Our View: Plugging into electric vehicles

More and more electric vehicles are traveling Wyoming’s roads.

For people driving past the White Mountain Mall in Rock Springs, it’s no longer an uncommon sight to see Telsa electric vehicles making use of the company’s super chargers in front of the mall. Additionally, a few county residents are now the proud owners of electric vehicles.

While a complete conversion to electric vehicles, if the market moves in that direction, is still decades off, Green River could benefit from installing a few third-party electric vehicle charging stations downtown. There are few charging stations in Sweetwater County and the move could bring tourism dollars to the city. According to plugshare.com, a website which tracks where EV chargers are located, Green River does not have a charging station. In Rock Springs, White Mountain Mall has its Tesla Supercharger station, only compatible with Tesla vehicles, while the Outlaw Inn has Tesla’s Destination Charging Station, which can by utilized by other vehicle makes.

As Green River is on Interstate 80, placing a charging station in the city makes sense. People driving their electric vehicles along the interstate could stop for a meal and a chance to look around as the vehicle charges. In this sense, placing a charger downtown, near the U.P. Depot would give people a chance to check out places like the Sweetwater County Historical Museum or downtown businesses.

One major reason to follow through on this idea is because owners of electric vehicles tend to be more affluent. According to Tesla.com’s used inventory starts at $41,400. That’s the price for a 2013 Model S 60. For other makes, such as the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf, the cost for a new vehicle is lower than a used Tesla. However, the type of people buying electric vehicles are the early adopters of technology. They’re the people who bought into CDs and satellite television at a time when such things were new, exciting and expensive. If they like something and want it, they’ll buy it.

Installing a charging station may not bring huge numbers of people to Green River, but it will give people driving electric vehicles a reason to visit Green River. More importantly, they may come back for a longer stay next time, having a greater chance to enjoy the natural beauty this area has to offer.

 

Reader Comments(0)