My guests on Wednesday will be Mr. John Dabels, and Terry Russell and our subject is “Who killed the electric car and how to move to a workable and affordable alternate energy society?” 

Mr. Dabels serves as chief executive officer and co-founder of EV Power Systems of Rock Hill, South Carolina. Mr. Dabels is a 25+ year veteran of General Motors where his career included direct involvement with or managing introductions of a number of new products, including the GM EV1.  His career at GM ranged from GM Financial Staff in New York to Director Marketing Buick Division.  Following Buick, Mr. Dabels joined the GM EV1 program with direct responsibility for developing demand for electric vehicles worldwide.  In addition to managing the marketing, public relations, and government relations staffs, Mr. Dabels was the primary "public face" for the GM EV1 program.  Since GM EV1, Mr. Dabels has remained involved with electric or hybrid electric vehicle programs.  One assignment was CFO of EV Global Motors, a company founded by Lee Iacocca.  While EV Global Motors’ initial product was electric bicycles, the intent was to migrate to an electric-powered on-road vehicle.  Education: BS Drake University, SM Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan Fellow). Mr. Dabels now makes his home in North Carolina.

Terry Russell serves as president and chief operating officer of EVPS.  Mr. Russell started his professional career as a lawyer with the May Department Stores.  A former May lawyer recruited Mr. Russell to join Ryder System.  When joining, Ryder was the nation’s largest truck leasing and rental company, as well as one of the largest highway-transportation logistics providers.  During his 18-year career at Ryder, Mr. Russell’s positions included Corporate Secretary; Acting General Counsel; Sr. VP, Development; President, Insurance Management Services Division, President, Ryder Automotive Logistics Division, and President, Ryder International.  In the Automotive Logistics division, Mr. Russell had direct responsibility for the delivery of about 6,000,000 light trucks and cars from the automotive OEM’s (primarily General Motors, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, Ford, and Nissan) from ports, railheads, and assembly plants to dealers throughout the United States and Canada.  In the International operation, Mr. Russell was responsible for all Ryder’s leased/rented trucks and maintenance in UK, Germany, Poland, Canada, and Mexico, and preparations for Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, and Venezuela. 

Subsequent to Ryder, Terry has remained in transportation, distribution, logistics businesses having, among other businesses, co-founded what is today the largest independent wholesale lubricant distributor in the US.  Education:  AB, JD Washington University (St. Louis, MO) (Order of the Coif, Articles Editor, Washington University Law Quarterly); Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1968 through 1971. 


 

Left to Right
Terry Russell
Terrence Russell, Mount Vernon Commissioner of Public Works
Yolanda Robinson, Mount Vernon Chief of Staff to the Mayor
John Dabels

Terry Russell demonstrates how electro-fitting works on a municipal truck

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