and the bridge ain't even fixed yet!!!!!
dimwits!
http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2015/jul/07/0707_electric/
Schenectady Code Department to get green boost with electric carsBy Haley Viccaro July 7, 2015
SCHENECTADY — The city’s Code Department is going green with two new hybrid electric vehicles and an electric vehicle charging station at Pinhead Susan’s.
The city is set to receive state funding to purchase two Chevrolet Volts for the Code Department and to install a two-vehicle electric charging station in the parking lot of Pinhead Susan’s on Broadway.
Schenectady will receive $67,200 from the state Department of Transportation for the two vehicles and charging station. The city will put in $18,000 for each vehicle, City Engineer Chris Wallin said.
“The funding will pay for the premium and upgrading of the two vehicles,” Wallin said. “We estimate a base cost of the vehicles around $18,000 each. A typical gas sedan would be about $18,000.”
The money would be coming out of the city’s existing capital funds, according to Finance Commissioner Deborah DeGenova. City Building Inspector Eric Shilling could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
The city’s Code Department is in need of two new vehicles anyway, Wallin said. The department currently has a mix of Chevrolets and Fords, including hand-me-downs from other city departments like the Police Department.
“Code inspectors are constantly out in the city and don’t have the requirement to have trucks, like the Office of General Services guys,” Wallin said. “They would operate in electric mode driving in the city all day and then plug-in at night.”
The charging station will be installed in the Pinhead Susan’s parking lot by September, Wallin said. It will also be available for public use and can charge two vehicles at a time. There are currently charging stations at miSci and Union Graduate College.
Based on future demand, electric charging stations might also be added on Erie Boulevard and by City Hall in the future, Wallin said.
“We already have two sites for future installation of charging stations on Erie,” he said. “They are underground. One is by Isopo’s Pizza and the other is by Wolberg’s. Right now we don’t know the usage of these vehicles and if there is demand.”
The Code Department will get the vehicles in October, after the charging station is installed. The city might go out of the box and get the cars in a color other than white, Wallin said.
“The funding application was not so much to fund city vehicles but to encourage alternative fuel vehicles,” he said. “When we submitted the application last year, gas was 50 to 75 cents higher, so we thought it was a good opportunity.”
According to Chevrolet’s website, the 2015 Volt takes gas and electricity. On a full charge, the Volt can get an estimated 38 miles gas-free and if regularly charged can get an average of 900 miles between fill-ups.
Charging with a 120-volt outlet takes about 10 to 16 hours depending on charging level and outside temperature. With a 240-volt charging station, the Volt gets a full charge in about four hours.
On a full charge and full tank of gas, the Volt has a range of up to 380 miles, according to the website.
“We are looking at getting the Chevy Volt, with plug-in electric and gas backup,” Wallin said. “The Chevy Cruze is a typical vehicle the city would buy. The charging station will be able to charge two vehicles at a time. This is progressive for the city.”
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