Supporters Lead the Charge for Electric Cars
By Anna Marie Lux | The Janesville Gazette
Chris Schneider is talking a mile a minute, assuring me the small vehicle we are riding in is not a marshmallow.
He steps on the pedal, and we blend in smoothly on a busy street in La Crosse, a city of 52,000.
A man waves as we pass in a neighborhood electric vehicle, which runs on the same standard electricity you use to operate household appliances.
Chris does not notice as he takes me on a rush hour drive through downtown.
“I get honked at regularly, and people give me the finger—a thumbs up of approval,” he says. “They appreciate that there is no tailpipe on my car.”
Schneider sells the Summit brand of electric vehicle at his Honda dealership and has sold 11 so far this year. He also drives one himself to commute and to run errands in the city.
La Crosse is one of a growing number of Wisconsin cities, which permits electric vehicles on streets with speed limits of 35 mph or less. I went to La Crosse to see how they are fitting in. So far, only a handful of people are driving them, including Chris.
On a recent afternoon, his vehicle is flowing well with heavy traffic, even though its top speed is 25 mph. Chris moves easily in and out of lanes. And his turns are as smooth as the car’s adjustable bucket seats.
But this is the best part: His vehicle emits no carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide or nitrous oxide.
No pollutants at all. No exhaust fumes. Zero emissions.
In addition, he will never spill gas on his hands. Nor will he ever take the vehicle in for an oil change.
Depending on the brand, a fully charged electric car goes 30 to 50 miles before needing to be plugged into a 110-volt outlet and recharged for 8 or 9 hours.
In addition, the electric car offers an alternative to $3 per gallon gasoline. It costs little more than a penny a mile to drive.
Back at home in Janesville, Tim Thompson, his wife, Pat, and son, Chris, have an electric-car dealership in Janesville.
They and Chris Schneider are leading the charge in Wisconsin for a new way of transportation on city streets.
“We can’t keep going with our dependence on oil,” Tim says. Last week, on the day when the price of a barrel of oil hit a new high, he brings a ZENN electric car on a trailer to a Janesville parking lot. ZENN is a brand of electric vehicle, which stands for zero emissions, no noise.
Tim gives me a chance behind the wheel. Not knowing what to expect, I turn the key but hear nothing. A dash light comes on to let me know the noiseless car is on. Then I simply press the forward button and step on the accelerator to make it go.
The 1,300-pound vehicle with six 12-volt batteries is the most “car-like” of the electric vehicles, looking a little like a Mini Cooper. One model even comes with a sun roof and keyless entry.
The vehicle turns easily, accelerates nicely and sounds like a truck when I back up because of a reverse warning beeper. I take Tim for a spin around the parking lot because electric cars are illegal on Janesville streets.
The Thompsons asked the city earlier this year to approve use of the vehicles. But city staff recommended the council pass no ordinance at this time. State law requires each municipality to pass an ordinance. In addition, the state requires registration, which is also up to the city at this time. Before last year, the neighborhood electric vehicle was not even legal in Wisconsin. A late convert, the state became the 46th in the nation authorizing its use. The Thompsons do not know if they will keep their business in Janesville. “It is hard to have a dealership, if I cannot take the cars off the lot,” Tim says. “We will give it a try for three months.”
The family recently opened a 3,000-square-foot showroom at the corner of Mt. Zion and Milton Avenue, where they keep two brands of electric vehicles on hand but can take orders for four. The vehicles range in price from $9,800 to more than $15,000. The Thompsons hope to sell them in the dozen or so communities around the state which allow electric cars, including Stoughton and eventually Madison. But they have to educate people first.
Tim’s goal during the next six months is to tow a vehicle to various cities, including Whitewater, Edgerton, Evansville, Beloit, Jefferson and Watertown. He will give city officials a chance to see a vehicle and drive it, so they can make informed decisions about allowing them in their cities.
“I would be willing to say that 99 out of 100 people do not know they exist or have ever seen one,” Tim says.
He is a longtime supporter of electric cars. Tim put 17,000 miles on one in the mid-1970s while living on the West Coast and serving in the U.S. Coast Guard. To those who say he is replacing the tailpipe with the smoke stack, he reminds them that more and more electricity is being produced by green methods.
Like Chris Schneider in La Crosse, the Thompsons believe their product can fill a special need. Chris Schneider says 65 percent of U.S. families own a second car. About 80 percent of trips in the second car are less than 10 miles, causing excessive engine wear and high pollution. This is where the electric vehicle rolls in.
“I think these cars fill a niche for people who live and work in a community,” Tim says. “They are not for everyone, but we are committed to giving people an option.” He makes a reasonable request: “All we ask is that people keep an open mind.”
Chris Schneider can be reached at (608) 784-6433 or chris-hybridguru@centurytel.net.
