The Sparrow Makes Its Way to Georgia

February 20, 2001

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ATLANTA, (Feb. 20, 2001) -- The Electric Vehicle (EV) Club of the South will soon welcome the newest addition to Georgia's EV population.

In a ceremonial passing of the keys, CE Raum, former General Motors EV1 driver and California resident, will take delivery of the first Corbin Motor's Sparrow from Steve Carter, Atlanta's Sparrow dealer. CE will also be presented with a certificate from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division certifying the Sparrow as a zero-emission vehicle.

Georgia is the first state to offer a $2,500 tax credit toward the purchase of the all- electric Sparrow. This history-making event will take place in Centennial Olympic Park, the nation's first with an all-electric fleet, on Wednesday, Feb. 21. The gathering will begin at approximately 11:30 am. The keys will be presented at 12:15 p.m., followed by an opportunity to drive the Sparrow.

"We're proud that Georgia is second only to California in the number of electric vehicles on the road." Lew George, president of the EV Club of the South, said at a recent club meeting. "We're excited to see this vehicle arrive and hope to see many more in the near future!"

Raum was forced by GM policy to return the car when he moved to Atlanta. Relying on an electric scooter and MARTA, he has been anxiously waiting for his turn in the delivery cycle for the Sparrow.

"I love the simple elegance of driving an electric vehicle; no gas, no emissions, no oil changes and I like what driving the Sparrow says about me,” Raum said. “I would never be content driving anything other than an EV. Corbin Motors has been great to work with and are serious about the EV market."

Raum is a video editor at Aux TV in Atlanta. He is an avid enthusiast of electric vehicles and firmly believes in the benefits of zero-emission transportation. In 1999, he and two other drivers completed the first coast- to-coast drive in a production electric vehicle.

"EV's are fun and practical. Americans drive 1.5 trillion miles every year, and cars and trucks are the single largest producer of toxic emissions. EV's are up to 99 percent cleaner than gas cars, even hybrids -- it just makes sense to drive electric."

The Sparrow is a single passenger, freeway capable EV. The vehicles are produced in California by Corbin Motors. The Sparrow has a range of approximately 50 miles, is 8 feet long by 4 feet wide and is sold for around $15,000.

The Sparrow is available in Atlanta through E*Evolution Motors. The EV Club of the South (http://www.evclubsouth.org/) is for EV drivers, their families and others interested in electric vehicles. Its members share an interest in innovative technology and its implications for the future.

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