Electric cars cut fuel costs

  • Published
  • By Raymond V. Whelan
  • 37th Training Wing Public Affairs
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) --  As gas prices soared this summer, the 37th Mission Support Group here searched for something new to help the it lower the cost of official transportation.

“With gas prices approaching $3 per gallon, we were looking for something that would be beneficial over the long haul,” said group commander Col. Thelma Hales.

The group bought two “neighborhood electric vehicle” zero emission models from Global Electric Motorcars LLC, a division of the Daimler-Chrysler Company.

Each GEM vehicle, which costs about $10,000.

“More than 65 percent of our trips are within 10 minutes of the office. Starting, restarting and waiting for traffic lights to change can be costly with gas engines,” Colonel Hales said. “These (GEM) vehicles make getting gas, oil changes, tune-ups, changing radiator coolant, emissions tests, muffler replacements and transmission problems a thing of the past.”

Like conventional gas cars, the GEM rolls on four wheels. It is semi-enclosed and seats the driver and three more. The GEM is equipped with four-wheel hydraulic brakes, full exterior lighting, safety tinted glass, seat belts and windshield wipers.

Its designers built the car to meet federal safety regulations, and its drivers can operate it over any road with posted speed limits of 35 mph or less.

But unlike standard gas vehicle, the GEM runs completely on an electrical battery system with a top speed at 25 mph. When the battery runs down, the driver can recharge it through a simple electrical receptacle. The vehicle can travel up to 30 miles on one charge.

“Our group orderly room will drive (the GEM) to most squadrons for daily business, and they will be useful during weekends for many MSG requirements that occur after hours. We will average 30 to 50 miles per week across Lackland,” Colonel Hales said.

Lackland is not the first federal facility to drive electric vehicles. The U.S. Postal Service and the National Park Service have been operating electric cars the past few years.

George DeCoux, the group’s deputy for installation support, said, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., and Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, also use electric vehicles.

Will electric cars become more popular with the general public in the future?

“Some people will embrace them, and others will not,” Mr. DeCoux said. “But the reality is the average price of gas will not go down today, or in the future, and budget limitations will drive what we drive.”