By STEVE EVERLY
The Kansas City Star
2010 Chevrolet Volt More News
Paving the way for electric cars, utilities make plans now Jack Cooper Transport explores reality TV possibilities Many underwater homeowners overpay to stay Local James Beard Foundation semifinalists are announced Fueling the future | Heating from the ground up A Kansas City-based company pushes Jet magazine out of its time warp Kansas City Power & Light Co. is preparing for a highway power play — a new breed of electric cars.
While the environmentally friendly vehicles are likely to generate more of a trickle of sales in the Kansas City area over the next two years than a surge, that’s not stopping KCP&L and other utilities from getting ready for them.
KCP&L hopes to open its first of 10 public charging stations next year in midtown Kansas City and is considering educational campaigns to tell customers about what’s involved in owning an electric vehicle.
The utility also plans to train employees so they’ll be conversant in topics such as the electric wiring needed to charge the vehicles and even have names of contractors that can do wiring upgrades, if needed.
Electric utilities want to make it as easy as possible to own an electric car.
“The electric utility industry wants to enable (electric vehicles) and not hinder them,” said Kevin Bryant, vice president of energy solutions for KCP&L.
The Electric Power Research Institute and a group of about 50 utilities — including KCP&L — have been working with automakers to do just that. General Motors, which is expected to begin selling its Chevrolet Volt in November, has been especially keen about a relationship with the utilities.
Other automakers also see the importance, including Nissan, which is expected to begin selling its Leaf electric car by the end of the year. Automakers are offering more models next year and in 2012.
But most of the attention is on GM, which is expected to be the first to offer an electric car intended for the mass market. The Volt’s purchase price hasn’t been released, but it could carry a sticker price of about $40,000. Making the cost more palatable is a $7,500 tax credit that Volt buyers will receive.
Volt sales will start slowly. GM is expected to produce about 10,000 Volts during the first year, and those will be directed toward California, Michigan and Washington, D.C
Some of those cars could end up elsewhere, however, as cars change hands and owners move. But it should be easier to buy a Volt by late 2012 when the car is rolled out nationwide, said Britta Gross, director of GM’s global energy systems.
By that time, consumers could have a choice of models — and some interesting decisions to make about the kind of electric car they want and the mileage range of the battery. Several automakers are shooting for a range of 100 miles or more before recharging is necessary.
But GM thinks there is a better way in part because an extended range will mean a more expensive battery. GM said its experience with its EV1 electric car, which was sold in small numbers in the 1990s, also showed that relying solely on a battery makes motorists uneasy. Drivers often worried about running out of power even when half of it remained.
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Source: kanascity.com
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