Green Reservation
We hear the phrase “we’re all in this together” a lot these days. And that certainly applies to preserving our precious natural resources. This week, we see how those with the longest ties to our natural history are taking bold steps to ensure a clean future.
The Cherokee nation is located in a 9,000 square mile area of northeastern Oklahoma. Unlike other reservations, Cherokee tribal land is checkerboarded in and around state jurisdictions, and Cherokee citizens are very much a part of the local communities. So maintaining their own civic infrastructure and preserving Cherokee culture while keeping pace with modern society is a vital task.
Chuck Hoskin, Jr.: "Well, our belief, and it’s one that’s held our people together for generations, is that we look seven generations into the future. We look at what our actions today are doing for generations from now. And I think in the world we live in today, it’s important to reduce our carbon footprint, to look for avenues to explore green energy, and I’m standing next to our solar canopy, which is one of our key initiatives to meet that objective, reduce that carbon footprint -- think ahead to future generations, make sure that this reservation that we’re on right now, is going to be clean and pristine. Hopefully cleaner as we go by, thanks to these kinds of initiatives for generations into the future."
The Indian Nations Council of Governments is also home to the Tulsa Area Clean Cities Coalition, easing the way for the Cherokee Nation and other tribal partners to team up through clean cities on a number of clean vehicle projects.
This solar canopy, completed in 2017, currently houses eight, free, public level 2 electric car charging outlets at the Cherokee Nation's main administrative complex.
It generates up to 58,000 kilowatt-hours per year and augments grid power supplied to the buildings when not used for charging vehicles.
When it was installed, there were actually very few electric vehicles registered in the area, but in a classic case of “build it and they will come,” the local EV population, and demand for charging, has grown rapidly.
Chad Hasha: "Since we’ve installed this canopy, we’ve seen both the number of electric vehicles utilizing it increase. Actually we have to increase the number of stalls available. And we have also since that time purchased a number of electric vehicles to supplement our tribal fleet operations."
Once complete, the solar site’s electric vehicle charging capacity will be doubled to 16.
The Cherokee Nation’s EV Initiative also includes four DC fast chargers and additional level twos, installed or planned for tribal lands throughout the area, as well as a significant investment in public transportation.
Chuck Hoskin, Jr.: "We have an electric school bus here in the Cherokee nation, I think it’s the first in the region, and we have some electric transit buses, which we think are the first for a rural-based transit system in the United States."
With just 2000 fluent speakers remaining, attrition of tribal elders through natural causes and from the COVID pandemic losing many tribal elders to COVID has threatened the very viability of the Cherokee language for the future.
This electric school bus transports students in the Cherokee Nation’s groundbreaking language immersion program, where new generations of native speakers are being trained to teach others and keep this vital link to the past alive.
These newly-arrived Proterra electric transit buses carry bilingual signage throughout the interior to act as teaching tools, and as a reminder to all of the importance of not just preserving, but continuing Cherokee traditions.
Chuck Hoskin, Jr.: "If you go elsewhere in the reservation, you’ll see community organizations that are really the hub and the lifeblood of these little communities that again have existed since before the state of Oklahoma was here."
We have to connect people, from home to work and home to health centers. Doing that in an environmentally sustainable way is important, and these transit buses are a big part of that.
And there’s a little bit of a teaching moment about where does energy come from, how do we harness something like the sunlight to power this little community. So, these sorts of things, I think are sparking some interest among young people, which is of particular interest to me, because they’re the ones who are going to take on leading this nation in the future.
1998 TVR Griffith 500
Great Britain is known for making some of the most iconic two-seat roadsters to ever tear down the tarmac. But amidst the Aston Martins, Jags and Lotus’ that we’ve driven over the years, there’s another brand that has an equally unique story, TVR. It’s a story our own Roger Mecca learned about when he got behind the wheel of one of their most storied designs—one that has the looks, speed, style and thrills American car fans search for, but few ever found.
ROGER MECCA: For every household name in European automotive history, there are many others that just never gained attention in the US despite making sports cars that could leave their peers in a cloud of dust.
One of those brands is TVR, a British automaker you may not have heard of, but actually has been around for almost 80 years. And in that time, this is perhaps their signature model, the Griffith 500: A car that, on paper, anyway, had everything necessary to get people’s hearts racing.
Ralf Berthiez is the owner of this 1998 TVR Griffith 500, which he’s owned since 2022 after importing it from England. A longtime enthusiast, he’d been looking for a car that had the perfect combination of speed, good looks and driving comfort, while also being a little rare. The Griffith checked all those boxes.
RALF BETHIEZ: It’s a raw performance car. I mean, it’s kind of an in-between of a Viper and a Cobra. I mean, it’s just raw… and I like that. I like that it’s a something a little bit different. Something I don’t see all over the place. You know, you don’t want to come out of the supermarket and say “okay, which Porsche Boxster is mine.”
ROGER MECCA: But before we focus on the Griffith, I mentioned that many of you may not be familiar with the TVR brand. Well, since they’ve been around since 1946, I could literally spend an entire episode on TVR’s history. So, in the interest of time, I’ll summarize them this way: TVR is a boutique British sportscar company with a reputation for creating fast two-seaters with striking, often beautiful designs, but unfortunately, they’ve gone bankrupt three times. Despite trying to make inroads to the US several times, the brand never set up a consistent dealer network in America and few units ever made it here.
MotorWeek has reviewed only two TVRs in over 40 years: a 380 I Tasmin, as part of a 1985 review of imported convertibles, and a Ford V8-modified Grantura that was developed by, fittingly enough, American entrepreneur Jack Griffith. Though they haven’t produced a car since 2006, TVR is, technically, still in existence and, reportedly, working on a new V8 coupe that’s being developed in partnership with racing legend Gordon Murray and Cosworth. But as luck would have it, the last model that was available to a few US buyers was arguably the company’s best: the Griffith 500.
It’s a shame this car never took off in the United States because I think Americans would love it. I mean, it’s basically a muscle car. It’s got a big V8 up front, rear wheel drive, and then, of course, there’s the noise.
With an all-fiberglass body, the Griffith 500 is roughly the same size and weight as a first-generation Miata. But the Griffith’s engine, well, that couldn’t be more different. It’s a 5.0-liter, 340-horsepower all-aluminum V8 supplied by fellow British automaker Rover, an engine they got from Buick in 1969 and then used for decades. As you can imagine, putting a big V8 in a car the same size as a Miata produces some dramatic results.
Even by today’s standards, it’s very quick; 0-60 is just over 4 seconds, and with 350 pounds of torque, you just touch that accelerator and you’re off like a rocket.
When it came out, the Griffith was as fast, or faster, to 60 than any 911 model, the Corvette ZR-1, and only a few tenths slower than a Lamborghini Diablo! As for Ferrari, only the mighty F40 was quicker. Handling is very precise and there is immediate feedback through the steering wheel, and even the tiniest road variations instantly translate to your fingers. There’s no traction control, ABS or driver aids of any kind. It’s just you, and the car.
Inside It’s comfortable and refined, with soft leather, posh seats, and an easy-to-read dash layout with refined gauges and wood trim, all angled toward the driver, making for a classic, understated British elegance. It all adds up to an experience that, for people like Ralf, is something truly special.
RALF BETHIEZ: At the end of the day, I really don’t care who notices it. It’s for me, helps me smile during the day and the week, and that’s what it’s all about.