Plug-in vehicles could charge up area's economy

Some big changes could be coming down the road in 2010 for Pasco County and the Suncoast.

On Tuesday, the regional group Get Ready Tampa Bay plans to launch its plug-in electric vehicle "get ready" initiative in hopes of attracting manufacturers and federal funds.

Last November, Pasco County commissioners had expressed enthusiasm about a report from Progress Energy expert Mike Waters.

Electric and hybrid vehicles could soon jolt the car industry in entirely new directions, according to Waters, the advanced transportation manager based at the utility's headquarters in Raleigh, N.C.

Experiments with electric propulsion have been around nearly as long as the dawn of the car industry in the early 1900s, Waters had explained. Cheap gasoline by the 1920s finally allowed the internal combustion engine to displace electric vehicles.

Now the past could become the future, Waters said. And Pasco could become part of the drive toward the greener technology for electric cars as companies roll out the new models.

With memories still fresh of gasoline prices at $4 a gallon in 2008, the cost of recharging a car's batteries overnight becomes quite attractive. The electricity could cost roughly one-fourth the price of a gallon of gas, or about 75 cents at current prices, Waters said.

Put another way, gasoline-powered cars cost about 12 cents a mile, compared to 2 to 3 cents per mile for an electric vehicle.

Many plug-in cars, such as the Chevrolet Volt, are expected to arrive by late 2010. Owners will use electric outlets at their homes to recharge the car's batteries overnight.

Today's lithium-ion batteries can deliver 100 and more miles between charges, Waters emphasized. That would cover 98 percent of the driving needs for most Americans.

Utilities are interested because the car batteries can be recharged during the early morning hours when demand is low for electricity.

Public plug-in charging stations could begin cropping up years from now. Parking lots could offer recharging stations to boost a car's batteries while the owner shops, for instance.

Pasco County officials might consider running conduit for charging stations as part of road construction projects in the future, Waters suggested. It's much cheaper that way to add charging stations later, rather than tearing out concrete to install conduit after a road is built.

As the former owner of a car repair shop, Commissioner Michael Cox said with a chuckle that he would miss the sound of a "fire-breathing V-8" gasoline engine. Waters jested that perhaps the V-8 roar sound could be recorded onto a compact disc to be played over the car stereo.

"I can't help but wonder what Henry Ford would think of all this," Commissioner Ann Hildebrand said.

The June 22 event at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg will bring together elected leaders and automotive industry leaders from GM, smart USA and Nissan. Progress Energy President/CEO Vincent Dolan will be among speakers.

Plug-in electric vehicles will be available for "drive and ride" demonstrations.

Plug-in electric hybrid cars and trucks on display will include the Chevy Volt, Toyota Prius, Ford Escape plug-in electric hybrid SUVs, plug-in hybrid electric bucket trucks and the smart fortwo electric drive car. ChargePoint vehicle charging stations will be on display.

The United States has a goal of having at least 1 million plug-in electric vehicles on the road in the next five years, according to a Get Ready Tampa Bay press release.

The use of electric transportation could reduce dependence on foreign oil, improve air quality and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the regional group contends.