VerdeGoh! General Store. The paint is very high quality – super thick and pigmented – and the rooms look great! In addition to all of the already existing colors to choose from, they do color matching too! So if you have a color from another brand that you must have (like I did), they can match it perfectly (I am a picky color customer, so it had to be spot-on, and it was!)!! The cost is very comparable to other high-end, designer paints, and again, the quality of the paint is great! Thanks to Josh and Catherine for everything they’re doing!!! We love VerdeGoh!” – Casey W., Franklin, TN

As If Taken From The Edison and Tesla Archives, Our “Steampunk” Inspired LED Light Display Looks Retro, But Trust Us…It’s 21st Century Tech!

130 years ago next month, Thomas Edison unveiled his first successful incandescent lightbulb at a public display in Menlo Park, Michigan. To celebrate the history of electrical lighting and as a complement to our expanded focus on our EarthLED and AgiLight LED lighting products, we’ve built a very cool, retro lightree to display the product. While the LED Display may look like it’s from the Age of Edison and Tesla, the LED lighting contained on it is anything but antique.

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“Steampunk” Inspired. Or Better Yet, We

Like To Call It “Greenpunk”

We had a pre-existing lightboard for our LED lights that VerdeGoh! friend and lighting specialist Lawrence Morgan had put together (Thanks Lawrence!). However, I really had envisioned a much more elaborate display. I thought it would be cool to make our LED lightboard look as is it was from the era of electrical lighting’s birth, but retro-fitted with today’s most modern lighting. The first electric lightbulbs really gained prominence around the turn of the 19th to 20th Centuries, which was the Victorian Age or also known as the end of the Steam Age. There’s even a modern art movement called “Steampunk” that envisions a ficitional world where Steam Power and Victorian Culture are present in modern life (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk). So using this general design direction and inspiration, VerdeGoh! Service Technician and all-around electrical guru – Jordan Ciaramitaro – and I set out to bring the vision to life.

We started with the existing block of wood. Notice that we integrated the old, standard porcelain bulb receptacles complete with chains for on-off functionality. We sourced an old metal wagon wheel and axle from a local antique store to act as the support base. We placed an old (non-working) fuse box, salvaged from a huge industrial junction box on the post, just “for the look.” That piece, a couple of gauges and an old paint sprayer regulator all came from our buddy Bubba Miller’s metal recycling company (http://bmillerrecycling.com). Bubba is a Franklin, TN native who played college football at the University of Tennessee the same time I was there in the 90′s. Bubba went on to play Pro Football in the NFL for seven years before getting into the recycling and reclamation business. Bubba’s a great guy with one heck of a story!

The copper tubing came from a home remodel project of mine that was left-over from the installation of an efficient Mr. Slim Mini-Split system. Some of the other miscellaneous rusty parts came from archeological finds in the surrounding property of the community in which VerdeGoh! General Store sits (http://www.westhaventn.com). The voltmeter mounted on the side came from VerdeGoh! friend and customer Charlie Grimes. Mr. Grimes is lovingly referred to as the “Mayor of Westhaven” by some, and is a big advocate of alternative fueled vehicles. Here’s Charlie sitting in his Hybrid Honda Civic talking about alternative vehicles (http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?s=10427503). Charlie also owns a sweet Tomberlin Emerge 48SS that he purchased from us at VerdeGoh! Electric Vehicles.

We employed some blue and red Agilight Brightline on the back of the display to create a moody lighting effect that’s reminiscient of old neon and mounted some Agilight Thin Rayz accent lighting on the side showing the “cool” and “warm” color options that are also comparatively shown for the EarthLED products as well.  We finished the display with some cool, vintage looking on-off switches and by staining the wood and “weathering” the metal using our Timbersoy product from Ecoprocote (http://www.buildwithesp.com) line. VerdeGoh! General Store is Ecoprocote’s only Tennessee dealer.

We think this new display captures so much of the VerdeGoh! ethos. We used reclaimed and sustainable materials to present our new efficient products in an artistic way. THAT is the VerdeGoh! way.

VerdeGoh! General Store is bringing you the FUTURE of energy-efficient and technologically-superior lighting. Enter the era of LED…

LED (or “Light Emitting Diode”) lighting has made major advances in the past couple of years. LED lights are better because:

~ They will burn for over 50,000 hours. That’s the same amount of time you’d expect from 50 Incandescent or more than 5 Fluorescent comparable bulbs.
~ They contain NO MERCURY.
~ They give off barely any heat.
~ They don’t require maintenance labor.
~ They’re perfect for hard-to-reach lighting fixtures.
~ Many are DIMMABLE.
~ Their light rendering is much more natural-looking.
~ They’re durable and not prone to breaking.
~ They use FAR LESS ENERGY over their lifetimes.
~ And best of all, they SAVE YOU MONEY!

Come see the Steampunk-Greenpunk LED light display and great LED lights soon. Learn about the future of lighting!

- Josh

Large Tax Credits for ’09 Purchases of Electric Vehicles, EV Conversions, Media Coverage, Etc.

Well. It seems that some of the lines of EVs that VerdeGoh! Electric Vehicles carries are beginning to receive their acknowledgement letters from the Department of the Treasury/IRS that their vehicle qualify for substantial Tax Credits for vehicle purchased before Dec. 31st 2009. For instance, ZENN and TOMBERLIN have already received their letters. The ZENN car is eligible for a Tax Credit worth $3,492.46. TOMBERLIN’S eligibility states that their E2 models  we sell can receive Tax Credits between $4,234.72 -$4,493.26 and the E4 we carry is eligible for a Tax Credit of $5,477.38. Here’s the letters:

The vehicles we carry from HiLine (the XG cars, VanGoh!, etc.) should be eligible for similar Tax Credits. Now, this doesn’t mean that the Government is going to just cut a huge check back to you if you purchase this year. But if you owe taxes this year, those Credits can be used as a dollar-to-dollar offset to the amounts given.These particular Tax Credits are set to expire December 31st, 2009.

The Economy is showing signs of rebounding and with that will come higher gas prices again. This year is the BEST time to buy a plug-in, electric vehicle.

Additionally, VerdeGoh! Electric Vehicles is gearing up our EV Conversion services. We are beginning to develop our platforms for full conversion of highway-legal, Gasoline and Diesel-engined vehicles to pure Electric. Our relationship with ZENN will allow us access to what should be their revolutionary ZENNergy EV Drivetrain package once it becomes available. But we’re not waiting. Right now, we are looking at a couple of EV Conversion projects and will have more news to share about that soon. EV Conversions are also eligible for 10% Tax Credit in ’09 as well.

VerdeGoh! Electric Vehicles has also picked up some decent press lately as well. Here’s some links to some recent articles…

http://businesstn.com/content/200908/electric-company

http://www.nashvillepost.com/news/2009/7/20/late_charge

http://www.gcanews.com/thisWeek.html

It’s certainly an exciting time for electric mobility. VerdeGoh! is best equipped  – with the most extensive product and unparalled service – to transition you to what will be a large part of the future of personal transportation. C’mon. It’s really time to get plugged in…

Best,

Josh and Jordan