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http:// --> Weather Forecast --> Ashland, Oregon HOME Archive Backpage Business Classifieds Columnists Contact Us Forum Hot Topics Local Issues Most Viewed Nation & World Obituaries Online Games Opinion/Editorial O-Zone Photo Galleries Place an Ad Rate Card Readers Polls Revels Real Estate Guide Shakespeare Special Sections Sports Subscribe Valley & State Video Weather Etcetera --> Movie Preview --> Hottest Galleries: December 17, 2008 Barefoot aims to leave no footprint By Julie French Ashland Daily Tidings Mark Gresens of Barefoot Motors runs a voltage test on a prototype model of an electric ATV being developed in Ashland. Photos by Denise Baratta | Daily Tidings All-terrain vehicles — with their knobby tires, gas engines and unmistakable roar — are not the picture of sustainability. But one local company is betting they can improve the ATV's image. Barefoot Motors, which moved its operations to Ashland in June, has developed a prototype of a green all-terrain vehicle, or as CEO Melissa Brandao prefers, an earth-utility vehicle. Their target markets are wineries and other agricultural industries already using gasoline-powered ATVs to navigate their fields, not recreational users who have gained a reputation for tearing up trails, she said. "It's not a sport ATV, so it's not really designed to tear up and rip out," she said. "Speed isn't really a factor." Growers who use ATVs on their land are generally looking for something strong and nimble to weave through tight plant rows and haul heavy equipment. Barefoot Motors' prototype, Model One, is designed to compare to an 800cc ATV, with similar weight and towing capacity, Brandao said. Model One is powered by a lithium-ion battery that can be recharged 2,000 to 3,000 times in a standard wall outlet and makes virtually no noise. The all-electric motor also means no emissions, a fact Barefoot Motors has incorporated into its logo, a footprint filled with zeros. Traditional ATVs are 11 times more polluting than a standard car because they are not regulated by the federal government and not required to have a catalytic converter, which reduces the amount of noise and pollution created by cars, Brandao said. Melissa Brandao "By our calculation, replacing one gas ATV is like taking four cars off the road," she said. Relocation Barefoot Motors moved all of its operations from Sebastopol, Calif., to Oregon because of policies designed to encourage green industries and a blossoming organic winery and agriculture market interested in reducing its carbon footprint, Brandao said. "I think we have tremendous support from the governor because he's all about electric vehicles," she said. "People in general up here are a little more outdoors-focused." The company has already demonstrated its product locally with Harry and David employees, and they were satisifed with the vehicle's performance, said Ron Henri, senior vice president of orchard operations. "We're really pleased to see a green company move into the Valley," he said. "Our interest in this particular model is based on our interest in learning about any tool or process that allows us to further develop our sustainable agriculture direction and of course that does not pollute." This is one of the most sophisticated green off-road utility vehicles Henri has seen, and Harry and David is interested in helping Barefoot Motors design a more utility-oriented vehicle for use in its orchards, he said. The ATV has good control on slopes and at slow speeds, and it works well for pulling trailers and equipment, he said. Because the green version is quieter than traditional models, it also allows workers to detect leaking gas or water systems and have conversations without being drowned out by motor noise. Eco review Environmentalist Tom Dimitre gave the idea of a green ATV mixed reviews. "Anything that cuts down on carbon emissions and uses less fossil fuel is a good idea; they just have to be used in the right place," said Dimitre, chair of the Rogue Group Sierra Club based in Ashland. Green all-terrain vehicles used in place of gas-powered varieties can be a positive addition to farms and wineries, but they can still do plenty of damage when used recreationally, he said. "When you're driving off-road and ripping up the soil and chasing wildlife, that's not what we think is really responsible stewardship of the land," he said. Barefoot Motors' principal engineer, Ely Schless, agreed that some uses of green ATVs are better than others. One of several conceptual drawings of an electric ATV being developed at Barefoot Motors. Courtesy of Barefoot Motors "I'm not a huge advocate of going out and destroying the environment, but the fact is that a lot of people use vehicles off-road," he said. "It's a kinder, gentler alternative to gas engines. It's not going to save the world in one swoop, but it is a step in the right direction." Schless has worked on electric vehicles since 1990, when he switched from racing gas-engine motorcycles to electric. It was then he realized how much waste he was creating, he said. Prior to joining the Barefoot team, he owned Electric Moto Corporation and was designing an electric dirt bike before he sold the company. Barefoot Motors plans to finish design work on its Model One by February and manufacture on-site in Ashland. The company is also developing the two-passenger Model Two. Staff writer Julie French can be reached at 482-3456 ext. 227 or [email protected] . 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