NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. -- Electric cars are getting more and more popular. Now Bay Area cities are finding new ways to let drivers plug in.
- New Port Richey added 3 electric vehicle charging stations
- They can charge a vehicle in half an hour
- The city hopes to add more
New Port Richey is the latest city to add several new car charging stations. On Saturday, hundreds came to the Pasco County city for an event downtown showing off local electric cars.
Those who own electric cars say there’s a lot they don’t miss about regular ones.
“I haven’t bought gas since April. Not a drop,” said Ron Wood, who brought his Chevy Volt to New Port Richey’s first ever Electric Vehicle Tailgate.
The tailgate was part of National Drive Electric Week. It’s a chance for folks to try electric vehicles out and see if electric may work for them.
“I think we need to keep having events like this, make people aware of electric cars,” said Tesla owner Kim Jensen.
Drivers of electric cars say that many folks think you can’t get very far in them. But they say with cities like New Port Richey adding charging stations, you can go a lot further than you used to.
“The demand is growing rapidly,” said Mayor Rob Marlow. “We’ve added three new stations in New Port Richey in the last year and we are looking to add more. We’re seeing more and more electric vehicles on the road every day.”
Those stations are seeing a lot of use and can charge a car in just a half hour. The stations also encourage EV drivers to come to the city to either visit or live.
While not all electric cars are as fancy as a Tesla, many models like the Chevy Volt are becoming more affordable for consumers.
There are 300 similar events across the country this week, hoping to show drivers the benefits of electric cars.