Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!enterpoop.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.metro From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: In the forward-thinking lane, area motorists plug into EVs Date: Mon, 23 Nov 92 15:07:21 EST Message-ID: Lines: 100 \SE B;METROPOLITAN \HD In the forward-thinking lane, area motorists plug into EVs \BY Janet Naylor \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES Charlie Garlow gets a real charge out of driving, and hopes others don't find his method of commuting from Silver Spring shocking or re-volting. Mr. Garlow, a lawyer, drives to his District job at the Environmental Protection Agency each day in an electrically powered 1982 Plymouth Horizon TC3. The little white hatchback starts up effortlessly, runs silently and can reach a surprising speed before it leaves the parking lot. It also rides low to the ground and takes its share of bumps on the road, despite heavy-duty shocks. But Mr. Garlow said he doesn't really mind. "I kind of like knowing that the road is still there," he said. Mr. Garlow is one of a small but growing number of local residents who own and drive electric vehicles, or EVs. He and other members of the Electric Vehicle Association of Greater Washington, D.C., showed off their various EVs at the city dock in Annapolis yesterday. Doug Dillner, an instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, uses his converted 1987 Pontiac Fiero to make his short commute to work each day. The bright blue T-shaped panels on his hood and trunk show his car runs on solar power as well as electricity. "It does what I need," Mr. Dillner said. Interest in alternatively powered cars is growing, club members said, aided in part by government mandates for cleaner air. Chip and Monica Gribben of Laurel stopped by yesterday because they're interested in converting their Ford Escort to electric power. "We're not really environmentalists, but the environment is something to consider" as well as the unpredictable cost of gasoline in the future, Mr. Gribben said. He said he hopes to use the car to commute the five miles to his job as a technical illustrator in Beltsville. They also see using the car to run errands and go shopping. "It's a way to make our other cars last a little longer," Mrs. Gribben said. Electric cars have their advantages. They are cheaper to run than most gasoline-powered cars, they don't emit smog-causing chemicals and they reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil. EVs also have drawbacks. Their range is limited, from 40 to 60 miles. Then they need recharging - which can take several hours. The cars are also heavy, largely because they have to haul around about 20 6-volt batteries. And forget about trunk space. Conversion can cost about $6,000 and battery replacement still costs more over time than gasoline. "It's a labor of love for an auto hobbyist," said David Goldstein, an EV consultant from Gaithersburg who also owns a converted Horizon. EVs, while touted as "zero emission" transportation, would cause an increase in demand at electrical plants if used on a wide scale. "It doesn't pollute on the road. It transmits the emissions to somewhere else," said Don Chen, senior transportation researcher with the Rocky Mountain Institute in Snowmass, Colo. "There is no free ride," Mr. Goldstein conceded, but added the increase could be handled easily if cars are recharged at night, when electricity use is low. EV owners and transportation experts predict that within a decade, increased demand for the vehicles will lead to lower costs, better batteries, longer ranges and more driver-friendly designs. The country's largest automakers are all working on electric-powered cars and vans. General Motors is said to be leading the way, and is expected to offer a limited production run next year of the Impact, an electric car with a range of about 120 miles and a price tag nearing $30,000. Automakers and electrical companies have also formed a consortium to develop a better battery system, the dream of all EV enthusiasts. "I think that'll be the innovation that gets [EVs] into the mainstream," Mr. Dillner said. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM