Local drivers empowered by electric cars

Michael Shadow has just hit the pedal — but not the gas.

It’s a very important distinction that doesn’t get all of the attention that it deserves because his 2013 Tesla has already begun accelerating rapidly, traversing the distance between what feels like a leisurely 20 mph to speed well above 60 in what feels like the blink of an eye — or the approximate lifespan of one very manly shriek.

This impromptu test drive has been arranged in honor of National Drive Electric Week, a 7-day celebration of vehicles that can be plugged into the wall next to your toaster (in reality, probably more toaster adjacent).

It’s not too hard to see the appeal. The Tesla, for example, is quiet, low maintenance and easy on the brakes.

Shadow plugs his model in to charge every night and on a full battery, the vehicle can cover about 270 miles nonstop.

“I don’t even know what gas costs anymore,” Shadow said.

Still, for all the conveniences, vehicles of the electric persuasion still haven’t signaled into the mainstream lane.

Shadow, who runs Sun Directed, a company that installs solar energy systems in businesses and homes, thinks it’s only a matter of time.

“I think 10 to 15 years from now there are going to be a lot of electric cars on the road,” Shadow said.

On Sunday, a handful were already parked behind the Country Inn and Suites in State College, their proud owners mingling in the parking lot near a small tent filled with a spread of tortilla chips and cookies.

They had gathered there that day not to mourn the electric car, but to praise it — and what better place to do that than at the altar?

Country Inn and Suites has four charging stations available for electric cars, the spaces denoted by parking lines that have been painted green instead of the more traditional yellow or white.

“It’s this transformation that’s happening under our feet,” said Jon Brockopp, the event’s co-organizer.

Brockopp, an associate professor of history and religious studies at Penn State, is one of the latest converts to electric cars. He purchased his new ride, a sporty red Volt, just 10 days ago.

The fact that National Drive Electric Week was in spitting distance never even occurred to him — primarily because he had never heard of such a thing.

“I found out there’s this whole electric car subculture that I knew nothing about,” Brockopp said.

The Volt can travel 40 to 45 miles on the electric charge it builds up when Brockopp plugs it into the wall at the end of every day. Once it goes past that range, the car draws power from a gas-powered generator.

Brockopp’s relationship with his car is still colored by the blush of new romance.

“It’s so different. It’s so smooth. There’s no sound. The acceleration is fantastic,” Brockopp said.

This story was originally published September 18, 2016 at 6:18 PM with the headline "Local drivers empowered by electric cars."