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SoCal Edison provides electricity to 13 million people and is the biggest power player behind the new EV push. Craver foresees at least 30,000 EVs in his region by the end of 2012. The state's Air Resources Board is less optimistic, quoting estimates between 7,500 and 25,000 EVs on the state's roads by 2014. Most are brand names you've never heard of, at least not yet, like Zenn, Zap, Helion and Wheego. (See the best cars from the 2009 Detroit Auto Show...
...SoCal Edison maintains the largest EV fleet in the country, with some 300 electric vehicles, mostly Toyota RAV4s and trucks. It also operates in Pomona the Electric Vehicle Technical Center, a facility advanced enough to have automakers knocking. Ford's plug-in hybrid Escape SUVs have been tested there, and others, such as Mitsubishi's iMiEV subcompact and Daimler's plug-in hybrid van, are under review. General Motors' much anticipated plug-in hybrid, the Chevy Volt, has been put through its paces in Pomona...
...know EVs, and we know the consumer will be annoyed if the experience isn't a good one," says Craver. "A bad buying and user experience could hurt EV market growth; we have to make the experience positive." (See the 50 worst cars of all time...
...While EV owners can charge the cars by plugging them into a regular 110-volt outlet, the "slow charge" can take up to eight hours and may jack up an electric bill the equivalent of 2 kilowatts per month. Most e-car owners will eventually want to plug in their faster, highway-approved EVs into new rapid-charging, 220-volt garage chargers. But that requires another step: finding a certified electrician and several thousand more dollars to install the add-on feature to the home or garage...
...current rates, the electric-fuel usage for e-cars is estimated to be 50% cheaper than gasoline, or about 4 cents a mile. This comes with the added benefit of low maintenance costs for EVs and, of course, zero emissions. In the U.S., 40% of greenhouse-gas emissions come from transportation. And never underestimate the force of status. Along with a $7,500 federal tax credit, being the first on the block with a road-worthy EV is expected to be the market's primary driver in the years ahead...