The Sanborn Sun February - May 2000
Driving Into The Future
Article By Jessie R.
Web Site By Jimmy K.

     Have you seen the latest car on the market? David Dilts has. Recently Jimmy and I got a chance to take a spin in his Chevy S-10 Pickup. Electric Pickup, that is.David Dilts

     In 1990 the public was introduced to its first electric vehicle, the GM Impact. In 1996 the GM EVI went on sale to the public. Today about five hundred New Englanders are hitting the road in the electric vehicles. One of these environmentally conscious consumers is Mr. David Dilts of Stratham, New Hampshire. He's been driving electric vehicles for three years now. 

     "One of the main reasons I am interested in them [electric cars] is because they are clean. There are no emissions coming out of the tail pipe because there are no tail pipes on electric vehicles," Mr.Dilts said. 

     So how do these cars work?  Electric vehicles, or EVs, run basically the same as1998 Chevy S10 any other car. 

     "They are almost the same as far as acceleration, cab comfort in cold and warm weather, and ability to drive on the same terrain," Mr.Dilts explained. 
The major difference is that while other cars are fuel powered, the electric car runs on electricity provided by a battery. Instead of a gas tank, engine, and tail pipe, the electric car has a battery, an electric engine, and a computer. Most importantly EVs do not give off harmful emissions.

      Of course, there are some drawbacks. The Chevy S-10 EV has a driving range of forty to sixty miles before it's time to recharge.

Charge Unit
     "I just drive it locally, around town," Mr. Dilts said of his new car. The electric car he had before transported him from Exeter to Boston on a daily basis. So depending on the battery size and the individual car the range of EV's can be prohibitive. And when the battery runs out you can't just pull up to a Mobil station to recharge. The S-10 requires a 6.6kw Magne Charge system to recharge the battery. It takes two and a half to three hours to recharge the battery every time it runs out. You certainly don't find a charging system on every corner. And at $34,000 for a new Chevy S-10 Electric Engine Pickup, EVs can be cost prohibitive. Of course, you do save money on gas.

     So why are companies like GM producing Electric vehicles?  Mr.Dilts, who is interested in renewable energy and runs his own company called Timeless Technologies, had an answer for us.

      "We only have so much gas and oil left and once that is gone, in fifty years or so, we're gonna have to do something else. Electric transportation is probably the answer."

     Besides being environmentally safe EVs were developed by scientists and engineers with an eye on the future. Currently the use of electric cars is not very widespread. Electric vehicles tend to be more popular in cities and the south, in states like California, Arizona, and Florida. There are recharging stations in busy cities like Boston.
Dashboard
     The Chevy S-10 will become easier for consumers to use as it becomes more popular.  There are already dealerships in Framingham, Wakefield, and Waltham Massachusetts that sell some type of electric vehicles. 

     Electric powered vehicles are as comfortable and efficient as other vehicles. As we move into the future they will help us protect our environment and prove a solution to our decreasing natural resources. Come take a drive.