SEATTLE -
The city of Seattle is getting charged up for a new project that could mean a big change for your commute. It's a program to bring thousands of electric cars into our area. If you buy one, a charger could be placed in your home for free. And that's just the start.
This $100 million program from the feds and the private sector will install about 2,500 chargers all over Seattle. The same amount of hookups would go into four other U.S. cities too. It's the biggest project of its kind in our country's history. Electric car manufacturers are counting on you to help lead the charge to the commute of the future.
The electric car, or EV, has risen and fallen in popularity over the decades. But now, it may have arrived. Steve Lough with the Seattle Electric Vehicle Association, says, "It's pretty exciting to see it come to fruition." Seattle's EVA is the largest local group of its kind in the U.S., with 230 members. And Lough says what's happening now a perfect electric storm. Oil prices are high, the debate over greenhouse gases is raging, and automakers are starting to build more electric cars. So, it's no shock to Lough and others that the federal government and companies like Nissan and E-Tec, a charger manufacturer, are investing $20 million into Seattle.
The money will pay for 1,000 chargers installed in private homes, and 1,500 more in public areas. With Seattle's reputation as a ''green'' city, and a very public display of charging stations, the hope is that EV's will take off. Lough says, "The market is there, the inclination to be green is there, and the people's pocketbooks are there."
How big are those pocketbooks for Ev-'s? Try $109,000 for Tom Saxton's new Tesla roadster, and its zero to 60 in four seconds. That's top of the line, but several new and cheaper electric cars are due out next year, including the Nissan LEAF, with a cost of about $30,000, or the Chevy Volt, at about $40,000.
Your savings could be substantial: experts say charging an EV costs only about $250 a year. Then, consider the carbon footprint. Imagine putting out no emissions for a car that performs as well, or even better than what you have right now. Saxton says, "An electric vehicle doesn't have to be an eco-punishment device. Electric cars can be just as capable as regular cars. It's guilt-free driving on very clean energy."
The new chargers are scheduled to be installed next summer. Cars like the LEAF will have a 100-mile range fully charged. The Volt should have a 40-mile range. Studies show an average city driver drivers less than 40 miles per day. Locations for the chargers have not been set yet. Fully charging an E-V can take four to eight hours on a conventional 220-volt charger, but manufacturers are working on a model that could recharge a car in as little as 15 minutes. For more information on electric cars locally, follow this link. To learn more about the Tesla Roadster, click here. For more information on the City of Seattle's involvement in this program, check out this link.
This $100 million program from the feds and the private sector will install about 2,500 chargers all over Seattle. The same amount of hookups would go into four other U.S. cities too. It's the biggest project of its kind in our country's history. Electric car manufacturers are counting on you to help lead the charge to the commute of the future.
The electric car, or EV, has risen and fallen in popularity over the decades. But now, it may have arrived. Steve Lough with the Seattle Electric Vehicle Association, says, "It's pretty exciting to see it come to fruition." Seattle's EVA is the largest local group of its kind in the U.S., with 230 members. And Lough says what's happening now a perfect electric storm. Oil prices are high, the debate over greenhouse gases is raging, and automakers are starting to build more electric cars. So, it's no shock to Lough and others that the federal government and companies like Nissan and E-Tec, a charger manufacturer, are investing $20 million into Seattle.
The money will pay for 1,000 chargers installed in private homes, and 1,500 more in public areas. With Seattle's reputation as a ''green'' city, and a very public display of charging stations, the hope is that EV's will take off. Lough says, "The market is there, the inclination to be green is there, and the people's pocketbooks are there."
How big are those pocketbooks for Ev-'s? Try $109,000 for Tom Saxton's new Tesla roadster, and its zero to 60 in four seconds. That's top of the line, but several new and cheaper electric cars are due out next year, including the Nissan LEAF, with a cost of about $30,000, or the Chevy Volt, at about $40,000.
Your savings could be substantial: experts say charging an EV costs only about $250 a year. Then, consider the carbon footprint. Imagine putting out no emissions for a car that performs as well, or even better than what you have right now. Saxton says, "An electric vehicle doesn't have to be an eco-punishment device. Electric cars can be just as capable as regular cars. It's guilt-free driving on very clean energy."
The new chargers are scheduled to be installed next summer. Cars like the LEAF will have a 100-mile range fully charged. The Volt should have a 40-mile range. Studies show an average city driver drivers less than 40 miles per day. Locations for the chargers have not been set yet. Fully charging an E-V can take four to eight hours on a conventional 220-volt charger, but manufacturers are working on a model that could recharge a car in as little as 15 minutes. For more information on electric cars locally, follow this link. To learn more about the Tesla Roadster, click here. For more information on the City of Seattle's involvement in this program, check out this link.
