ThinkCure! Bike Challenge | Sunday Nov 14, 2010

Photo of my dad and I in Saigon, Vietnam circa 1975 chillin’ on his baby blue Vespa


The Lams have experienced 3 very tragic cancer episodes and have lost our love ones to this terrible disease. We have lost our Grandma, my father and just this past weekend our auntie Anh to cancer. This is a very sad week for the Lams, but it is also a bittersweet feeling knowing that the scientific cancer research community is gaining grounds in search of a cure for cancer for future generations. We feel so helpless witnessing our love ones in the hospital being consumed by cancer and ThinkCure! Bike Challenge is one way we can empower ourselves and help fight the battle against cancer.

To celebrate their lives, our studio has formed Team Lam to help support this cause and we hope you will find it in your heart to help this wonderful cause with your generous donation. Better yet, come join in the fun with Team Lam and ride with us to help raise more money for this cause. Any amount is appreciated. We are hoping to raise $500 and know that we can make this goal in no time. Please help us spread the word and copy the link below to your friends and help us raise our $500 goal for this wonderful cause.

Team Lam's ThinkCure! donation site: http://www.thinkcure.org/goto/teamLAM

click here >> to Join Team Lam



Q&A's

1. What is the ThinkCure! Bike Challenge?

ThinkCure! Community Ride is a 22 mile bike ride of family-friendly fun. We will cruise on the 110 freeway into Pasadena and ride on their beautiful streets and then finish the ride at Dodger Stadium. There will also be a Metric Century (63 miles) and a Century (100 miles) ride also happening on the same day.

2. When is the ThinkCure! Bike Challenge?

All three rides take place on Sunday, November 14th, 2010, while the ThinkCure! Health & Wellness Festival will begin Friday the 12th and run through Sunday the 14th of November. They'll start in the early morning, but sign up for emails and check back later for exact times!

3. Who is ThinkCure!?

ThinkCure! is an innovative, community-based nonprofit that raises funds to accelerate collaborative research to cure cancer. They rely on community support, calling on everyone in the community to get involved and make a difference in the fight against cancer. ThinkCure! is the official charity of the Los Angeles Dodgers and has already donated over $600,000.00 to the fight for a cure since its inception in 2007.

4. How Much Does it Cost to Enter the ThinkCure! Bike Challenge?

There is a $50 activation fee along with a $50 minimum fundraising commitment for the 22 mile Community Ride and a $100 activation fee and $1500 minimum fundraising commitment for the other two Challenge Rides. The ThinkCure! Bike Challenge is a community fundraiser to fight cancer, not just a cycling event.

5. Is there a Fundraising Requirement?

Yes. The Community Ride’s minimum fundraising requirement is $50 while both Challenge rides have a fundraising minimum of $1500. This is in addition to the activation fees. The main focus of the ThinkCure! Bike Challenge is to raise money to fight cancer through collaborative research at City of Hope and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

6. Is The ThinkCure! Bike Challenge a Charity Event?

Yes. The proceeds from the ride will go through the ThinkCure! grant process, which gives the money to collaborative cancer research at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and City of Hope.

7. What happens if I don’t meet my fundraising minimum by the recommitment date?

If you have not reached your fundraising minimum by our recommitment date, ThinkCure! will notify you and charge your credit card the remaining balance. Riders can continue to fundraise up to December 14th to reach their goal and ThinkCure! will refund the previous charge to your credit card.

8. Are donations tax deductible?

Yes. As a 501c(3) charity all of your donations and your supporters donations to ThinkCure! are tax deductible. Activation fees are not tax deductible.

9. Where will the ride take place?

All three rides will begin and end at Dodger Stadium and will leave via the historic 110 Freeway. The Community Ride will loop through the beautiful City of Pasadena before heading back to Dodger Stadium. The Metric Century Challenge ride will skirt the base of the San Gabriel Mountains before heading back to Dodger Stadium while the 100 Mile Challenge Ride will go over the top of the challenging Glendora Mountain Road.

10. Do I have to wear a helmet?

Yes. Safety is our first priority so helmets are required for all participants. To learn more about bike safety be sure to attend one of the bike safety seminars at the ThinkCure! Health & Wellness Festival.

11. How old do I have to be to participate?

Riders must be 18 to participate in either Challenge ride. The Community Ride is open to adults and children 10-17 with parental permission. Children 9 and under must be accompanied by an adult with either a bike trailer or bike extensions.

12. Is this a race?

No. The ThinkCure! Bike Challenge is a ride designed to get the community together to support the fight against cancer. There will be no timing and aggressive dangerous riding is not allowed. While many of the roads, including the 110 Freeway, will be closed, all riders must still follow the rules of the road and challenge riders must be aware of traffic on open roads.

13. What type of bike would be best for the ThinkCure! Bike Challenge?

Any bike in good and safe working order will be fine for the 22 mile Community Ride. The Challenge rides will offer more difficult terrain and a longer day in the saddle. A multi gear road bike would be the best choice but even a mountain bike will do.

14. Can I listen to an iPod or use a cell phone during the ThinkCure! Bike Challenge?

No. In order to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone using headphones or riding while distracted by your cell phone is strongly discouraged. This is a community event. Take the time to enjoy the ride and get to know the riders next to you!

15. Should I bring a water bottle?

Yes. In fact, Challenge riders should bring 2. Hydration is perhaps the most important consideration when spending a day on the bike and there will be many pit stops along the route to refill your bottles.

16. What will be available at the Pit Stops?

Pit Stops will have stations to refill your bottles as well as nutrition provided by ThinkCure! Bike Challenge sponsors. You can also expect to see fruit, pretzels, PB&J Sandwiches as well as other snacks. There will also be designated Lunch Stops with sandwiches and additional healthy foods.

17. Can my family or friends support me from a personal SAG vehicle?

No. Personal SAG vehicles are not allowed to ensure the safety of all participants. The definition of a personal SAG is any non-staff motor vehicle that is providing any type of aid, assistance, or motivation to any rider.

18. Are Tandem Bikes welcome on the ThinkCure! Bike Challenge?

Yes. Tandems are very welcome. Just remember, fundraising is per person not per bike so both riders will have to pay their activation fee and meet the minimum fundraising requirement for the ride they have chosen.

19. Is bike storage available at the ThinkCure! Health & Wellness Festival?

Yes. Bicycle Valet will be offered at the ThinkCure! Health & Wellness Festival.

20. How can my Friends and Family who aren’t riding support me during the ride itself?

The ThinkCure! Health & Wellness Festival is free open to the public to allow your friends and family to be there to cheer you on as well as take advantage of the vendors, informational seminars, and health food. Your friends and family can also volunteer to make the ThinkCure! Bike Challenge a safe and successful event for everyone. Send an email to volunteer@thinkcurebikechallenge.org for more information.

21. What Vendors will be at the ThinkCure! Health & Wellness Festival?

Brands that put a priority on Health & Wellness will be there to share their knowledge and products with everyone at the ThinkCure! Health & Wellness Festival. Check back for a complete list of Vendors in the near future as the festival takes shape.


Check out one of ThinkCure! Ride Challenge upcoming information meetings for all of the details on their upcoming Training Program!

Thursday, July 8, 2010
Pasadena Cyclery
1670 East Walnut Street
Pasadena, CA 91106
7:00-8:30 PM

Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Bay Shore Neighborhood Library
195 Bay Shore Ave
Long Beach, CA 90803
6:00-7:00 PM

Thursday, July 15, 2010
REI-Manhattan Beach
1800 Rosecrans Ave
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
7:00-8:30 PM

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
REI-Santa Monica
402 Santa Monica Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401
7:00-8:30 PM

For info:

thinkcure.org

Team Lam's ThinkCure! donation site: thinkcure.org/goto/teamLAM

To join Team Lam email our studio at info(at)stevenlamphotography.com

Music For The Soul

Music plays such an important part in our lives that it would be unimaginable to live without it. When we hear a particular song, it usually brings up some special moment from our past. Music is so powerful that it can heal and touch your soul and emotions. Music can inspire change for a whole generation. In fact, Music is one of the few art form that does not require any special skill, intellect or the understanding of the inner workings of the masterpiece in order for you to appreciate it. The beauty of music is you don't need a high brow art enthusiast over intellectualizing it to death just to influence or dictate who, what and how you should listen to music. There are no wrongs or rights, we all experience and interpret music differently and that's the magic of this alluring work of art. Music can be felt directly in your heart. It can also tapped into your emotional senses evoking those warm and fuzzy feelings all over your body. Even a newborn loves music despite their lack of understanding the conceptual world that we live and play in. For the baby, there is no past or future, just the precious present momment is all that matters. With that said, we wanted to share a few tracks that we personally love and enjoy (not in any particular order). These songs would also work beautifully for a newlywed's first dance...a good chance you might just get goose bumps from listening to them or shed a few happy tears of joy. Cheers!



1. Magic by Colbie Caillat (Album version on Coco and Piano Version on Coco: Summer Sessions)

2.'Til Summer Comes Around by Keith Urban

3. Only You Can Love Me This Way by Keith Urban

4. She Thinks She Needs Me by Andy Griggs

5. I Need You (With Tim McGraw) by Faith Hill

6. You Do Something To Me by Paul Weller

7. This Is Love by Kelly Rowland

8. Love Is You by Chrisette Michele (bonus track)

9. Someone Like You by Dina Carroll

10. A Song For You by Donny Hathaway


We also wanted to share artists that help inspire us in or out of our studio.

Annie
Röyksopp
Phoenix
Electric Light Orchestra aka ELO
Michael Jackson
Beatles
John Lennon
Wax Poetic
Tracy Thorn
Roy Ayers
Kylie Minoque
Lady Gaga
Mariah Carey
MGMT
MFSB
DJ CAM
The Psychedelic Furs
Blondie
Colbie Caillat
Eagles
Marvin Gaye
Donny Hathaway
Akon
R. Kelly
Journey
Bobbi Humprey
America
Bill Wither
T-Pain
Sonic Youth
ABC
Kool & The Gang
Kaskade
Ben Watt
The English Beat
Air
Supertramp
The Clash
Dead Prez
John Coltrane
John Digweed
Jamiroquai
L.L.Cool.J
Hot Toddy
Hall and Oats
Groove Armada
Radiohead
Santigold
Pete Tong
Anything produced by Neptunes
Sade
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Michael Nyman
Steel Pulse
Weekend Players
Jazzanova

Shvona + Ted

We wanted to share a couple of photos from Shvona and Ted's gorgeous wedding in Malibu. It was a star studded intimate beach wedding with guests like John Legend (yupe the singer) and Lisa Ling to name a few. We even had the pleasure of hearing John Lengend sing for the couple's first dance, what a treat that was. Even Snoop Dogg who was on tour had a surprise video message for the newlywed. We wanted to respect and protect our client's privacy so we will not be showing any of the photos online with the exception of these images. We would be more than happy to share the images with you during our consultation at our studio. Enjoy.

Topeak TrolleyTote Folding MTX Rear Bicycle Basket

We found this amazing cute little darling Folding cart from Topeak, famous for their MTX QuickTrack quick release system and this cart just totally adds another dimension of fun to our urban biking lifestyle. This cart is a nice modern reinterpretation of the old school milk crate that have been made famous by DJ's all over the world using it to store their prized vinyl collections. In this modern remix of the cart, it is much smaller in size (13.4” x 17.4” x 10.1” when open) compared to the milk cart but is totally has more spunk, full of personality wit with it's numerous ingenious design details.

We really appreciate the well thought out design and aesthetics of this cart. First off the telescoping handle is very smooth. Once the handle is pulled all the way up it locks in place nicely. Problem is when you collapse the telescoping handle back down it does not lock in place so you won't be able to carry the folding trolley with it's handle (a minor design flaw that I hope will be revised on the next generation). The folding and expanding of the cart is beautifully engineered to perfection. the plastic used feels very sturdy and there are two additional items inside the walls of the cart that allows you to strengthen the cart once it is fully open. On the two opposing folding walls, there is a yellow sliding locking mechanism which will slide to lock both wall panel to prevent accidental folding of the wall. There are also two removable 4 inches caps that you can lock the tops of the same opposing folding wall's rim to keep it's sturdy structure nice and rigid. The wheels are very smooth. One other design oversight that would be great to implement on the next generation is having the proper size holes on the bottom part of the 4 walls to accommodate the cargo net hooks for a quick and easy hook and release. At the moment the cargo net hooks is a bit tedious to latch onto the cart but it's not a deal breaker. Despite the minor design flaws, it is still the best cart available on the market working with Topeak's QuickTrack rear bike rack on our frequent trips to the local grocery store and farmers market. The basket will even fit a small camera bag nicely for my digital SLR. On my recent grocery trip to Fresh and Easy, I was able to fit 4 bags of carrots, 2 bags of celeries, a bag of onions, a bag of nectarines and my bike lock nicely. The trolley sits a few inches away from the seat and the cart has enough clearance from our butt while riding which means Topeak actually have field tested this product for real life usability and functionality, kudos to the R&D and design team! The Topeak TrolleyTote Folding MTX Rear Bicycle Basket is a joy to own and it is the perfect companion for all outings.

Please note that you will need to have the Topeak MTX Explorer rack to use the folding basket in order for the basket to sit securely on the rack. Using this basket on universal rear bike racks is highly not recommended.

Specs:

Capacity 25 L / 1525 ci

Added features: Foldable Frame, Telescopic Grip, Trolley wheels, Clip for tail light, Optional Cargo Net

Size (L x W x H):
34 x 35.8 x 14.2 cm
13.4” x 14.1”x 5.6” (Folded)
34 x 44.3 x 35.8 cm
13.4” x 17.4” x 10.1” (Open)

Weight: 1800 g / 4 lbs

Biking Safety + Fun

May is the official Bike to Work month so we thought we would share a few nifty bicycle accessories to keep you safe on the road and having fun during your ride.

One of the most important thing when you are riding your bike with friends is not having the proper communication tools, instead we find ourselves yelling out warning and instructions like make a left at the next light, etc. Well BlueAnt has this clever device that you can finally talk to each other via bluetooth called interphone. There are two modes, you can either sync to pair your headsets so you can talk to each other while riding or when you're riding solo, you can have it synced up to your iPhone via Bluetooth as well. Although we use the interphone originally for scooting around town on our electric scooter. We repurpose the interphone system for our bicycle riding helmet and it works like a charm. The Interphone is incredibly helpful when riding in groups or in pairs. Being able to communicate with each other is vital while riding to avoid those pot holes, warning other riders of emergency stops, etc. Since the actual interphone unit is detachable, we order two extra mike boom accessory kits and rigged it up on our bike helmet in no time. Come to think of it, this would be sweet on my snowboarding helmet as well. P.S. BlueAnt also has a great little bluetooth Speakerphone device called Supertooth 3 for the car and it works seamlessly for those who wants to have the hands free driving experience without wearing a bluetooth ear or headset. The battery will last up to two weeks on standby mode and the unit will automatically sync to your bluetooth enable cell phone like the iPhone when you get in your car without even taking your iPhone out of your bag. How's that for convenience!



The other product from iHome that is a must have for all music lover is the iHome2go iPod Speaker System. This is a safe and effective way to listen to your iPod while riding your bike. The housing of the speaker is made in the shape of a water bottle and it also holds the iPod inside nicely protecting it from all the shock that you put through during your ride. Speaker is decent, good quality sounds. Best part of the iHome2go ipod speaker system is the wireless remote control that can be attached to your handle bar to control your iPod (Stop, Play, Next Track, Previous Track and volume up and down). This little guy has made our rides around town so much more enjoyable. And we always get a kick out of people staring at us wondering where the music is coming from.

Happy trails...




Blue Ant Interphone Bluetooth intercom system. New generation F4



Blue Ant Interphone Bluetooth intercom system (first generation) on a motorcycle helmet



iHome2go iPod Speaker System


Attachment on bike to hold the speaker, carrying case, wireless remote for the handle bar sitting on top of the speaker cover (protects the speaker when not in use)

Metro 2nd Annual Downtown LA Bike Ride 2010

Today was the 2nd Annual Downtown LA Bike Ride sponsored by Metro for Metro Bike Week LA. We heard about the fun 4 miles ride looping around downtown LA and thought this is gonna be so much fun being able to ride with other Angeleno cyclists. We started the day by heading out to Olvera Street in Downtown LA from Eagle Rock. Thank god Eagle Rock is a bike friendly town, because without all them lovely visibly marked reflective bike path lanes plastered all over town, us bikers would have a hard time trying to share the lane with those speedy drivers. Especially during peak traffic hours. Boy I tell ya some of these drivers are on auto pilot and totally do not have a clue about bikers they are sharing the streets with. Thank goodness team Lammie Pie had our bright flourescent riding jackets on. One hour later we arrived at the starting line and we were pleasantly surprised to see at least 75 other bikers, Metro staff and other local press and journalists joining in the fun. At 8:30 am we started off from Olvera Street / El Pueblo up to Civic Center, then through the Financial District to the Historic Core trekking down into Little Tokyo / Arts District and back to Olvera Street. The best part of the ride was having the LAPD Rampart Division bicycle police escort and stopping traffic through out the path as we tour the streets of downtown LA. We all did the 4 miles loop around Downtown LA in 30 minutes. A wee bit fast, but heck it was totally worth it. We met alot of wonderful people and also made a couple of friends along the way.

A big thank you to LAPD bicycle division, Metro and The City of LA for supporting this event. We had so much fun and will definitely be back for next year's ride. We hope everyone will catch on next year and join in for the fun festive ride. Heck maybe some one will be getting marry during the bike ride next year, we would love to shoot that wedding!

Psst, want more info on our bike accessories? Click here.

More info and blogs about today's ride:

2nd Annual Downtown LA Bike Ride 2010 route

Metro / The Source

LA Streets Blog

Photos on Flicker by photographer Rubin Carter

KTLA video news coverage

Intersection Photo

Congratulations to Cedric Angeles and Brown Cannon III on their launch of Intersection Photos. Intersection Photos is a boutique photo stock company specializing in high-end travel imagery available for editorial, advertising and fine art usage. Cedric and Brown are amazing accomplished photographers and have traveled around the globe for some of the most exciting and exotic photo assignments for clients such as Travel & Leisure, UK Traveler, GQ, Islands and W Magazine to name a few. So the next time you are in need of some stunning travel imagery, visit IntersectionPhotos.com.

Case Del Mar / Hotel by the Sea

Okay so it's 3am in the morning and I just can not go to sleep. My body is still running at 100mph. So I guess I will post my blog update a few days earlier than scheduled about our photo shoot at Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica (which took placed last week). We were honored and excited to shoot the ad campaign for Casa Del Mar at their Colonnade Ballroom. The Grand Ballroom has amazing ceiling and wall details with dazzling chandeliers adorning the room. Kelley of Picture Perfect Events styled the the shoot to a tee. Kelley envisioned a spectacular vibrant modern yellow wedding reception theme and we helped captured her vision on film. Of course the vision would not have come to fruition without the help of florist extraordinaire Mille Fiore Floral Studio. We love the simplicity of the color palette that was chosen for this shoot. Although colors were keep to a minimal to echo the idea of less is more, the table setting was definitely filled with tons of beautiful decor from the tea light to the gorgeous floral decor. The various mixed item like the corals to the chrome small flower vase add just the perfect accent to help highlight the table's elegance without taking the focus away from the overall focal point, definitely not an easy feat but we're glad we have our dynamic duo on our creative team.

We're so thrilled with the images that we quickly mocked up our own comp from the shoot so you can get an idea of this elegant and brilliant set up created by Picture Perfect Events and Mille Fiore. Enjoy!

Tiselle Rockin' It

Congrats to our super talented letterpress pal Tiselle for being one of three finalists of the prestigious 22nd Annual Louie Award for Best Humorous Friendship / Encouragement Card titled "WTF Braille". Tiselle also placed with her Domo Arigato! card as one of 10 finalist in the Greeting Card Category for The Stationery Trend Award. Plus they were also featured on Rock Paper Scissor Blog. Way to go guys! Just in case you don't know, Tiselle also custom designs letterpress invitations for all event profiles from gala to weddings. All of their letterpress are powered by solar panels so their cards are fun and green. More info visit Tiselle.com.

Click on the link to read all bout the wonderful world of Tiselle Letterpress + Design at RockPaperScissor.com/blog

UNIQUE LA / Spring 2010

Came out to support the numerous talented artists and our super talented letterpress queen Tianyi of Tiselle Letterpress + Design at the 2nd Annual Unique LA Spring Show. This is such a fun way to experience some of LA's most gifted artists and rare finds all under one roof. The show was held on the penthouse floor at the California Fashion Mart Building in Downtown LA. We wish we had more time even though we have spent four hours here...yikes! Highlight of the day was doing the photoshoot with Tiselle by Oh Snap Studios. Another highlight was when I finally found an original issue LP of Herbie Hancock's funky ass 70's era electro jazz album on vinyl titled Head Hunter at the Amoeba Music booth...wooooo hooooo! Amoeba is one of my favorite LA music store, they have everything under the sun folks. I've been searching for this bad boy for the last 6 years and man it is in prime condition! So peeps if you have not had a chance to check out Unique LA, please do. They have a spring and fall show annually.


Roll call (Left to Right) Steve, Carmen, Tianyi, Dan



My rare vinyl LP find of Herbie Hancock Headhunter

Bridges To Exploration

On March 27th Holly Rindge from Bridges To Exploration commissioned Steven Lam Photography to capture their Sea Creature Safari marine trip in Long Beach. We had so much fun shooting these kids on a 90 minutes marine expedition which were all winners of the non-profit organization's 1st Annual Youth Environmental Contest. We are honored to be a part of this wonderful educational program and we are so happy to see that two local online news sources (Gazettes.com and The Reader Page) featured BTE's fun and educational marine exploration field trip. Thank you Holly for such a fun photo shoot assignment.


More info and photos click on links below:

Bridges To Exploration

Gazettes.com / Sea Creatures Used As Learning Tools

The Reader Page / Students Explore Marine Science on the Sea Creature Safari

Thank You 2X

Wow, today we received two nifty props from two of our wedding couples. One we will be shooting this year and the other we shot a couple of years ago. The above ink note was from our client Maki. We love Maki's super expressive and detailed happy face and quote bubble. Maki's detail hand drawn note was done on our contract page and we are ecstatic that Maki is as excited as we are. The Facebook note was from the infamous international award winning commercial photographer Brown Cannon. Brown's body of work is simply amazing and purely spectacular. Brown has traveled the world to capture some of the most stunning portraits and travel imagery. We had the pleasure of shooting Brown's beautiful and intimate destination wedding in Oahu. We feel very blessed and humble for Brown to entrust our studio to capture his wedding. Thank you guys for such lovely notes. This is why we love our job. We have the best clientele in the world. They are kind, sincere and super talented. Notes like this inspire us to continue creating beautiful lifestyle wedding images by listening to our heart and soul rather than following the trendy status quo.

View Brown Cannon's photography at: http://browncannon3.com

WPPI 2010

We had a blast in Vegas for WPPI. This is one of the best wedding photography industry convention to attend. This year, the convention was filled with a ton of fantastic new tools for photographers to up their game. We headed to Las Vegas on a road trip with Kelley of Picture Perfect Events. Had a Chance meet up with a few friends: Loyd Calomay of Red 5 Studios and Scott Jo of Canon. Lastly ,we wrapped up the trip with a few rounds of Roulette at MGM Grand. We learned a lot and had a couple of days to relax. Now it's time to pack and get ready to head back to Los Angeles. See you soon everyone.



Photo courtesy of WPPI.

NISSAN LEAF

Wow, wow, wow the future is here everyone. I am so excited about the new Nissan LEAF. This is the first all new 100% electric vehicle that will be in production for the general public that is not out of reach for the general public's pocket book. This is such amazing news. Nissan has not release any official performance info, all are just estimated info at the moment. However, being an EV (electric vehicle) owner myself the rough performance specs seem promising.

Best thing about owning an 100% electric vehicle is you will no longer have to deal with shady auto mechanics that have no business working on your car then taking your repair bill to the bank. Reason being since it is an EV, there will not be a combustible engine inside your car. This simple little idea of not having an combustible engine means no more oil change, tune up, sparks plugs, timing belts, water pump, header gaskets, valve adjustments, radiator, water heater, expensive extended warranty traps and no more gas! You get the idea. This is the main reason why EV was not a popular concept after it's initial offering to the general public back in the early 1990's. The auto makers quickly realized that they would loose out on hundreds of billions of dollars annually from sales of auto part for regular schedule maintenance. So they quickly scrapped and killed their own creations really quickly. Shame on you Ford and Honda! Find out more info on Chris Paine's informative documentaries: Who Killed The Electric Car? Until recently, Tesla Motors was the first to reintroduce a 100% pure EV for the luxury market in this century. Tesla was very successful and have completely broke new grounds with both their cars and their state of the art manufacturing process. Proving Detroit that they are no longer the Goliath. There have been numerous attempts to introduce EV back into the market place yet, many have failed. Again it is not in the best interests of the auto makers to have EVs on the road. So why now? Thanks to the ridiculious oil prices and the unsustainable world oil supplies to name a few, the auto makers and the oil companies are forced to break their monopoly ties on the world's economic domination. Yet not too long ago in the early 1900's it was Ford that build the world's frist electric vehicle. Ironic isn't it.

As a bonus, here's another random facts, ever wonder why Los Angeles does not have a great public transportation system like our sister metropolitan cities like New York and Chicago? We actually had one believe it or not! It was The Los Angeles Railway aka LARY pronounced "Larry". What happened to the wonderful public LA transportation system you ask? You guessed it, Detroit realized that Angelenos had a great public transportation system that there was not an urgent need for personal vehicle. Therefore, Detroit created it's own LA auto market by buying up all of the trains and cable cars companies in Los Angeles and left it to decay in it's own grave yard in an effort to cripple our wonderful thriving public system and independence forcing Angelenos no choice to get around town but to purchase Detroit's own creations. Detroit then lobby, weasel and manipulated it's way into Congress asking Americans to pay for a brand new freeway system for emergency city evacuation system with it's fear tactics. By golly gee, things haven't change have they? Shame on Detroit and the City of Los Angeles for allowing this to happen (that's another political story and rants). More info and photos at these links: Tom Wetzel's Los Angeles Railway In Brief, Southern California Freeways, Old LA Blog, The Los Angeles Railway (LARY).

As you can see, how significant this tiny little EV named LEAF by Nissan represents. This has been a long long time coming for us EV's enthusiasts! This official general public offering of the vehicle is a symbol of hope for mankind, the signs of the times and a glimpse of the new EV revolution! Finally a vehicle that is both positive and environmentally responsible and conscious for progress in the 21st century. There is even an XPrize sponsored by Progressive Automotive inviting teams from around the world to focus on a single goal for the ultimate EV. The objective is to design, build and sell super-efficient cars that people want to buy. We sure have come a long way Dorothy. This tiny small movement that is surely gaining alot of positive momentum will be a huge relief for mother earth helping to reduce the global warming effect. So enough history, you get the idea. Now let's get to the fun and exciting facts of the 100% all electric Nissan Leaf...wooo hoooo!

Please note: I will try to give my best estimation and explanations in a real world usage expectation for the battery performance of the new Nissan LEAF base on my experience as an owner of my 100% electric Vectric Maxi-Scooter usage experience.


NISSAN LEAF info:

Automatic or manual transmission? - Since an EV (electrical vehicle) is power by an electric battery. There are no traditional automotive gasoline engine required. The EV will be nice and quite, smooth and driving experience will be similar to an automatic transmission.

100% Torque at Zero RPM - Yup this is true and it's one of the best thing about EV. There's no lag because the battery power is always on and the power is transfer directly to the drive shaft from the battery unlike the traditional mode: gas, ignite with spark creating combustion mixed with the perfect combination of air and gas to drive your car. So as soon as you let go the brake and step on the electric pedal, your EV will go as fast as you want it to go...yippie!

Accelerate like a V6 and has top speed of 90 mph - traditional gasoline automobiles' speed and power are described in "horsepower". For electric vehicles, since it does not have a traditional engine, it borrow's it's ancestor terminology like CCs and V6 to describe the power level of the EV.

The battery will charge in 4-8 hours on a 220V home charging unit. At quick-charge stations, it will charge to 80% in about 26 minutes - Sounds like the Nissan LEAF on board computer will automatically detect your voltage either in 110V or 220V to determine proper charging, conditioning, depleting and deep conditioning of your battery cells. By the way, since this EV will be use on a daily basis, most city or private water and power company has special programs for EV owners to sign up to save money on your electrical bills if you charge during non peak hours, usually between the hours of 9pm to 5am.

Range of 100 miles per charge under average, everyday driving conditions - What this means is unlike a gas vehicle, you fill up the tank, drive until you run out of gas before you refill. You're new EV's estimated 100 miles range can only be accomplished based on keeping your speed at a minimum steadily in order for you to reach your 100 mile range. I am guessing you might have to stay between 25 to 30 mph in order for you to reach 100 miles range. Again, this is just a hunch, I am not an automotive engineer or a qualify scientist. These are speculative data base on my EV driving experience on my electric Vectrix Maxi-Scooter that was rated as 62 mph max speed, 60 miles range but really does 35 to 40 miles range within the speed of 25 mph to 35 mph. So owning an EV will require new learning curve with the understanding of your vehicle's own battery consumption, power and recharge management.

To help you reach a charge point, the LEAF will change its output to extend your range when the battery gets low - What this basically means is when you hit below a certain level of your battery, let's say you have 20% of your battery life left, the EV's computer system will automatically limit your top speed so you don't panic and become lead footed by pushing your pedal to the metal, preventing you from wasting your battery life too quickly.

Will battery still drain in a busy city traffic if you're not moving - Absolutely not. this is another great benefit of owning an EV. Granted you are not bumping your stereo system while cranking your AC. If your EV is in idle mode, and no other electronic instrument is in use besides your driving lights/headlights and the instrument panel, you will not loose much battery life.

Does weather affect the battery life? - Yes it does but like all batteries this all depends on the battery technologies and it's management system.

What kind of acceleration does it have - EV's acceleration is instant, refer back to the 100% torque at 0 - 60 mph reference above.

The LEAF is partly made from recycled material - No explanations needed here, you get the drift.

The LEAF uses a cellular-type network - Think of this car as a fancy huge iPhone on four wheels. No need to visit the dealership unless you need to change tires, change your brake pads or top off your brake and steering fluids. All other mechanical and electronic services will be performed via telephone call just like calling into Apple Care. You simply follow the instruction over the phone while the service center taps into your EV's computer terminal via the cellular network to diagnose your LEAF. This will be the future of how your EV will be serviced including any future software updates...just like your iPhone. No more sitting and waiting around a greasy mechanic shop. I would suspect Nissan will have some kind of service infrastructure like Apple's genius bar set up with it's online RSVP system and Apple Care type call center. This is going to be so much fun.

Charging preference of the car's functions can be done through any computer like your MAC or internet-enabled phone like an iPhone, I am sure there will be an app for that :)

Rear camera is available - I suspect this will be an upgrade.

Cruise control - Love this feature, hope is not an upgrade.

No sunroof at this point.

Zero Emission badge - currently plans to have one on the car.

Battery is located under the seat and has been tested for impact safety.

Not related but Electric Vehicle is not the same as Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Drivetrain - Inverter, electric motor and reduction gear set. Output shaft connects via CV joint to hub-and-carirer.

Steering is drive-by-wire.

4-wheel disc brake and Regenerative braking - Another benefit of EV's, while braking, the energy not being used will revert back into the battery, usually the regenerative braking allows you to extend about 20% of your battery life.

LEAF uses a unique laminated Lithium-Ion battery with a capacity of 24kWh.

If you have not experience driving an EV, get yourself on the waiting list. You will love the feeling and the handling of an EV. I hope you are as excited about the new Nissan LEAF as I am. I would love to shoot a wedding couple driving away in the LEAF. For once, the sound of the tin cans attached to the car will make more nose than the car itself...lol.

Hopefully this time the EVs will have a chance to prove themselves before the auto maker pull the plug on them. Support your local and national EV association at Plug In America and online forums like V is for voltage.

For more info on the Nissan LEAF, visit Nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/

Press photography courtesy of Nissan.