New electric car unveiled

A new car could help save you money. Basin Electric Power Cooperative is unveiling this 2...  More »

A new car could help save you money. Basin Electric Power Cooperative is unveiling this 2008 Ford Escape Electric car at the Great Plains Energy Expo in Bismarck. Its a project Basin Electric has been working on for the past eighteen months. Chris Vandeventer has been the one behind this vehicle. He says instead of filling your car with three dollars a gallon of gasoline, this car will run on electricity you get by plugging in your car for as little as one dollar a gallon. He says it is an economical option for many people. (Chris Vandeventer/ Basin Electric Power Cooperative) Since about 70-percent of Americans drive less than forty miles a day a plug in hybrid that gives about a thirty to forty range is about the most optimal all electric travel. And if you are traveling city speeds you could basically use no gas. Vandeventer says a typical electric car can travel about thirty miles on a full battery. He says it takes six hours for these cars to recharge. Although with the advancements in technology these numbers could become more efficient for people looking for this kind of car. (Chris Vandeventer/ Basin Electric Power Cooperative) as technology improves the lithium ion cells are going to get smaller and smaller and more efficient and high capacity and a lot safer. And you are going to be able to pack a lot more juice into the same space as you are in the battery today. Vandeventer says they will be testing the 2008 Ford Focus for about a year. He says they want to see how it handles on the day to day driving.  « Less