Dan and Matt's Xero Journal 3
Relocation, relocation, relocation
“The times they are a changin”; six very obvious words written by that man armed with a guitar and talent for a rhyme, Bob Dylan, in 1964.Time ticks on, people grow older, hairs become greyer and every ten years or so someone digs out some thousand year old prophesy normally involving some remote South American tribe predicting the world will end. Well it’s been a while since I checked but as far as I know it hasn’t, not yet anyway.
You see I’m in a thoughtful mood today, as for for the past three weeks or so myself and my good friend Mathew have been out on the road exhibiting our lovely green products to the Great British public. And while I have been greatly encouraged by words of support from the vast majority of the people who have given their time to say a kind word and wish the company luck, it has got me thinking about the task ahead for zero emission vehicles.
I am currently sitting at a computer with my mobile phone to the left of me, Ipod to the right, and here I am stuck in the middle typing to you. 30 or 40 years ago I would have been flapping at a typewriter and listening to a gramophone, probably while smoking a pipe and wearing a monocle, the fact is things change and quickly too. People expect better, faster, more impressive technology, and this is an ethos that is killing the natural world, particularly when it comes to cars. This is the first time in the teleological path of humanity that to help save our environment, we have to make a little sacrifice in our technology. I have no doubt that in the not too distant future electric vehicles will be more than comparable in terms of range and top speed with that of fossil fuelled vehicles. It’s just that initial push that people need. I’d point to this little beauty of a story as a prime example of this.
Attitude and perception challenging is what we do here at Xero, so petrol heads, diesel divas and coal carnivores, we are coming for you. To get the word out about the fact that despite BP’s best efforts to convert seawater into an alternative fuel source, electric vehicles really are the transport of the future, Mathew and I have been manning the stand at CostCo HQ and soaking up the rays at the wonderful sun drenched Polo in the Park. There is nothing quite like direct customer interaction to gauge peoples reaction to new technology, ranging from the initially suspicious (“this is electric?”) to the enthusiastic eco fighters we all want to be (“This is electric! Wow!”). Little by little, the message is spreading. Indeed those jokers over at Radio 4 are attempting to drive aimlessly around Europe in an electric car, just to see if it’s possible. Well I can tell you it is, so round of applause please. Follow those crazy cats here… if you dare…
Now, as Colombo would say “Just one more thing”. As I have already mentioned, Polo in the Park was very much a fun occasion for myself and the company. Polo is an interesting game, originally used hundreds of years ago to train the Calvary how to fight at close quarters and now used as a sport to amuse a mainly upper-class audience. So in essence it has gone from being a transport method designed to hurt into a jolly good day out. I can’t help but wonder if in a hundred years time people will sit around a field, Pimms in hand, flowery hat on head, brightly coloured chinos on leg, watching people ride around on Harley Davidson’s asking themselves how the human race could once be so nasty to mother Earth. Just a thought.
These Times are indeed-a changing.
Dan and Matt
