NB: no slate at start of story

April 21, 2006, Los Angeles, California. AP Television.

1. Wide of gas station signs and street traffic.

2. Close of gas prices on sign.

3. Close of man next to car/tilt down to fuel nozzle in car.

4. Close of gas pump price display.

May 3, 2006, San Dimas, California. AP Television.

5. Mid shot of Tom Gage getting into T-Zero electric concept car.

6. Close of Tom Gage in car.

7. Close of Gage fastening seat belt.

8. Close of T-Zero logo on car.

9. Close rear view of T-Zero.

10. Close of hand turning ignition.

11. Mid of T-Zero driving away.

12. Wide to close of T-Zero on highway.

13. Onboard view of T-Zero on highway.

14. Close of Tom Gage driving car.

15. Close of T-Zero steering wheel.

16. Wide of mechanic working on battery housing for Scion electric car.

17. Close of drill and battery housing.

18. Close of mechanic.

19. Mid of Scion car being converted to electric power,.

20. Close of Scion logo on car.

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Gage, President/CEO. AC Propulsion.

"Well we looked at all of the compact cars that are on the market now. We wanted something that was pretty light and pretty cheap, but well equipped and had some visual appeal to it. And the Scion fit all of those bills. And the interior space is magnificent, it's like a limo in terms of interior space which means there's a lot of room for people and a lot of room for the batteries too."

22. Close of Scion interior showing location of electric motor battery housing.

23. Wide of technician working on electric motor battery pack.

24. Close of batteries.

25. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Gage, President/CEO, AC Propulsion.

"Well a lot of people will argue with me. But I think what we're really looking for and what we need is high gas prices because it shows the people what the true value of transportation and driving around is. The fact that they're still willing to pay three and three dollars and fifty cents a gallon -- they might complain about it, but they pay it because it's worth it. And it goes to point out that what we need is a mix of fuels because we need gasoline for driving long trips, long distances across the country or for hauling freight. But you don't need it to move yourself and your family and your groceries around town. You can do that on electricity or on a number of other fuels."

26. Wide to close shot of T-Zero concept car on highway.

27. Mid shot of Gage and engineer/tilt down to mid shot of AC Propulsion electric motor to be used in Scion cars.

28. Wide to mid of T-zero car turning onto street.

29. Close interior view of T-zero on highway.

30. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Gage, President/CEO, AC Propulsion.

"We have a clipping on one of our bulletin boards "Gas to hit $3.00 a Gallon", and it's taken from a paper dated 2001. So these things come and go, and it takes a long term shift and consumers have to be convinced that the price of gas is going to stay where it is."

31. Wide to close of T-Zero electric car on highway.

SUGGESTED LEADIN

The rising price of petrol may have some drivers wondering if a car powered by conventional fuel is such a good idea.

Now a company in the United States is to launch a new series of electric cars which, it's claimed, will show that alternative fuel doesn't have to be slow and boring on the highway.

It wouldn't be the first time that car owners in America have pondered the possibility of getting from A to B with something other than gasoline.

The engineers at A-C Propulsion, near Los Angeles, are trying to help consumers longing for some relief on their pocket books.

The company's specialty is making cars that run on electricity.

Their aim is to make cars that go fast, and for a long periods of time, on electricity.

The firm's President, Tom Gage, gets behind the wheel of AC Propulsion's T-Zero concept car to prove the point that an electric powered car doesn't have to be slow and boring.

Gage says the sporty T-Zero's numbers are proof that an electric vehicle can really go.

In a 2003 competition, the T-Zero went from zero to 60 in three-point-six seconds, with a top speed of a hundred miles per hour.

The T-Zero averaged 300 miles on a single charge of its battery back.

Now, Gage and his team are putting the T-Zero's powerful package of electric technology into a car ready made for consumers.

They're transforming Toyota Scions from gas to electric-power, using an electric motor and battery system developed by AC Propulsion.

Gage says with the Toyota Scion, and the electric power package, the company believes they've got the right combination, a consumer-friendly car with highway speed and enough range for around-town driving.

Technicians at AC Propulsion are stripping down the Toyota Scions to make room for a lithium ion battery pack, the same batteries used in computer laptops, and for an electric motor.

Gage says it's really an effort to update an old idea, since electric cars are nothing new.

In the late 1890s, electric cars outsold gasoline cars ten to one.

By 1912 there were more than thirty eight -thousand electric cars on the roads, according to the Electric Auto Association.

But mass production of petrol cars took the lead long ago, leaving the future of electric cars in doubt.

Now, Gage says America's dependence on petrol may finally convince consumers to take an alternative look.

But Gage admits that convincing American consumers to go electric is still an uphill battle.

Even with a ready-to-go electric engine built with proven technology, and a car like the Toyota Scion that can hit speeds like the experimental T-Zero, Gage and his team know convincing the average consumer won't be easy.

It may not be the fast and furious T-Zero. But Gage and his team believe the electric Toyota Scion is a car consumers could drive.

He says the first of their electric powered Scion's should be ready to roll out the garage by early June

They hope to have a production line of about 10 Scions a month by early next year.

Keyword-science-technology