Clean fuel booster says electric vehicles can save you money
NEW PHILADELPHIA ‒ Would you like to spend less money to fuel your car or truck?
An electric vehicle might be a choice to consider, according to Abigail Spracklen, consulting services manager for Clean Fuels Ohio. She said her agency's Chevrolet Bolt EV can travel 250 miles on an electric charge that costs $7 to $15.
She appeared last week at Drive Clean Rural USA, a networking and demonstration event held to showcase alternative fuels and vehicles at Kent State University at Tuscarawas.
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Maintenance costs are lower for electric vehicles, she said. The battery may require replacement, but most carry a warranty for eight to 11 years.
Waiting to charge and electric vehicle
Spracklen acknowledged that range anxiety is a real thing, limiting the practicality of electric vehicles to urban areas. No one wants to run out of battery power in the middle of the Mojave Desert.
"You have to plan ahead," Spracklen said.
She said charging stations are being built in retail locations, where people can shop or dine while a vehicle is getting a 30-minute fast charge. Others are popping up in the parking lots of parks and libraries. Slower charging, taking eight to nine hours, can be accomplished at home.
The advantage for the environment is fewer greenhouse gas emissions than vehicles powered directly by fossil fuels, Spracklen said. Once the vehicle is on the road, it has no carbon emissions.
Muskingum Watershed eyes gas alternatives
The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District co-hosted Thursday's expo with Clean Fuels Ohio, a nonprofit organization.
Boris Slogar, chief engineer for the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, said the agency is exploring fuels that serve as alternatives to gasoline and diesel for fueling vehicles.
"We put in our first electric vehicle charging station at our Tappan marina building," he said. "We worked with Clean Fuels Ohio ... on that install. We learned a lot from Clean Fuels Ohio."
More:MWCD opens renovated marina as destination for Tappan Lake visitors
For that reason, the MWCD was receptive to Clean Ohio's request for the conservancy district to host Thursday's event to help raise awareness about alternative fuels in rural areas.
"We want to learn more about it as well," Slogar said. "It's a great opportunity for us. We're looking for ways to conserve fuel, be better stewards of the resources that we've got. We're trying to learn more and expand our electric vehicle and alternative fueled vehicles in our fleet."
MWCD heavy equipment operators and rangers visited to test-drive the demonstration vehicles, which included a truck, a police cruiser and garbage truck. There were fewer vehicles on scene than were planned.
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A school bus and a Ford F-350 truck were to appear, as was a representative from STAG USA, based in Anderson, Indiana. The company makes and installs alternative fuel systems like the one on a Ford police cruiser from the Muskingum County Sheriff's Office.
The department's patrol division commander, Capt. Jeff LeCocq, noted the only visible difference under the hood is the STAG USA device. In the rear, the propane tanks sit in the spare tire compartment. Deputies can't get to that compartment anyway, because their equipment box sits atop the void, blocking access. The SUV burns both gasoline and propane, which costs $1.99 a gallon. LeCocq said the major cost savings for the bi-fuel vehicle comes from less frequent oil changes because the propane burns cooler.
Slogar said he was grateful to Battle Motors of New Philadelphia for bringing a truck for event participants to drive.
"It's so wonderful that that's constructed right here in Tuscarawas County," he said.
Reach Nancy at 330-364-8402 or nancy.molnar@timesreporter.com.
On Twitter: @nmolnarTR
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Electric vehicles and propane-powered cop car demonstrated at KSU Tusc
