1/15/2008

My experiences with LionEV (http://lionev.com).

Back in about October 2007 (I'll probably go back later and get closer 
on dates), I found the LionEV website that was offering a Hyundai 
Accent EV conversion for about $30K.  My "due diligence" consisted of 
asking around on maillists, calling the contracting converter 
(AmpMobile), and calling the dealer in Ft Mill SC from which the Accent 
was to be purchased.  AmpMobile said: "Yes, we are doing conversions for 
LionEV".  The dealer said: "Yes, we are selling Accents to LionEV".
Eventually, I found that I should have googled on "ken curry fraud".

So, I decided to buy one.  LionEV put me through a bunch of rigamarole 
getting a car selected.  The deal was to go thusly:
1) I pay 1/2 up front
2) I receive title in my name
3) I pay the other 1/2 before conversion begins
4) Converted EV is delivered to me in Texas from South Carolina

Here is how it went:
1) I paid 1/2 up front, something over $15K
2) I wait something like two months for my title to arrive
3) I get a Cc: of an email from AmpMobile to LionEV informing LionEV of 
the termination of their relationship.
4) I ask LionEV about my title
5) I receive a South Carolina title for my Accent with LionEV as the 
owner and a bill of sale indicating that the sale price of the Accent 
was the amount that I had paid for 1/2 of an EV ($15K+)
6) I take the title down to my Texas titling place and am informed that 
Texas sales tax will be due if I apply for a Texas title.  That would 
be about $900 for the $15K+ "selling" price.
7) I learn that the title is not negotiable for several reasons.
8) Since then, there have been several communications between me and 
LionEV with LionEV generally taking about a month to respond to a 
query.  LionEV has been uncooperative in providing me a clear title.

Here are few details that have been gradually revealed to me:
1) The amount paid to the dealer for the Accent was about $13K.
2) At the time the Accent was purchased, Accents were being advertised 
by dealers in Austin Texas for about $8K.
3) The Ft Mill dealer sold only one Accent on the LionEV deal.  Mine.
4) AmpMobile has not converted an Accent.

As it sits now, I have a car that is worth perhaps $6K, if it had a 
title.  LionEV has over $15K of my money.

I have seen no evidence, or even an external indication, that LionEV 
has ever delivered an EV conversion.  I doubt that LionEV has ever 
delivered an EV conversion.  I suspect that LionEV has been "stringing 
me along" (keeping alive my hope to get a clear title) so that I will 
not make public the situation outlined above.


W. McKemie, Dale, Texas
mckemie@spamcop.net

1/17/2008
Some readers of the above have concluded that I am a tax cheat.  And 
LionEV has put out some incorrect information.  So, I will add the 
following detail from reviewing and collecting all my email on the 
topic along with some printed documents.

I first contacted LionEV on or about July 30, 2007.
I sent them a check for $15,560.22 on Aug 10, 2007.  That was the amount 
requested by LionEV.  I received detail of the costs, that doesn't fall 
to hand right now.  It was 1/2 of the total charge for the EV and 
included Texas sales tax, title transfer fees, and maybe shipping to 
Texas.
On or about August 11, I was given the following instruction on 
preparing the title:
>>>
Hyundai is transmitting the DMV documents for the group of Accents and
Tucsons this afternoon.  I will need for you to sign and return 
your form this weekend so that the title can be processed in your name.
<<<
I subsequently faxed to Tiffany Lee at Ft Mill South Carolina Hyundai 
my driver's license and insurance card.  So that the title could be put 
in my name directly by the dealer.

I received this on August 18:
>>>
I stopped in and met with Tiffany and Stacey at the Carolina Hyundai
dealership in Fort Mill.  Stacey will be sending you a title for 
the Ice Blue Accent.  Stacey may be calling you if she needs any 
additional information, or you can call her at the dealership. Tiffany 
is also available should you need any help.
The vehicle will be originally titled in SC as this expedites the
process.  It can be changed to a TX document once you receive the
paperwork.
<<<

After waiting about a month for the title, I queried LionEV and got 
this response on Sept 11:
>>>
Kathy said she emailed you with information on your Title.  It was
shipped here instead of to you in Texas, or to SC. No big 
problem but she wanted to know if it should be processed to you in 
Texas, or if you are going to do the conversion soon, process it 
down to SC.
<<<
To which I responded:
>>>
I am waiting to get title in hand before I go any farther with the
conversion.
<<<

On September 13, I learned that AmpMobile would not be doing the 
conversion work for LionEV.

I received the title in the mail along with a "bill of sale" on or 
about Sept 18.  The "bill of sale" is for the amount of $15,560.22.  
On Sept 19, I sent the following to LionEV:
>>>
I am disappointed to have received no response to my last email to you.
I received the title yesterday, Tuesday.  Thanks.   
I was surprised to find that you supplied the title with "LionEV" as
the owner along with a bill of sale from LionEV to me.  Surely you
recall that the title was supposed to be issued in my name?
I immediately saw the problem with sales tax for such a transfer.  I
went today (Wednesday) to our local vehicle registration office; they
confirmed my fears.  They want 6%+ as sales tax on the amount of $15K+.
They suggested that perhaps South Carolina could re-issue the title
correctly to solve this problem.
I understand the the $15K+ that I have paid you was a deposit on the
completed converted vehicle and did not represent the value of the
un-converted vehicle.  Yet, you set the sales price in the bill of sale
at the $15K+.  You haven't revealed the cost of the vehicle, but I
would "guestimate" it to be in the range of $10K-$11K.  Local dealers
are offering new "stripped down" new Accents for $8K.
I will be prepared to go forward with the conversion as soon as the
title mess is straightened out, assuming I can pay in such a way that I
don't feel that my money is at risk.
<<<

To date (1/17/8) I have received no comment or explanation as to why 
the vehicle was titled to LionEV rather than me or how they justify 
assigning a value of $15K+ to the un-converted vehicle.

Eventually, Nov 16, LionEV sent me a copy of a "car buyer's offer and 
purchase option contract", a form from Carolina Hyundai of Ft Mill.  
It is dated 8/7/7 and buyer's name and address are not filled in.  The 
total is $13,732 and includes $800 as 6.2% state sales tax.  I did not 
consider that document adequate proof (for Texas title transfer) that 
Texas sales tax had been paid.  Eventually, LionEV provided a copy of a 
check from Softworks (apparently the parent of LionEV) to Carolina 
Hyundai in the amount of $13,732.  

Until the title SNAFU occurred, I was not concerned about the amount 
paid to the dealer for the vehicle; I had agreed to pay ~$30K for a 
CONVERTED vehicle.  I expected that LionEV's cost would be around $10K 
or maybe significantly lower and that they would extract value for the 
removed ICE and components; their net cost of the glider might be as 
low as ~$4K.  I am now concerned that LionEV may be attempting to 
assign an inflated value to the very low value Accent and "walk away" 
from their obligation with a significant amount of my money in their 
pocket.

I could write more about the difficulty of obtaining a Texas title with 
the documents provided by LionEV.  At this time, I will not.  However, 
I do not have a clear title.

2/20/2009

After quite a bit of effort and expense, I got a clear Texas title 
without any more assistance/information from LionEV.  About $2K more.  
Wayne Alexander of EV Blue in Kansas agreed to convert the car for me; 
I got it transported from South Carolina to Kansas for about $800.  I 
ordered  ThunderSky cells through EverSpring and they were delivered 
to Houston and then shipped to Kansas.  About 12/28/2008, I drove to 
Kansas and returned to Texas with the converted car on a trailer.  
Total cost was around $55K.  I'm sure I've omitted some incidental 
expense.
http://www.evalbum.com/2314

I've encountered quite a few other LionEV victims.  Mostly, they seem 
to have fallen for Ford Ranger conversion scams.  I've encounter no 
other victims of Hyundai scams.  LionEV principal Kenneth Curry seems 
to be in a Federal Detention Facility, probably for previous eBay 
crimes involving gold coins:
http://is.gd/jTIM
As far as I know, Curry has not been prosecuted for his LionEV 
dealings.
Some mention of LionEV can be found at:
http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums
For example:
http://is.gd/keoM