John S. Green, chief designer of the American Roadster™, is a man of numerous talents. He is trained in Physics and Engineering, but is also a long-standing successful real estate developer and promoter. He has been active in his local community politics, and over the years has successfully developed and patented a variety of ideas and turned them into successful business ventures.
Eco-Fueler is the end of an alternative fuel road that Mr. Green has followed since early 1973 when he sold conversion that allowed gasoline powered vehicles to be converted to clean burning Compressed Natural Gas. He was extremely successful at his first attempt, selling over $750,000 (1973 Dollars) in conversions in one 3 session seminar presentations. Unfortunately, within months the compressors used to compress the natural gas began to fail and on his own he offered to and did refund ¾ of the money he received in this sales campaign.
About 9 years ago Mr. Green again became interested in what progress had been made in compressor technology. He learned that absolutely no advances had been made. At that point, he began the long road to our Roadster. He had ideas, but did not want to spend a lot of time experimenting with them by going to machine shops and having them produce all of the ideas that might not work. So he went to a machine shop and worked with the owner and learned the trade, bought computers, lathes and related equipment, and began experimenting in earnest. He added others and developed a team of engineers that worked with him for a period of time.
Then engineers left, and Mr. Green proceeded on his own to complete and patent the ideas and know-how that became known as a three stage hydraulic compressor. A “Method” Patent was issued in 1996 (view patent).
This brought him right back to where he started in 1973. However, in the meantime regulations on auto conversions had become so convoluted that the only way natural gas could be used as fuel would be to create a “car” that ran on compressed natural gas. Since it is broadly stated that to get a “car” qualified to operate in the United States it takes about $3 Billion Dollars in development and testing before approval.
Harley-Davidson Motorcycles had carved an exception for themselves and their motorcycles that exempted them from all safety and emissions testing. The Roadster concept was born, and here we are with a “vehicle” that is classified as a “motorcycle” because it is light weight and has no more than 3 wheels. It is now practical to accomplish a dream:
Create a company that is “Made in the United States of America,” that produces a “vehicle” unfettered by regulation, and that runs on fuel that is produced in the United States of America.