Ever since I was little, I've always wanted an AMC Pacer. It has such a space mobile style. While trying to convince Joel that a Pacer is far cooler than a BMW 2002 he almost bought, I stumbled on this page chronicling the creation of a fleet of Electric Pacers. Called the "Change of Pacer," the EV Pacer was a 1970s oil crisis coup of maker culture. The cars were electrified by Electric Vehicle Associates (EVA), launched by a group of high school vocational education teachers as a student project in Cleveland, Ohio. From AMCPacer.com:
The Pacer was strong, large on the inside, and small on the outside (for the 1970's). The large interior volume was ideal for carrying the lead acid batteries, battery charger, and motor controller that was required for the vehicle. The Change of Pace was a stellar performer. Top speed was in excess of 55 mph, 0 to 30 mph was achieved in less than 12 seconds, and the range was 30 to 50 miles, per SAE J227A schedules…
The batteries required significant maintenance. The batteries had to be fully recharged after every use, or would be damaged. Recharging required several hours, depending upon how much the batteries were discharged. The batteries had to have water added every few weeks, depending upon use. The batteries posed the biggest problem for the Change of Pace. EVA stopped production of the Change of Pace, when the Pacer was no longer available from AMC, and EVA went out of business shortly thereafter.
