Two decades of working in an ‘open garage’
From a Henney to a Tesla, Aaron Choate of Austin EV has been an EV enthusiast longer than most
Aaron with his Zero Motorcycle
From an early age, Aaron Choate, the co-founder and president of Austin EV: The Austin Electric Vehicle Association, was interested in sustainable energy and solar power.
“I’ve always loved the concept of clean energy and how it could be applied to transportation,” Choate said, explaining that this interest is what led he and his wife Cara to purchase their first electric vehicle (EV), a used Henney Kilowatt. Produced by National Union Electric in 1959 and 1960, only 47 of these cars were made, and most were originally sold to electric utility companies.
“It had a contactor-based speed controller,” Choate said of the Henney, explaining that owning this car deepened his interest in converting Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles to electric.
The Henney Kilowatt
In 1995, Choate and two similarly minded friends founded AustinEV, the Austin chapter of the Electric Auto Association. “It was around the time GM pulled the plug on its EV1 lease program, famously smashing the returned vehicles to pieces.” Choate explained. “The automakers stopped supporting electric vehicles and a gap needed to be filled for the EV enthusiasts left behind.”
“Our focus was on helping folks understand how to do it themselves,” Choate continued. “We would show our cars at local clean energy events and we held a series of ‘open garage’ events where they’d come to learn what they needed to know.”
AustinEV members back in 2003
At these events, some would-be EV owners began asking Choate and his friends for help converting their vehicles to electric, and this led to the formation of REVOLT Custom Electric Vehicles as a side project. “We were trying to model ourselves on a modern hotrod shop for electric vehicle enthusiasts,” Choate shared. “We wanted to show that EVs were not only possible, but they could be fun to drive and simple to maintain.”
REVOLT eventually closed down, but for his own use, Choate acquired a converted 1979 Karmann Ghia that continues to be his primary electric car project many years later. For everyday use in non-COVID times, he rides a Zero Electric Motorcycle on his commute to his job as the Director for Research and Strategy at the University of Texas Libraries, where motorcycles are easier to park.
Now a 3-EV family
Recently, Choate became a Tesla owner. “I waited a long time to be able to purchase a Model Y and we love it,” Choate said, describing a recent road trip he and Cara took from Texas to Maine. “It was remarkable how uneventful it was—there were just no problems with charging or anything else. I had a full array of charging adapters with me, but I didn’t need to use anything but the Super Charger network.”
The Choates were able to take their dogs to Maine by installing kennels behind the Tesla’s front seats.
“We’d stop every couple of hours for the dogs to do their business and we’d charge for 20 minutes at the same time,” Choate explained. “We were also travelling with everything we needed for a two week quarantine. I couldn’t believe how well it all fit into the car.”
“I’d done the same trip before in a gas-engined vehicle and I remember how I’d have to downshift going uphill in the Appalachians,” Choate continued. “With the Model Y, it was just so simple to cruise up the mountains. That really highlighted the differences for me.”
The Choats charge their Tesla in Maine
A technically oriented EAA chapter
Choate’s enduring connection to this local group of EV enthusiasts in Austin, starting in the mid-1990s, is what has sustained AustinEV, an organization with a history of holding ‘open garages’ to support the maintenance and building of electric vehicles.
“It’s been a few years since we’ve held an open garage but I’m hoping to start them up again once COVID limitations end,” Choate explained. “I’ll just announce that I’ll be working on my car on a Saturday afternoon, and anyone who’s interested can feel free to drop by and ask questions.”
“Our focus as a chapter has always been on a technically literate group who are interested in electric transportation in all of its forms—people who like to know how things tick,” Choate continued, explaining how pleased he is to be able to support Moment Motors, a custom car shop in Austin that converts ICE vehicles to EVs.
“We continue to advocate for electric transportation whenever we can,” Chaote added, referencing meetings featuring speakers from organizations such as Austin Energy, Austin-based Smart Charge America, and Texas Electric Transportation (Txetra), a statewide lobbying group.
“Of course, educating the public is always on our minds,” he continued. “Yes, we’re very into knowing the mechanics of these vehicles. But we’re also interested in making sure EVs become the standard of the future.”
Connect with AustinEV, and find listings of their events at www.austinev.org, or follow their accounts onTtwitter (https://twitter.com/AustinEV), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/austinev) or Linked-in (https://www.linkedin.com/company/austinev).
AustinEV members at a recent event