Seeking volunteers for media coverage of ecomodding
 

It's inevitable that the mainstream media will pick up on ecomodding, and will come looking for examples of vehicles and drivers to profile. In the last couple of weeks, I've seen several registrations where the user's email address belongs to a well known media outlet.

Chuck Squatriglia, the WIRED blogger who picked up & profiled basjoos' Aerocivic is one example; though there are others who have registered but haven't made any public posts.

(It's possible they could simply be efficiency enthusiasts who happen to work in the news media.)

But Ben & I thought we'd like to be proactive and put together a list of EM volunteers who are willing to show off their vehicles & talk to the media, should they come looking for ecomodding examples.

Ideally, we'll end up with a list of people in various regions & countries we can refer them to (since they're usually looking for someone closest to their location).

The ideal volunteer will look something like this:

• you have made significant mods to your vehicle;

• you can clearly explain to a rank novice why you did what you did & how it helps

• you've documented the effects of the mods to the best of your ability - (ie. can talk about "before" and "after" fuel efficiency with confidence, and describe test methods);

• you understand & can demonstrate major ecodriving/hypermiling concepts;

• you're comfortable being interviewed in print, on radio or on TV.

The hypermiling point isn't strictly required - I know a few of you don't give a hoot about technique, and are only interested in "built in" efficiency. (Nuts! :p)

Interested? Feel free to reply to this post or PM me or Ben.

Thanks!
Darin

Cool - one well qualified volunteer already PM'd. That was fast. Thanks!

MetroMPG -

Good idea. In my experience, the media wants to do stories ASAP, so a virtual-rolodex of volunteers would be good. You should have multiple volunteers in different regions because they may not be able to respond in time.

I'd be happy to be a backup in LA, but I think that the media would want to interview someone with a newer car, i.e. a hybrid. Older cars like mine are more appropriate in a documentary format where lots of people are presenting all sorts of cars. Since my car is out of production, I think it's less of a draw for the media. I think they would want to present a brand new car, because they would be "selling" the car at the same time.

Basjoos car is special because it really stands out. Someone out to do that to a car still in production ( after the warranty expires, ;) ).

CarloSW2

Thanks for stepping up. Want to PM me your phone number to keep on file?

I wouldn't be surprised to see the media deem the "ecomodding" angle newsworthy in itself, even if the car is older. Plus, not as many hybrid owners are into mods as are into hypermiling exclusively.

In the unlikely event someone is needing an interview around WV you can give them my info. http://rthompson.us/about/ for contact info.

Cool... I really don't qualify as I haven't done any permanent modifications due to time....

BUT... There's a possibility that I might be interviewed on a non local national radio of the public variety.. If you catch what I'm saying.... I know the subject - not sure on the details as of yet... Given the right questions, perhaps I can mention hypermiling and the site :)

Well THAT would get you a free sticker! :D

Sounds exciting. Please keep us up to date.

And a kiss.

If you get some reporter wanting to do a story near minneapolis/central MN, have them drop me a line. I'll PM my contact info.

I'm in, PM on the way.
S.

I'd cover the north of seattle area. I'm doing some obvious exterior mods to my crx. Also, My reverse trike draws alot of attention. Drivable but not skinned or licensed. still working out overheating bugs with the air cooled honda 350. was hoping for 75+ mpg once completed.

Excellent -thanks to all who have replied here and via PM so far.

Paul - could you PM me your phone no. or preferred contact method to add to the roll-o-desk?

Coincidentally, a few hours after starting this thread, a reporter from CNET news.com contacted me and several others here looking for images of ecomodded cars for an upcoming online article.

OK, now I'm scared. ;)

It would probably be a good idea to develop a press kit of some sort and have it ready to send out that covers the basics. That way the reporter can get up to speed quickly on what happens on this site and then they can get whatever additional information they want and have the story together without you having to keep answering the same basic questions over and over.

True, true. The idea has been on the spiralling out of control to-do list for some time. :)

Actually, I figure the What is Ecomodding? post could serve as the foundation for just such an info kit. A press version needs to be fleshed out with examples & contact info.

noo noo noo i still have no paint , my ride aint purty yet. Hey there's the idea for Discovery Chanel "ECOMOD My Ride" I called it. I get royalty rights.
Imagine~~~~~~~~~~ 1979 Lincoln Town Car~~~~~~~~~~
Plug-in Hybrid Conversion
Aero everything
Lighten to the max, (from the factory, 5700 #)
orig 11mpg
New 22mpg

I woulda kept mine
S.

I'd love to see an Insight, Prius, or Golf TDI aeromodded to the max and see what kind of mileage improvement you could get out of them.

Just an update to this topic:

Since starting this thread, a number of media outlets have contacted various Ecomodder members to do interviews:

• A BBC radio reporter contacted basjoos about his Aerocivic
• AndrewJ gave a phone interview to an Edmunds.com writer (story has yet to appear)
• both Ben (SVOboy) and I have spoken with a CNET news.com writer about a piece that will probably appear this week

I'm still seeing the occasional new user registration using e-mail addresses that are obviously from media outlets.

So again, I'll put it out there that if anyone who hasn't yet offered would be interested in speaking to the media in your area, should they come asking, send me a PM with your full name, address & phone no. & I'll add you to the EM rolodex.

To the half dozen who have already done so, thanks!

Darin

Great idea to get volunteers and be ready for questions.

I am not really all ecomodded out yet, but I plan to eventually be a "GO TO" on electric vehicles running on renewable energy!

Gotta make my electrics look pretty too! ( time for more paint.....)

Ben, your bike is a great ecomodded project in itself!

I will not rest until it looks like a TRON cycle.

All electric - instant accelleration - and the ability to make right angle turns...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...n_Advanced.png

http://www.smallartworks.ca/ArtPage/LightCycle.JPG

Too bad light cycles only came in yellow, blue, and red. Maybe I need to make a GREEN one!

Yeah, Ben - send Mr Doggett a note. Your motorbike is a fantastic example of ecomodding.

I just got off the phone from a 17 minute interview with Scott Doggett.

He said he would send out an e-mail when his article is ready.

I just hope I added some useful information for his story!

The BBC radio interview didn't pan out. Between some 12 hour shifts at work, the minimal business hours overlap between the UK and North America time zones, and their program deadline, they weren't able to contact me to time. But now the people at "Carolina Traveler", a general interest show based out of a Charlotte, NC TV station, are interested in doing a segment on my car.

That sounds a little easier to coordinate.

Another thing about the BBC interest that had me scratching my head ... how well would the Aerocivic have translated on the radio? It's a visual topic, best suited to web/print/tv.

Keep us posted on the the TV show. That sounds interesting.

---

Bennelson: I also talked to Scott on the phone this morning. Fun stuff!

The editor of "Missouri Life" magazine wants to do some sort of article about ecomodders, so if anyone of you out there in Missouri are interested post up or PM some contact info, so I can forward it to her.

Why weren't you doing it when you were back home? Perhaps Rick will be around in time for this?

Interesting. Andrew - did they contact you directly?

I"m in Missouri, but we don't want pictures of my car associated with ecomodding ;)

Rick or Lovemysan would be better candidates, IMO.

Subscribing to thread_

You could say that, she's an in-law. They're always looking for new stories, and she said they wanted something to go in their "green" issue.

Had the "Carolina Traveler" TV interview. Its suppose to be broadcast in May on WCNC out of Charlotte. They were trying to play it up a bit with the "can you get a girl friend with a car that looks like this" aspect of my unconventional looking car and spent some time at a gas station asking people if they would do this to their car if it could get them 70mpg. I tried to pass along a few hypermiling tips while I was driving the car and some of the history of low Cd cars. Also mentioned that drafting offers little benefit for a car with as low a Cd as mine (to the usual question of drafting to improve mileage).

Maybe we just need to start some sort of "hypermileing is sexy" campaign?


Ohhh. Look at that car, it's has such a LOW resistance to air.... [/sexyvoice]


But chicks dig motorcycles no matter how nerdy they are, right!?!?! Right?!!?

Ben, I'll let you know when I get my Trail 90 on the road. Maybe we should do an A-B-A test with leather jackets.

P.S. I'm thinking of joining a moped gang.

I'm still learning but I wouldn't mind helping the cause..

that and I'm modding a truck, so that gets a little more shock factor lol

maybe I can pickup a sponcer so I can have my bedside repaired from a black ice snafu in Tahoe ;)