Hybrid automobile on board

Ex-Hewlett-Packard employees driven to invent vehicle

WINDSOR — Ken Hall has always wanted to make a difference. A self-described closet environmentalist –“because you can’t be an environmentalist and drive a Ford F150,” he said — Hall was in the market for a vehicle he could use to commute to work and run errands without creating so much pollution.

He couldn’t find exactly what he was looking for, but when he lost his job as a project manager for Hewlett-Packard Co., he parlayed the situation into an entrepreneurial opportunity.

Hall, along with several other former H-P employees, founded kjhall Motor Co. Inc. in Windsor. The startup’s goal is to develop a hybrid electric vehicle that’s fun to drive and isn’t bogged down by range restrictions and high sticker prices associated with other hybrid vehicles on the market.

Combining the expertise of a mechanical engineer, an electrical engineer and two marketing professionals, the team developed a concept tentatively called the “Kricket,” which is a single-passenger, three-wheeled vehicle with an automated tilting system that banks corners like a motorcycle.

While the group is still in the prototype development phase, Hall said he expects to be able to hit the consumer market in two years.

“Entrepreneurs are known for their optimism,” he said.

Hall said the Kricket addresses what he calls the “FUD factor” associated with electric vehicles. “There’s a lot of fear, uncertainty and doubt with electric vehicles,” he said. “People are afraid they’ll get stranded if the batteries run out.” The Kricket concept combines an electric drive system with a backup gasoline engine that eliminates that problem.

Running solely on electricity, the Kricket would be able travel 20 to 30 miles on a single charge, up to 45 miles per hour. But whenever the driver wants to go faster or further, the gas drive system would automatically take over, bringing the speed capabilities up to 65 miles per hour and a range of up to 200 miles.

“This is not meant to be anyone’s sole vehicle,” Hall said. “But it’s perfect for running errands and commuting to work.”

Hall said one of the most attractive aspects of the Kricket is the price point. About $10,000, the Kricket is considerably less than the $16,000 asking price for the Corbin Sparrow, another three-wheeled vehicle made by a California company. The Sparrow, however, is purely electric and does not include the Kricket’s tilt-wheel action.

As for the industry giants’ hybrid cars, Hall said their motors never truly run on grid power. “They’re using smaller engines that get better mileage, but environmentally they’re still dependent on fossil fuels. They aren’t really doing anything truly green,” he said.

Once developed, the Kricket will be marketed in the Northern Colorado region.

“Our geography and demographics make the perfect market for it,” Hall said. “You don’t see a lot of people using public transportation, and something like 75 percent of the population is driving a few miles to work everyday, by themselves.”

Once the vehicle actually hits the road it becomes a rolling billboard.

“We expect that family members are going to be fighting over who gets to drive it,” he said. While the tilt-wheel design lends a motorcycle-like feel, the Kricket would include side-impact protection, a front crush zone and rollover beams.

“We want to put the fun back into the environmental movement,” Hall said.

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