Other vehicles on display were made by Chevrolet, BMW, Kia, Volkswagen, and there was even an electric-assist bicycle. With all of the vehicles present, the drivers had a combined total of 272,000 all-electric miles driven! Even if we assume that 100% of the electricity came from a coal-fired power plant (which it did not), these 10 drivers have avoided 40 tons of carbon dioxide emissions compared to gasoline-fueled combustion engines. Of course, we know our electricity in NYS is cleaner than 100% coal, and getting cleaner all the time.

The questions kept coming throughout the day, and many great conversations took place with visitors who wanted to know more about driving electric.

The most common questions were “how far does it go on a charge,” “how do you charge it,” and “how fast does it go.” The answer to the first question varied by vehicle model, but the common advice from drivers is to figure out what you need the car for and make a decision that fits your needs and your lifestyle. You need to think about your charging options, like if you can plug it in at home (even with just a “regular outlet” plug) or if your workplace has charging options. The “how fast” question always brought a smile, and every answer was “fast enough to get a speeding ticket.”

Most visitors enjoyed learning more, and appreciated being able to see and touch the cars in person. Some were ready to consider plug-in vehicles for themselves, some already had plug-ins of their own, and others planned to wait a bit longer for prices to go down.

Several of the electric vehicle drivers took advantage of the Village of Highland Falls’ public charging station to add a few miles to their range before heading home.

The event is also notable because it is a part of a larger effort by the Town of Highlands to do community engagement and public education events as part of their pledge to be a Climate Smart Community, certified by the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation.