On May 10, the San Juan County Council approved a budget amendment of $60,000 to purchase two electric vehicles and $20,000 for new electric charging stations throughout the islands.
The electric vehicles will be part of a vehicle ride share program for government employees. Vehicles will be purchased through the state procurement process. On islands like Orcas and Lopez where offices are not at the ferry ports, commuters will now be able to use the electric vehicles to drive to the office or do business on the island, instead of bringing their own vehicle onto the ferry. This will help with ferry congestion and also save employees money.
“We are trying to look at our own vehicle use differently,” San Juan County Councilman Rick Hughes said. “How can we better utilize fuel consumption and vehicle purchases to keep our fleet as environmentally friendly as possible, while not costing the tax payer too much extra money?”
Hughes points out that not only are the electric vehicles an environmentally friendly option, but they are a practical option for the islands considering the geography. The downside of electric cars is their short range. A normal internal combustion engine car usually has a fuel range of around 300 miles, but the Nissan Leafs the county will be purchasing have a maximum range of 107 miles according to Nissan’s website. However, on the islands this isn’t much of an issue.
“We just felt that because of the nature of our geography and the different islands that you can go from any part of the island and back in under 100 miles,” said Hughes
While electric vehicles may be practical for government use on the islands, Lynda Lyshall of the San Juan County Conservation District argues that they make practical sense for many more people on the islands.
“We see this as a way to curb our fossil fuel use, and use a cleaner energy source,” said Lyshall. “Electric cars work really well here because the single charge is more than adequate for a day’s driving on the islands and they are also a lower maintenance vehicle; you don’t have to get oil changes and there are less moving parts.”
According to the numbers put forth by San Juan Islands Conservation District, electric cars not only reduce maintenance costs but can also add up to savings of nearly $1,000 a year when compared to a a 30 mpg internal combustion engine-powered car.
San Juan Islands Conservation District hopes 10 new electric vehicle charging stations will be installed throughout the county in addition to the eight that already exist.
However, according to Hughes only five will be purchased through this most recent budget amendment, which will work out to one charging station per every 1,000 residents. The national average is one station to every 50,000 residents.
Lyshall feels that this ratio of charging stations is ideal for the islands. She points out that increasing the infrastructure for electric vehicles now makes it easier for residents to purchase these kind of vehicles. At the moment electric cars tend to have a range of around 100 miles. This means that when driving an electric vehicle, one must be mindful of the nearest charging station and have a backup station in mind. So in essence, more stations will allow electric vehicles to be more reliable, according to Lyshall. Hughes said you will see charging stations in the next several months once locations are confirmed.
