Olympia, WA: Plug In Here - May 22nd, 2007
Joe Lambrix wants to change the way Olympians drive, or rather, the way they park.
As reported in The Olympian, the purchase of an electric vehicle spurred Lambrix into action. His car, a ZAP Xebra runs on six batteries and averages about 25 miles on a full charge, which may not seem like a lot, but it’s generally enough to complete basic errands like grocery shopping, or a trip to the bank.
Lambrix wanted a little more flexibility, however, so he started the PlugIn Olympia campagin. It’s mission, according to their website is as follows:
To educate business [sic] within the greater Olympia area and encourage them to install electrical plug-ins in support of their customers who use electric vehicles which are powered by cleaner, cheaper, domestic electricity, which reduce our nation’s dependence on petroleum and improve the global environment.
So far, thanks to Lambrix’s influence, two Thriftway stores and a Les Schwab Tire Center in Olympia offer electrical connections so that customers can juice up while they shop, and the Edna Louise Goodrich Building in Tumwater allows building employees to plug in as well.
While the results from a 30-minute connection vary, the Xebra that Lambrix himself uses charges completely in less than five hours, and gains enough power to drive a couple of miles during the average visit to a store.
As gas prices climb, and electric cars become more popular for quick local jaunts, are we likely to see “electric only” parking spaces, with connections, nationwide?
Let’s hope so.
In the meantime…I’ve heard the weather in Olympia is nice.
Posted on May 22nd, 2007 by QueenMab
Filed under: alternative fuels, lifestyle |
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