Driving toward an electric future

Nov 15 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Alex Breitler The Record, Stockton, Calif.

Paul and Cindi Marsh could be any 30-something couple.

Not long ago, they bought a foreclosure in midtown Stockton. Cindi works in town; Paul commutes to Sacramento.

They have a baby boy, Bacchus ("Bax"), who is teething and -- once in a while -- chomps down on mama's finger.

They could be any couple, except for one thing: Soon they'll be driving a car with no tailpipe.

Electric cars are no longer the playthings of the rich and curious, the Marshes say. Paul and Cindi are among more than 20,000 other plug-in pioneers, ready to receive the first wave of the relatively affordable, all-electric Nissan Leaf sedan. Deliveries begin next month, and other zero-emission models are expected to follow.

"Twenty years from now, I believe it will be difficult to buy a car that isn't capable of plugging in," blogged Paul Scott, of the advocacy group Plug In America. "Looking back at 2010, it will all seem so obvious in hindsight -- nonpolluting transportation that runs on domestic renewable electricity made from sunlight and wind."

Behind the wheel

The Marshes want to help the environment by eliminating tailpipe emissions. But like anyone else, they had to be certain that a fully electric vehicle would meet their basic needs.

Would the 100-mile battery range be adequate for Paul's 100-mile commute? Will there, someday, be a reliable network of roadside charging stations? And how would the car itself perform?

They got an answer to that last question during a 11/2-mile test drive on Halloween in San Jose.

"It's got great pickup -- it's just hit the gas and go," Paul Marsh said.

"Excuse me," he corrected himself with a smile. "You can't use that term -- 'gas' -- anymore."

Paul will drive the car to his restaurant job in Old Sacramento twice a week. By plugging in while he works, the battery should soak up enough juice for the return trip to Stockton.

They'll charge the car at night, when energy prices are low. Nissan estimates a rough average cost of $2.75 per charge -- a steal compared to the price of gas. And it could be even cheaper with discounted Pacific Gas and Electric Co. rates for electric vehicle owners.

The Marshes, however, have solar panels, so their car will be powered by the sun. This also guarantees that the pollution that would have come out of their tailpipe isn't simply spewing from a power plant smokestack somewhere else.

High-powered public charging stations that could "fill 'er up" in 20 minutes remain scarce, especially in the Valley. But Cindi Marsh, an urban planner, expects that private businesses and local governments will install medium- or high-powered chargers as the number of electric vehicles increases.

"Imagine stopping in Stockton to catch a movie and dinner downtown while your (car) charges, then jumping back on the freeway," she said. "Or, stopping at a hotel to sleep," while the car charges overnight.

Slow going

To date, the price of electric cars has been the biggest hurdle in making them available for ordinary families. The sporty Tesla Roadster, the only highway-certified electric vehicle available in the United States, runs about $109,000.

The Leaf will cost $32,780, but a trio of federal, state and Valley air district rebates can cut that amount nearly in half. Plug In America says the comparatively low price of the Leaf "crystallized the reality of affordable EVs (electric vehicles) for the masses."

Despite the hype, J.D. Power and Associates last month reported that in 2020, hybrid and battery electric cars will still account for just 7.3 percent of passenger car sales, in part because of anxiety over range.

"We don't anticipate a mass migration to green vehicles in the coming decade," said J.D. Power and Associates spokesman John Humphrey.

Nissan itself acknowledges that the range of its Leaf could be lower or higher than 100 miles, depending on conditions. A hot day in the Valley, with the air conditioner roaring, could reduce the range to 70 miles. And there are very few fast-charging stations along major routes such as Interstate 5.

"Tow truck operators are ready," blogged Mike Nemeth, project manager for the nonprofit San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization.

People like the Marshes may have to demonstrate that it works for them before others will migrate in their direction.

"It's like the (Toyota) Prius," Cindi Marsh said. "Everyone was scared of the Prius at first."

The Marshes believe that even those who don't share their concerns about natural resources will move toward electric cars to save money.

They're sold on both counts.

Of course, it also helps that Bax's stroller fits in the back of the Leaf. They tried it out just to make sure.

Contact reporter Alex Breitler at (209) 546-8295 or abreitler@recordnet.com. Visit his blog at recordnet.com/breitlerblog.