What do you get when you combine a tree hugger, entrepreneur, and the crazy eco-vision of one kick ass green guy?
VerdeGoh!
You may not know whether you’re right side up or upside down, but when you get your bearings you can rest assured you’re probably safe and sound in a Zenn electric car in front of VerdeGoh’s green general store.
…or at least you should be!
VerdeGoh! is the brain child of Nashville, TN native, Josh Womack.
It’s a dream that has been long in the making and currently includes an all electric vehicle (EV) dealership, a green general store, and a product wing full of hush hush green gadgets and tech to be opened early next year.
I had the privilege of interviewing Josh about VerdeGoh! and here’s some of what he had to say:
On electric vehicles:
Me: “How do you respond to people who say your vehicles are just “suped” up golf carts?”
Josh: “We have EVs in both the LSV (Low Speed Vehicle) and MSV (Medium Speed Vehicle) classes. All of our vehicles meet the governmental safety requirements for these classifications of vehicle, but our MSV’s, like the Zenn, also have full aircraft grade or steel cage, weight reduction technology, and much much more than the average golf cart.”
Me: “Are your EVs exclusive designs to VerdeGho!?”
Josh: “Actually we carry several brands of electric vehicles including Tomberlin, Zenn Car, HiLine, and others.”
Me: “I heard something about tax credits for EV’s. Does that apply to yall’s vehicles as well?”
Josh: “Unfortunately the bill that would bring such a tax credit to EV owners has been delayed until 2010, but we’re going ahead and offering $1,500 off the Zenn Car for the rest of the 1st quarter of this year anyway.”
Here’s a little demonstration of how big, powerful, and awesome the Zenn car is on the road:
On the VerdeGoh! Green General Store:
Me: “Uh, what is it?”
Josh: “Remember the old time-y general stores in local communities where people could buy a little bit of everything? It’s like that…only modern…and green.”
Me: “Wow, sounds like it’s quite the project! What will it include?”
Josh: “We’ll sell:
- Organic meats and other Tennessee based and local food
- Green building & home products (countertops, flooring, cleaning supplies, paint, stain, etc)
- Gadgets, alternative energy devices, solar products, small scale wind power systems, etc
- Organic and U.S. – made apparel, gifts, educational material, etc.
- and much much more…”
Me: “You’ll be selling products to help people build green, will there be any green design elements to the general store itself?”
Josh: “Actually our store is nearly a lock to be the 1st LEED Platinum project in Tennessee, if we can afford to commission and certify it.”
In the end, VerdeGoh! is a company that dreams to de-mystify what it means to be sustainable, by being simply being “susensible“ (a term coined on the spot by Josh Womack himself).
What does that mean?
It means making living green something that is inclusive, rather than exclusive. It means to break down the cultural and politicalbarriers that are sometimes heaped upon the idea. It means learning to depend on each other and on our communities once again.
*In short, it means making green accessible, affordable and sensible.*
I think Josh Womack and VerdeGoh! are up to something GREAT in the small town Franklin, TN.
What do you think?
For more info, videos, and press coverage on VerdeGoh!, check out local news station stories done by WKRN and Fox 17.
Here are some more pics of the Zenn car and the soon-to-be-open VerdeGoh! General Store:
I think every little step toward living green is an awesome one… but eco-snobbery sucks! My goal is to help newbies learn the most important steps toward living green — individually and collectively. Personally, I strive to have as little impact as possible on Planet Earth while I’m here.
