Drivers Take A Spin During EV Test Drive
By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews
WARSAW — Saturday, Oct. 22, I got to learn how to drive all over again.
Though I’ve had my driver’s license for 14 years, Saturday was my first time driving an electric vehicle. That came thanks to Kosciusko REMC hosting its first ever Electric Vehicle Test Drive Experience at its facility, 370 S. CR 250E, Warsaw.
KREMC had three EVs ready for people to drive: two cars and a truck.
The vehicle I took for a spin was a Tesla Model 3 owned by KREMC. I was joined by front-seat passenger, KREMC CEO Kurt Carver, and back seat passenger, Wabash Valley Power Alliance Program Manager Laura Matney. Wabash Valley Power Alliance provides electricity to KREMC.
Carver and Matney were kind enough to answers questions as we went for a short drive along Old US 30 East, a few county roads and US 30.
The nine-minute drive seemed smoother than what I’m used to in my Chrysler 200S. And quieter, which people assured me of before I went for the drive.
One adjustment that was hard to get used to was braking or should I say, not braking. The Tesla would stop quickly after I merely took my foot off the accelerator.
Carver said that KREMC has had the Tesla for about three years. He talked about why the cooperative opted to have Saturday’s event.
“We just want basically to create awareness for our members, just to give them an idea and a feel for electric and bringing some knowledge to them of the charging and the impact on the infrastructure,” he said.
Many of the members that drove EVs through the event Saturday were driving them for the first time, Carver said, adding that KREMC wanted them to have no “pressures” while they did so.
“Many people asked questions about how you charge an EV and where you charge it, how they charge it in their garage,” said Matney of other people she rode with Saturday. “I always tell people that they don’t have to have a fancy charger, so you don’t have to buy a charging unit that costs several hundred dollars as long as you have a 240 volt circuit and at least a 40 amp that you can put in just the plug and you can buy the charging cable that is compatible with your car … So that saves people quite a bit of money.”
Matney said she believes “a handful” of the other REMCs Wabash Valley partners with have done similar events to KREMC’s. She said people can learn more about EVs from their local REMCs.
There were 35-40 KREMC members who test-drove an EV Saturday. Carver said the cooperative hopes to annually continue the event.