BG plugs into charging of electric cars - Sentinel-Tribune | Sentinel-Tribune | Sentinel-Tribune

BG plugs into charging of electric cars

Written by Sentinel-Tribune Staff

Thursday, 07 June 2012 11:03

A touring Chevy Volt sits at a charging station in a city parking lot adjacent to South Prospect Street as Brian Craft, Public Works Director for the City of Bowling Green has a look at another Chevy Volt parked next to it. (Photos: Enoch Wu/Sentinel-Tribune)

The Green Energy Ohio Electric Vehicle Tour Del Sol stopped in Bowling Green Tuesday night, using the vehicle charging station in City Lot 2 to charge the Chevrolet Volt being driven on the tour.
The overnight was the second on a five-day, 534-mile tour of Ohio to demonstrate charging electric vehicles with green energy.
Wednesday morning representatives of GEO, the city, Bowling Green State University and Thayer Automotive Group gathered in the lot to promote electric vehicles and green energy before the GEO group moved on to the University of Toledo's Scott Park Campus for a program and lunch. The tour continues today in Warren and winds up Friday in Cleveland.
GEO Executive Director Bill Spratley said the stop in Bowling Green was made to help point out the city's commitment to green energy. It also helped that BG's electric vehicle charging stations are the only ones between Dayton and Toledo.
Bowling Green's municipal electric system gets 15 percent of its daily energy needs from green resources and is projecting more than doubling that percentage by 2015. Spratley said the average Ohio investor-owned utility gets 1 to 2 percent of its power from green resources.

Fitz Crawford, a sales representative at Thayer, discusses the EV industry with Greg Kuss, CEO of SolarVision, and Bill Spratley of Green Energy Ohio as two Chevy Volts are seen parked in the background.

The city also took advantage of the stop to share with GEO officials the hybrid electric bucket truck project that was developed in collaboration with BGSU and Muncie Power Products.
Gregory Kuss, president of SolarVision, Westerville, and a GEO board member, is driving the black Chevy Volt around the state this week. The license plate is GRN NRG.
Fitz Crawford of Thayer's brought a bright red Volt to the event.
The spring edition of the Green Energy Ohio News Magazine is dubbed The EV Issue. Stories in the publication cover incentives to purchase electric vehicles, "EV anxiety," a buyers guide looking at nearly a dozen vehicles and Q&A interviews with electric vehicle owners.

Comments

# 2012-06-07 11:28

They were lucky they could actually use the charging station. Last time I saw it, there was a huge old pickup parked in that spot. I thought the parking space right in front of the charger would only be for electric cars but apparently not so you would have to be lucky to find it open.

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# 2012-06-07 16:02

I'm sure the space was kept open by the city employees for the photo op. I really cannot afford to spend 5 days to go 534 miles. By the way, what does it cost to charge the car in addition to hotel and food bills. Ill keep my gas burner

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# 2012-06-07 15:42

I live 40 miles away and work in BG. My Volt has a range of forty miles. I'll just drive to the parking space and hook up, and since there is NEVER another car parked there, i'll hook up for eight hours and take my free electricity home with me. Thanks suckers.

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# 2012-06-08 09:11

Ill have to give you that one. Happens a lot here in BG. A potential revenue stream is given away by the city. Enjoy while you can, hopefully they will put a meter on the charging station.

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# 2012-06-07 22:03

Make fun of electric cars all you want. I guarantee you that gas will be over $10/gallon in a few years. It doesn't matter who the president is or how much wilderness gets destroyed for drilling. It's called supply and demand. And demand is growing exponentially in China. Enjoy filling up your gas guzzlers then, suckers!

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# 2012-06-08 09:09

The spaces are very rarely used. This issue points to the fact it was a waste of money. I'd much rather see private investment in such things. I would be happy to donate money to said venture.

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