Seattle pushing for more electric vehicle charging stations

gladimoved said on February 12, 2011 at 7:43 AM

Wasn't someone just proposing a fee of $100 to be added to the purchase of license plates recently? Guess that will help defray the costs of new charging stations, but the legislator was making the proposal because of not paying a gas tax. What do you people want?

davesea said on February 12, 2011 at 6:12 AM

I'm thinking that a lot of electric cars will be "un-plugged”. Charging stations will be disabled by the local "hoods". People will be chemically burned by acid / electrolyte as more "green" cars get into wrecks. Just like every gas powered car doesn't explode when wrecked, not every electric will cause injury or dead due to the batteries but it will happen.

lkmtleaf said on February 11, 2011 at 4:30 PM

Well, as a new electric car owner, I've managed to drive 800 miles in the last 3 weeks. It's rare that I need to drive more than 100 miles in a day even though I have a 30 mile roundtrip commute. @canadianson: I don't think it's reasonable to wait until every single piece of technology has been worked out. At some point, people have to start making the leap. Imagine if the horseless carriages seemed unreasonable because there weren't a lot of gas stations when those started coming out, but there was grass along the side of every road for the horses. @kendianne: As far as fossil fuels, check your local utility bill here in Puget Sound and see how much is made from coal, natural gas, hydro, and nuclear. I'm sure you'll be surprised to see how much hydro generates around here. Are we ready to be completely fossil fuel free? No. We're not. But, at least with coal and natural gas, we don't have to import them from countries that may have hostile intentions toward the US.

yogibear said on February 11, 2011 at 3:24 PM

So when there is a power outage I guess you will have to push your car home

canadianson said on February 11, 2011 at 2:51 PM

When you have improved the battery to the point where it will last longer than a 2 hr run time at peak use, when you have convinced me that Cap and Tax has no future in the United States, when the cost of the batteries drop to an affordable price, when you have proved the recycling of these batteries will not cause more problems than we already have, when you show me that General Electric won't have a monopoly on the power stations, When you prove to me that this isn't just a payback to GE for all the political donations given to the current administration...........I just might consider this "electric car thing", but not until.

kameha said on February 11, 2011 at 2:24 PM

sounds like someone on her works for the oil company.

mmmmm1 said on February 11, 2011 at 2:05 PM

I thought that Seattle wasn't doing business with Arizona based businesses? Am I missing something here, or was that just last weeks cause.

banditrider said on February 11, 2011 at 1:47 PM

The greenies get all excited about their green power but they don't look at the real cost. The mining of the precious metals to make these batteries, the wastes the mfg. process creates, and as stated, what to do with the batteries when they're dead. Pile them up with all the old computer monitors I suppose. I'd also like to know who owns/runs Ecotality. Awarded a multimillion dollar grant from the government? Its probably some high ranking politician's kids.

noexcuses said on February 11, 2011 at 12:51 PM

What do they plan to do with all these batteries when their time is up? Landfill?

rite2post said on February 11, 2011 at 11:56 AM

@ kendianne, batteries are not the best solution, but it's an alternative to gasoline. If you don't like it, don't buy it. I think we are moving in the right direction. Battery technology will improve, just like any technology.

kendianne said on February 11, 2011 at 11:35 AM

This is ridiculous. Electric cars are worthless. NOT because they are electric, but because even the BEST batteries for them hold LESS than the energy in 1.5 gallons of GASOLINE. And they weigh 500 POUNDS! How far you gonna get on THAT! And how do you think the electricity to run them is generated? 70% of the electricity in our country is made with FOSSIL FUELS. And another 20% is NUCLEAR. Only 9% is hydro! This is a cruel joke. And the TAXPAYER has to pay for it. Thanks to the abysmally ignorant environmentalists who are buying this electric car snake oil.

noskills said on February 11, 2011 at 10:46 AM

haha I can see people unplugging your car while you are inside shopping just to be jerks.

chuckstr76 said on February 11, 2011 at 10:40 AM

Am thinking that Lowes sells extension cords for about $20. But with the government red tape and all, that extension cord is now $1500.