11
AUTO
17A
ANTON
JANUARY 15 - 21, 2020
Time To Plug In
(Photo courtesy of Porsche AG)
Electric car manufacturers seek expansion in the new decade BY JOSEPH WOLKIN
jwolkin@antonmediagroup.com
Get ready to cruise in the HOV lane. Believe it or not, you don’t even need to have passengers during rush hour to pass the insane traffic that everyday New Yorkers are accustomed to. Meet the electric car, which is seeking a major expansion as the new decade just kicked off. The electric cars, comprised of revolutionary technology, can last anywhere from 100 to almost 400 miles on the road. While the electric car is nowhere close to overtaking the traditional gas-powered machines, there are plenty of benefits for those who want to feel environmentally-friendly. But at
the same time, consumers need to understand that these vehicles are far from perfect. “The market share of electric vehicles on Long Island is .068 is the latest number I looked at in the beginning of December,” Rosemary Mascali, chair of Drive Electric Long Island’s education and outreach subcommittee, told Anton Media Group. “It’s still not a large adoption, but there’s reasons for it. For years, there weren’t a lot of models, there was a big price differential and there weren’t a lot of incentives.” Electric cars are complex, and organizations like Drive Electric Long Island, which is run by the
United States Green Building Council, aim to have consumers understand how they work. Unlike plug-in hybrids, which have a split electric motor and a regular gasoline-based one, electric cars run solely on a battery. The lithium-ion batteries are expensive, which drives the overall cost up. The cars, though, can now be charged at home. It will take several hours, preferably overnight, to fully charge and it add to your electric bill. There is no need to purchase a high-voltage charger. “Owners can use a standard outlet, which takes a
see ELECTRIC CARS on page 18A