Are Eastern Idahoans Ready For Electric Cars?

Demand for electric cars is expected to go up in the Pacific Northwest, according to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.

The NRCC crunches numbers when it comes to how much energy our region consumes, and they’re beginning to factor in a new type of appliance.

?One of the most interesting new sources of demand is electric vehicles,? said John Harrison, an NRCC spokesman.

The NRCC predicts 10 to 40 percent of the new car market will be electric by the year 2030. That would account for up to 550 megawatts of electricity per year, or an electric car in as many as 333,300.

In the rural communities of eastern Idaho, where pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles rule the roads, will an electric vehicle like the Chevy Volt actually sell?

Chevy salesmen Al Vaalemoen is pretty optimistic.

?If a customer comes in and they’re wanting to get out of their truck, and they’re wanting the vehicle that is going to save them the max amount of money, Volt is perfect,? Vaalemoen said.

The Volt will go as far as 39 miles on a single charge. That drops to 30 miles if it’s cold out. After that, its 9.3-gallon gas tank will carry it an extra 340 miles. Other fully-electric cars don’t have that kind of range.

Still, Vaalemoen said an electric vehicle might not be for everyone.

“The Volt may not be right for every person. It has to fit the application for which you’re wanting to use it,? Vaalemoen said. “Obviously in the larger metropolitan areas it’s going to be a bigger deal than probably what it is in Idaho Falls.”

Harrison says that someday, practicality of electric cars could change.

?The battery technology continues to improve,? he said. ?We?re learning a lot more about how far these cars can go.?

The base model Chevy Volt costs just under $40,000.