Our Project History

One of Eco Living's current projects is its electric pick-up truck with hydrogen fuel cells, Electric Blue".

Electric Blue was originally a 1981 Ford Courier without a gasoline internal combustion engine. Jet Industries bought 35 of these truck shells to make electric vehicles for utility companies as part of a pilot program. Those 80 electric vehicles were the only ones ever made using this model.

After a few years, the utility companies sold the trucks. Our truck was purchased by Leo McGraw of Brick, New Jersey. Mr. McGraw drove it daily to work at AT&T until he retired. When Mr. McGraw passed away, his truck sat idle for several years, until it was recently donated to Eco Living Fellowship.

The Electric Blue project has three parts:

1. Create a vehicle which can compete in a rally style race known as the US Electric Vehicle Championship in the hydrogen fuel cell category of the Tour de Sol: Great American Green Transportation Festival. The Tour de Sol runs from May 12 through 18, 2002, with festivals scheduled in Baltimore, MD; Washington, DC; Sandy Point State Park, MD; Philadelphia, PA; Trenton, NJ; and New York City, NY.

2. Send the team and the vehicle to participate in the Tour.

3. Create a reliable electrically powered truck that can be used regularly by staff and volunteers of Eco Living as a commuter vehicle and as a demonstration vehicle in environmental education programs for school children and community groups.