Putting an electric vehicle to the test

Posted 8/21/12

CALLICOON CENTER, NY — Bryan Kent is a show-me kind of guy. Now, having been won over by the performance of his electric vehicle, a 2013 Nisson Leaf, he is driving it on an epic road trip covering …

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Putting an electric vehicle to the test

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CALLICOON CENTER, NY — Bryan Kent is a show-me kind of guy. Now, having been won over by the performance of his electric vehicle, a 2013 Nisson Leaf, he is driving it on an epic road trip covering more than 26,000 miles in about 100 days. Along the way, he plans to visit the capitals of the 48 contiguous U.S. states and plant 100 trees.

On the morning of August 25 Kent, who had started his trip the previous day, stopped at Apple Pond Farm in Callicoon Center after hooking up to the charging station at the Catskill Brewery. His vehicle is projected to go about 84 miles per charge by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; therefore a cross-country trip takes a bit of planning, calculating expected mileage based on the terrain of the land, and plotting out charging stops in advance.

While coming to Sullivan County, several factors conspired to throw a temporary roadblock in the way of Kent’s progress. He was pushing the expected distance of the vehicle, driving into an area with very few charging stations, and the cell service was non-existent. With the cell phone no longer feeding him directions, he made a wrong turn heading toward Jeffersonville, and wound up in Hankins. After driving his vehicle more than 25,000 miles, he ran out of power for the first time since he’s owned the Leaf. But, what he called a “learning opportunity” did not dampen his enthusiasm for the project.

The incident also points to the notion that Sullivan County and the Upper Delaware Valley could do with a few more charging stations. One map of stations in the area shows that along with the one at Catskill Brewery, there are a couple at Woodloch Pines near Hawley, PA and one at Settlers Inn in Hawley.

There are essentially three types of charging systems. One, which is 110v (volts) takes about 22 hours to fully charge a battery in a car like Kent’s. Another is 220v, which fully charges the battery in about two to three hours, and the 440v fully charges the battery in about 30 minutes.

Kent points out that when an electric vehicle owner pulls into a charging station, they will be looking for something to do, and therefore charging stations present an opportunity for business owners in the area.

Kent said he embarked on the journey to prove the viability of electric vehicles (EV). He said, “EV drivers need to catch a break, because a lot of us are looked at as a little bit fringe… most of it is because the myths about electric cars are still so pervasive.” So he thought this trip would be instructive, to show that “obviously this could, for instance, go on a road trip.”

He said he started planning for the trip 44 days before the Apple Pond visit, and had immediate buy-ins from various people and organizations. He said, “I think people want to see it.” He hooked up with Kampground of American (KOA), which became a sponsor. He said that “was good because they’re on the outskirts and they have charging stations.” He got a special cable crafted by supporters, which essentially turned all of the KOA spots into charging stations for his vehicle. KOA, Kent said, is interested in becoming more EV friendly.

For those interested in an electric vehicle, used ones are beginning to come on the market at very low prices compared to traditional or hybrid cars. While a new vehicle such as a Leaf has a sticker price of $32,000, that comes with about $8,000 in tax credits. Because of this, and the reluctance of many members of the public to embrace EVs, prices for used vehicles can be very low. Kent said he knew of a 2013 Leaf with 11,000 miles on it priced for sale at $8,995.

Kent said, “I’m not going to say that it’s the car for everyone, because it’s not, not at 84 miles a charge. But, it’s not a hatchet, it’s a scalpel; you have to be paying attention to what you’re doing—especially if your road trip takes you through Sullivan County.”

Kent’s email address is negativecarbonroadtrip@gmail.com and the website for the blog is www.evchargehub.com/blogs.html.

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