Alternative content

Finally the day came when Green Car was released from the customs warehouse in Oakland. It was looking quite as beautyful as it did in Shanghai and with a fine layer of chinese coal-dust. Our faithfull electric car jumped back to life and it ran just as well as the day some six weeks ago when we put it in the container. We drove Green Car and the clumsy RV back to our spot in Trailer Haven where the cars now are parked between a tree and a palm. We hooked Green Car to the American 110 volt grid. It took it well and hummed satisfied all night. But 110 volt is so SLOW.

Samuel P Taylor State Park saw us wake up under enormous trees, still shrouded in morning fog. Not completely voluntarily we must spend some days as tourists. Then again San Francosco is not a bad place to do that. Everything up here in Marin Country is so green, the trunks all mossy and huge ferns covering the ground. It had been raining hard during the night and it was still a drizzle when Ida put elliot in the new green stoller and went for a walk. Rolling hills, winding roads and fabulous beaches. Limantour Beach reminded us of the Danish North Sea coast. For the night we returned to the magnificient redwood trees in the state park.

Nina

Until Green Car is released from customs we have rented a RV an Recreational Vehicle. It is full of electric gadgets but certainly no EV. It is complete with three double beds, kitchen with running water, three propane burners, stove, micro wave, cub boards, drawers and a table for six. Not to mention toilet and shower. When we push a button the dinning hall becomes double size. There is also a generator and sockets and propane heating for the chilly nights. This rolling house has comfort but poor road-holding. And the bulky thing only does 2 km/l. We met with Hjalte’s friend Wolfgang of Dubbelju Motorcycle Rentals, a good friend of Moto Mundo. Ida also got time to buy a stroller for Elliot . And because it was Black Friday, the big shopping day after Thanksgiving, she got 10% discount.

For the last time in Shanghai the cable was rolled up. Green Car, driving better than ever set off in  the early morning. Shanghai is enormous and the port gigantic. The containers were stacked like a city of skyscrapers. We found the right place from where the car will be shipped to USA. We said goodbye to Green Car and see you in San Francisco! Green Car was rolled into a container, the door sealed and we took the metro back to the EXPO-village. This blog will continue while Green Car is crossing the Pacific Ocean - keep visiting our home-page!

Nina

Green Car beamed with the sun as we early in the morning rolled into EXPO. Filled with joy we jumped in the air. We made it to EXPO, 113 days and 13500 kilometers from Copenhagen Town-hall Square! Now, who say electric cars cannot go far? Before the one million daily visitors were let in we cruised through EXPO and photographed Green Car. 3 o'clock we drove into the Danish Pavilion and had a happy welcome from the Little Mermaid, general commissioner Christopher Bo Bramsen, Chinese EXPO-vips, a throng of photographers and journalists and thousands of visitors. Hands clapped when Green Car opened its jaws and revealed its electric inside. Afterwards a reception was held in the VIP-room where we presented our picture show about the journey and gave interviews for several hours while Green Car was admired side by side with the Mermaid. The day ended with a Chinese farewell-dinner for our indispensable guide Serena.

Nina and Hjalte

Many emails, persons and offices are set in motion to give Green Car permission to enter EXPO. We are in China and it is like entering the Forbidden City. Guards at Gate 4 should now be ready let us in tomorrow... At the Danish pavilion the last details were fixed. The weather is rainy, but we are optimistic for the sun to greet Green Car. We walked through busy streets with small shops outside EXPO and stumbled upon an outlet for clothes selling three pieces for ten RMB (1 euro) Unfortunately all the jeans were Chinese sizes, way too small for us but I got to fluorescent jackets. While Shanghai flashed and beamed outside our windows we used the evening to finish our picture-show for tomorrow.

Nina and Hjalte

The old Continental-tires were hardly worn after 13.000 kilometers. But after some crooked iron damaged two tires in Mongolia we have driven with rear tires of a wrong dimension. So to make Green Car ready for the EXPO it got four brand new Conti tires. It only took a few moments for five employees to do the job. Afterwards Conti filmed a short interview with us, where we told about our experiences driving an electric car round world. Green Car smiled satisfied on the street with new shoes.

London has built a 3-story zero-energy house to demonstrate how you can build sustainable for the future. When EXPO closes on October 31 it will be torn down. Then the Chinese property-developers move in and erect high-rises with luxury flats. EXPO is full of nice words, good intentions and technical solutions. And silence about the big conflicts that shape our future. The fine, little pavilion of Sao Paulo is the only one - of the ones that I have visited - that mentions conflict. The mega-city has after struggle introduced a "Clean City Law" that prohibits advertising in public space.

Hjalte

I, Green Car, feel so proud that I have to boast. Here I come clocking up 13000 kilometers. And listen now - I have never been in better shape! All the luggage has been sorted out to make me ready to be exhibited and then shipped to the USA. Nina and Hjalte have spent all day preparing press-material and finish the picture-show telling the story of my journey to China. Now they just have to get the final permission for me to enter the Danish pavilion on Friday.

All the best - Green Car.

On a little shuttle-boat packed full we got to the EXPO sections on other side of the river. Ship-yards, factories and power-plants have been converted to exhibition-halls and new extravagant structures added. In the "Urban Best Practice Area" cities from all over the world show what they do for the future. We got a tour of London's pavilion, a zero-emission house with solar panels and green plants on the roofs. Odense had a bicycle path and bikes to try, all very popular. The city of Bremen had examples of how electric cars and an intelligent grid could work together. But the car on show could not drive. Later we sat down in Madrid's house and had paellas with a view to a performance staged under a  giant street-cooling tower.

Nina