# [EVDL] Glamor shots of my Electric Bug and the CHP



## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

hey, I didn't know you could get white stickers on a conversion, cool! D=
id you have to do any fancy stuff at the DMV? I assume as least a re-ins=
pection to change 'motive power' to electric on the title, right? We hav=
e a white stickered Civic GX (my wife's daily driver/HOV lane flyer), I had=
not looked into whether I could do it with a conversion yet. I have no =
personal need for my daily driver, but it would still be cool to have it 

Never got pulled over in the GX, btw. Worried a bit about it in the days=
just after the hybrids got kicked out (worried whether CHP would know the =
difference since our car looks just like a hybrid except for the HOV sticke=
r color), but no problems.

david.


________________________________
From: corbin dunn <[email protected]>
To: EVDL Discussion List <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2011 8:41 AM
Subject: [EVDL] Glamor shots of my Electric Bug and the CHP

Hi All,
Here's a few "glamor shots" I took of my bug last weekend:

http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2011/09/plug-bug-glamor-shots/

How many people in California have gotten pulled over by the California Hig=
hway Patrol (CHP) for driving in the carpool lane? I've been pulled over tw=
ice. Once was last week. The cop saw me in the carpool lane and pulled in b=
ehind me. She tailgated me for a few miles, but didn't turn on her lights. =
I figured I wasn't doing anything wrong, so I kept going until I finally fi=
gured she might want to pull me over. So, I made my way to the right hand s=
houlder and she turned on her lights. After I gave her the papers for my di=
amond lane "access ok" silver sticker, she said she was sorry, and that the=
silver sticker blended in with the bumper too well. I told her, "well, I d=
on't blame you -- there aren't many cars from the '60s that can drive solo =
in the carpool lane!". =


--corbin

(General bug info: http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/plug-bug/ )

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## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

Hi David,
Yeah, it was tricky getting the mode of power converted to E and doing it. I've also heard that for some other people they rejected the sticker application; I may have gotten really lucky!

I documented my process:

http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2011/02/plug-bug-dmv-process-registering-a-home-built-ev/
http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2011/02/plug-bug-dmv-has-it-registered-as-an-e/

corbin



> David Ladd wrote:
> 
> > hey, I didn't know you could get white stickers on a conversion, cool! Did you have to do any fancy stuff at the DMV? I assume as least a re-inspection to change 'motive power' to electric on the title, right? We have a white stickered Civic GX (my wife's daily driver/HOV lane flyer), I had not looked into whether I could do it with a conversion yet. I have no personal need for my daily driver, but it would still be cool to have it
> >
> ...


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## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

I've already got my car registered as an "E". I guess I can try sending in
8 bucks with the DMV form and see what happens. I had tried researching
this before a few years ago, but the guy I was in contact with told me that
I had to get the vehicle tested on a dynamo at the BAR and it would take
about 3 days. I couldn't believe that the process would be so difficult to
ascertain that my vehicle has no emissions.

I can't wait to get pulled over!

-D



> corbin dunn <[email protected]>wrote:
> 
> > Hi David,
> > Yeah, it was tricky getting the mode of power converted to E and doing it.
> ...


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## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

> Daniel Busby wrote:
> 
> > I've already got my car registered as an "E". I guess I can try sending in
> > 8 bucks with the DMV form and see what happens. I had tried researching
> ...


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## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

My car is currently registered and insured as a '74 Super Beetle. That year is exempt from smog testing so if I so choose I can just leave things the way they are, unless somebody tells me different. One drawback is that the insurer (AAA) has it covered as that car at whatever the blue book is, and I have quite a bit of money in it. What are the ramifications of telling them that it's a home EV conversion?

- Gene

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of corbin dunn
Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2011 9:26 AM
To: David Ladd; Electric Vehicle Discussion List
Subject: Re: [EVDL] Glamor shots of my Electric Bug and the CHP

Hi David,
Yeah, it was tricky getting the mode of power converted to E and doing it. I've also heard that for some other people they rejected the sticker application; I may have gotten really lucky!

I documented my process:

http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2011/02/plug-bug-dmv-process-registering-a-home-built-ev/
http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2011/02/plug-bug-dmv-has-it-registered-as-an-e/

corbin



> David Ladd wrote:
> 
> > hey, I didn't know you could get white stickers on a conversion, cool!
> > Did you have to do any fancy stuff at the DMV? I assume as least a
> ...


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## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

My experience with AAA is that they gave me different answers every time I
called to inquire. Before my conversion was on the road I called them and
they said it'd be no problem to insure. When my conversion was finished, I
called again and they said they couldn't insure it. So, I thanked them for
their time and just called back 20 minutes later. That person was able to
insure me with basic liability, but not comprehensive. They did, however,
give me info of someone who does comprehensive coverage on the more unique
vehicles. My car is a '64 Spitfire so perhaps that was also confusing
them. Anyway, they certainly are covering my car as a conversion.

-D



> Gene Stopp <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> > My car is currently registered and insured as a '74 Super Beetle. That year
> > is exempt from smog testing so if I so choose I can just leave things the
> ...


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## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

With GEICO, I have basic liability at the standard 1995 S-10 pickup
rate. The (georgia) title shows that the fuel is "E" which I assume the
geico computers pick up but don't care about. (when I gave them my VIN
number they knew the year/make/model of the truck).

I am also sure that I could get comprehensive insurance for the blue
book value of a 1995 S-10 pickup if I wanted it. I expect that I would
have to ask for some type of extra (more expensive) insurance to insure
it for it's actual value. (Declared value insurance, for custom cars,
etc...something like that...)

Jay

On 09/21/2011 03:23 PM, Daniel Busby wrote:
> My experience with AAA is that they gave me different answers every time I
> called to inquire. Before my conversion was on the road I called them and
> they said it'd be no problem to insure. When my conversion was finished, I
> called again and they said they couldn't insure it. So, I thanked them for
> their time and just called back 20 minutes later. That person was able to
> insure me with basic liability, but not comprehensive. They did, however,
> give me info of someone who does comprehensive coverage on the more unique
> vehicles. My car is a '64 Spitfire so perhaps that was also confusing
> them. Anyway, they certainly are covering my car as a conversion.
> 
> -D
> 
>


> Gene Stopp <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> My car is currently registered and insured as a '74 Super Beetle. That year
> >> is exempt from smog testing so if I so choose I can just leave things the
> ...


----------



## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

You folks in CA have more options. I was told flat-out by one agent I
called that if I lived in CA they would insure my GEM, but in Ohio,
nada. I was finally able to sign on with State Farm with no further
difficulties.

- Cal Frye

On 9/21/11 3:23 PM, Daniel Busby wrote:
> My experience with AAA is that they gave me different answers every time I
> called to inquire. Before my conversion was on the road I called them and
> they said it'd be no problem to insure. When my conversion was finished, I
> called again and they said they couldn't insure it. So, I thanked them for
> their time and just called back 20 minutes later. That person was able to
> insure me with basic liability, but not comprehensive. They did, however,
> give me info of someone who does comprehensive coverage on the more unique
> vehicles. My car is a '64 Spitfire so perhaps that was also confusing
> them. Anyway, they certainly are covering my car as a conversion.
> 
> -D
> 
>


> Gene Stopp <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> My car is currently registered and insured as a '74 Super Beetle. That year
> >> is exempt from smog testing so if I so choose I can just leave things the
> ...


----------



## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

In 25 years I have never had any problems getting coverage with Westfield 
National, through a local independent agent. I have a stated value policy.

Recently I inquired with another independent agent (looking for a lower 
rate) and he had two different companies in mind. Neither had a problem 
insuring an EV. One of them was Grange. I don't recall the name of the 
other.

So ... I recommend local independent agents. If one can't or won't help, 
try another.

David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA
EVDL Administrator

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## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

I have my Honda del Sol conversion insured with a local independent agent
and Auto Owners Insurance. It is also a "declared value" policy so I have
the value stated at the purchase cost of the conversion rather than the book
value of a standard del Sol. They do warn you that they pay the lower of
the declared value or current actual value, so it pays to keep receipts and
other documentation of value.

I moved away from State Farm because they wouldn't insure a home-built
conversion. I'm pretty sure my agent went to bat for me like he said
because he lost a 20+ year customer covering 4 vehicles, home policy and
umbrella liability, largely because they wouldn't insure my conversion.

I haven't had a claim so I don't know how it will all work out if I do.

Mike

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On
> Behalf Of Gene Stopp
> Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2011 12:50 PM
> To: Electric Vehicle Discussion List; David Ladd
> Subject: Re: [EVDL] Glamor shots of my Electric Bug and the CHP
> 
> My car is currently registered and insured as a '74 Super Beetle. That
year is
> exempt from smog testing so if I so choose I can just leave things the way
> they are, unless somebody tells me different. One drawback is that the
> insurer (AAA) has it covered as that car at whatever the blue book is, and
I
> have quite a bit of money in it. What are the ramifications of telling
them that
> it's a home EV conversion?
> 
> - Gene
> 


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## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

The process is much simpler in Idaho. As far as I can tell, they don't care
about the fuel change on the title, but I was getting bugged about getting
my emissions checked by the county. I wrote a letter to the Department of
Environmental Quality (Idaho State), took the car to them, and opened the
hood. They looked at it and basically said: "Yep. Looks like an electric
conversion." They admired the other parts and we shook hands. A few days
later I got a letter with an exemption.

We don't have new-fangled things like electric vehicle certification or
car-pool lanes here. Boise City does some ZEV certification for parking,
but I've never bothered.

Mike

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On
> Behalf Of corbin dunn
> Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2011 12:33 PM
> To: Electric Vehicle Discussion List
> Subject: Re: [EVDL] Glamor shots of my Electric Bug and the CHP
> 
> 
>


> Daniel Busby wrote:
> >
> > > I've already got my car registered as an "E". I guess I can try
> > > sending in
> ...


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## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

> My car is currently registered and insured as a '74 Super Beetle. That
> year is exempt from smog testing so if I so choose I can just leave things
> the way they are, unless somebody tells me different. One drawback is that
> the insurer (AAA) has it covered as that car at whatever the blue book is,
> and I have quite a bit of money in it. What are the ramifications of
> telling them that it's a home EV conversion?
>
> - Gene

In my case AAA would not touch my EV. AAA, known as California State Auto
Assn. in the wonderful state of California, is a very ######### company.

My recommendation is to keep your mouth shut with AAA. If you want a
stated value insurance policy on your EV, find another insurance company.

I did years ago. And never looked back on AAA. I do have AAA tow
service, which I highly recommend, especially with 36 personal cars and
trucks. And AAA will tow your EV.

Russ Kaufmann

RUSSCO Engineering

http://russcoev.com

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