Inspired by an old friend in California, I have recently (end 2015) dusted off my 5 billion dollar project after a ten year pause. Solar electric passenger and goods utility vehicles is, all round, my best project ever. So simple, so correct and so far ahead of it’s time. SUVs (!) have roots back to 1979 when I first expressed it as The Composite Solar Electric Diesel Car.
After a diversion to AFRICAR in the 1980s I continued with the solar electric element in the 1990s and into the new millennium. After three attempted start-ups the project came to a temporary dead end stop in 2005 in France, actually in Monaco.
There a director of EDF told me: “Monsieur ‘owarth, Je vous DETESTE. Je vous DETESTE. Your solar vehicles work, we have tested them, but they do not use a Watt of MY electricity. That is why I hate you. I will stop you...”
Could hardly fault his logic, but would wish he hadn’t sprayed my face, flecks of saliva all over the place, as he said it.
Still too far ahead of our time, I thought. Used to be fifty years, now probably twenty. Best wait a while.
Ten years on, end of 2015, I ran the concept past a friend in the financial services business in Los Angeles. “You certainly were ahead of your time, Tony. But now, unfortunately for the world, the time is now!”, he said.
Need to move fast, I thought. If this is “the time” we are already behind. Need to get back in front. So how do we do it. After 4 attempted start-ups with a project for products which even make bankers smile when they drive them, one develops and refines a very clear idea of how it could all work. Goes something like this:
Choose a start-up location
Local markets
Local Investment
Locally available technology
Local potential for outsourcing
Locally available staff
– Southern California ticks all these boxes
Update and value existing elements
Tested concept prototypes
Product definitions
Product specifications
Market definitions
Marketing plan
Production plan
Expansion plan
– All unique concepts and tangibles.
Stage I
$1 million, year 1 funding
"Fighting" fund to raise Stage II funding
Update demonstration/concept vehicles
Move project to California
Re-structure project for California
– Identify site location and key staff
Stage II
$25 million funding for next 2 years
Confidential stage, operating in secrecy
Final design, development and productionising
Common component, modular construction
Multi-model system for niche markets
First models, tried and tested
– Ready for quantity production
Stage III
$250 million funding to first sustainability
Launch, establishing brand
Production to 12,500 units a year
Expansion to 25,000 units a year
Second expansion to 50,000 units a year
–
Timetable Less than 3 years
Stage IV
Capitalisation as required
Expansion US-wide, Worldwide
Wholly owned or franchised ?
First target 1 million units a year
Second target 2.5 million units a year
Third target 10 million units a year
–
Timetable, less than 10 years
tony@oscarco.com
OSCarCo?
The Original Solar Car Company