More Central New Yorkers could be driving electric cars in the next decade or so as an increasing number of automakers say they’re planning to phase out internal combustion vehicles. On Friday, we told you that General Motors, Volvo, and Jaguar are among those making the transition in the next four to 15 years, and others are likely to follow. But will there be enough places to charge your car while out and about?
Executive Director of Clean Communities of Central New York Barry Carr says more and more locations are adding charging stations to meet future demand.
"Keep taking baby steps, but know that eventually that's how we're going to get to zero emissions. It's exciting to see the infrastructure getting caught up. Chargers are starting to pop up at Stewarts or Mirabito stores. I saw some the other day at a Love's truck stop."
Carr says Volkswagen just installed four fast charge units on Erie Boulevard in DeWitt near the car wash, though they’re not activated just yet.
"If you had a Chevy Bolt, which has a rance of 230 miles, you could go over there and plug it in for a half hour, and add probably 120 miles of range to it. From there, you could do some shopping or go to a restaurant while you're charging your car."
Or, he says they could be used by electric delivery vehicles. Carr says the shift to electric or other alternative fuels will also be driven by business looking to be more environmentally responsible. For example, he can envision large supermarket chains requiring distributors to go green.
"Maybe it's renewable diesel, maybe it's renewable natural gas, and at some point, it's going to be electric. That'll also help accelerate the market. If everyone's educated enough to start demanding it, that'll help and also bring the cost down."
Carr says his primary role is to educate the public, car dealers, and businesses about zero emissions vehicles. He says this understanding will lead to faster adoption of the technology, followed by the infrastructure to support it.
