ROTTERDAM Rare electric truck allows driver to bypass gas pump BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Anthony Cimino has no idea how much gasoline costs these days and snickers whenever his friends start complaining about prices at the pump. The last time the 30-year-old Rotterdam man visited a service station, the price per gallon had ballooned up to $2.50. And that was nearly four years ago. “I don’t even know how much it is,” he said Thursday, hopping into the cab of his 2000 Ford Ranger EV. The pickup is already on, not that anyone would notice without close inspection. There’s no exhaust or rattle from beneath the hood — the idling engine makes a muffl ed buzz that is easily overpowered by the noise of his neighborhood. Cimino throws the truck’s shifter to ‘Emode’ and quietly drives down his long dirt driveway. With every tap of the brake, the nickel metal hydride battery starts to regenerate. When he reaches Fordham Avenue, he switches the truck to D-mode, a power configuration that allows more aggressive driving. The truck lurches forward with the same pickup that one would expect from any sort of gas-powered vehicle —maybe even more. Depending on how Cimino drives, the truck’s battery will maintain its charge for about 70 miles before it needs a recharge. But what the electric-powered truck lacks in range, it makes up for in simplicity of care, he said. The vehicle has no muffler or transmission. There isn’t a drop of oil in the engine or any moving belts to change, nor are there any spark plugs or filters to replace. However, eventually the battery does need to be replaced. Cimino’s truck cranks up easily in sub-zero temperatures, he said. At a heavy 5,000 pounds, the vehicle easily cruises through snow or other inclement weather without four-wheel drive. “I do everything anyone would do in a normal truck, except go to the gas station,” he said. Cimino decided to buy the truck after gasoline prices began to spike, even though his Nissan Sentra was getting good mileage at the time. “Pretty much when I saw $2.50 a gallon, a switch went off,” he said. He started with a moped, which he rode to work each day. Determined to remain gas independent, he decided to go electric. But securing an electric vehicle isn’t as easy as it sounds. Cimino found his truck on e-Bay — a former fleet vehicle for California Power & Light —and purchased it for $27,000. ................>>>>.............>>>>...................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01304&AppName=1
Ya, I'd try it - so long as I could "plug in" wherever I went. But what happens if a plug isn't available when your juice dies out?
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When he reaches Fordham Avenue, he switches the truck to D-mode, a power configuration that allows more aggressive driving.
Fordham Ave requires "agressive driving" ?
Overall, ya - I'd try this. I just put a solar panel on the roof of my RV to charge batteries, and I'd put them on my house if they weren't so dang expensive ..
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