https://www.lubbockonline.com/news/20190706/electrifying-west-texas-electric-car-owners-dealers-say-what-it-will-take-for-vehicles-to-catch-on-here Electrifying West Texas: Electric car owners, dealers say what it will take for vehicles to catch on here 20190706 Sarah Self-Walbrick / A-J Media
[images https://www.lubbockonline.com/storyimage/TX/20190706/NEWS/190709255/EP/1/2/EP-190709255.jpg W.TX Tesla EV https://www.lubbockonline.com/storyimage/TX/20190706/NEWS/190709255/EP/1/1/EP-190709255.jpg https://www.lubbockonline.com/storyimage/TX/20190706/NEWS/190709255/EP/1/6/EP-190709255.jpg https://www.lubbockonline.com/storyimage/TX/20190706/NEWS/190709255/EP/1/7/EP-190709255.jpg ] Electric vehicle sales are up in Texas. But just north of the state’s booming oil patch, area early adopters and car dealers said Panhandle and South Plains drivers do not yet seem to be as electrified by the cars. Electric vehicles date back to the 19th century, but have taken off in recent years. Today’s popular consumer models are powered by plug-in charged batteries. There are approximately 45 electric vehicle models available in the U.S., according to the website InsideEV, which analyzes electric vehicle deliveries. The cost of the vehicles can range from around $30,000 to $98,000, depending on features and mileage range. The International Energy Agency estimates there will be 125 million electric vehicles in use worldwide by 2030, compared to 3.1 million in 2017. In 2017, 5,419 plug-in and battery powered electric vehicles were sold in Texas. Just a year later, that jolted to 11,764 electric vehicles sold, a 117% increase, according to the Alliance of Auto Manufacturers. Texas experienced the fifth highest rate of sales. A look at a Tesla fleet heat map [ https://www.inverse.com/article/55170-tesla-s-fleet-map ] released earlier this year shows that the majority of Teslas in Texas can be found in the larger metropolitan areas - Dallas, Austin and Houston. There are a few little lines in the Panhandle and South Plains that show there are some of the manufacturer’s vehicles here, but not like other parts of the country. There are a few factors impacting electric vehicle sales in Texas, and more specifically the Panhandle and South Plains, according to area electric car owners and sellers. First, Tesla, the manufacturer that makes three of the five top-selling electric vehicles in the U.S., cannot operate a dealership in Texas due to a law prohibiting manufacturers from operating retail dealerships. Texans who want to purchase a Tesla vehicle have to purchase it in another state or online. Second, there are not many public electric vehicle chargers in Lubbock and Amarillo. Each city has about six public chargers, most at hotels or car dealerships, according to the website PlugShare. Based on reviews on the website, some are not always reliable or easily accessible. The number of public chargers in Amarillo and Lubbock are comparable to similarly populated Texas cities. Other cities with universities, like College Station and Denton, have at least 10 public chargers, per the [PlugShare.com] map. The Overton Hotel & Conference Center recently installed four chargers for guests and other customers to use. General Manager Kurt Metcalf said the designated parking spots are full most weekends, and have been an appreciated amenity. It took a while to get them put in - the hotel worked towards this for years - but that wait is paying off. Lubbock has been on the “coming soon” map [ https://www.tesla.com/findus?v=2&search=North%20America&bounds=40.26019193734708%2C-88.055734578125%2C29.780527893597807%2C-115.807199421875&zoom=6&filters=supercharger&location=amarillosupercharger ] for a Tesla Supercharger, a 480-volt fast charger, for years with no action. The map shows a Supercharger at the Holiday Inn at 8231 W. Amarillo Blvd. in Amarillo. These potential inconveniences have not stopped some area residents from going electric. Dr. William Biggs, an endocrinologist in Amarillo, has driven an electric vehicle since 2011. He first drove a Nissan Leaf, and then purchased a Tesla Model S in 2013. He recently purchased a Tesla Model 3 as well. The 2013 Tesla Model S can go up to 265 miles per charge, and takes 10 to 12 hours to recharge at 220 volts, according to the Tesla website. “I’ve never had a car that I’ve gotten so many questions about,” Biggs said. “When I first got it six years ago, everyone would say ‘Wow, that looks like a great car. What is it?’ They didn’t even realize it’s all electric.” Biggs said the upfront cost for a Tesla is admittedly expensive, but in the long run, he has saved money. He installed solar-powered Tesla Powerwalls that not only store energy to charge his vehicle batteries, but also powers his home. He said his last electricity bill was $18, and most of that was for standard fees and taxes. His vehicles have also required minimal service over the years, saving him more money, he said. The closest Tesla service station is in Dallas, so when far-away owners need assistance, the company sends what they call Rangers to come help. The Rangers come with tools and parts needed to fix the vehicle’s problem. Biggs was complimentary of the few times he has called for the service. Biggs said he has few complaints about his electric vehicles, but convenience is the top perk. Lubbockite Charisse Fox, who works in sales at Suddenlink, received her 2019 Tesla Model 3 four months ago. She said she has saved up for her dream car for years, and wanted all of the bells and whistles. Fox’s car has dual motors, all-wheel drive and self-driving features. After taxes, she said the vehicle cost about $60,000. Fox installed a home charger for her Tesla, and has to charge once a week. Her model can go about 330 miles per charge - about the same mileage she got with a full tank of gas in the Subaru she used to drive. She estimated she is saving about $200 a month in gas, and her electricity bill has not significantly changed. “I love that it helps the environment. That was my main push,” Fox said. A selling point for Fox was safety. The Tesla Model 3 has more airbags than similarly sized sedans, she said. Her 1-year-old son likes to look up through the glass ceiling. She is still in the honeymoon phase of owning a Tesla, but Fox could only come up with one downside. Because of the number of cameras on the car, it has to be hand washed. Fox said she has only noticed one other Tesla in Lubbock, but knows there are more out there. Biggs has noticed an increase in other electric vehicles on the road in the eight years he has drove one, and thinks it will increasingly become more common in West Texas. “We’re going to see more of them, especially as the cost of electric cars continues to go down,” Biggs said. Area car dealers agree that as technology advances and electric vehicle options are more diverse and affordable, more will be around Lubbock and Amarillo. Scott Fitzgerald, internet sales manager for Lubbock’s McGavock Auto Group, said the Nissan Leaf has greatly improved since it was launched in 2010. The vehicle consistently ranks in the top-selling electric vehicles in the U.S, and the latest model costs on average about $30,000. The first model could only go about 70 to 90 miles per charge. The 2019 XL model gets 220 miles per charge, Fitzgerald said. The Leaf is a hatchback style, a bit larger than many other electric models. “Up until 2018, you had a 75 mile battery,” Fitzgerald said. “With oil and things like that, the concentration on electric vehicles just hasn’t been there. People who have them love them, but I don’t know if it’ll ever be a top seller in West Texas.” John Zwiacher, dealer principal at Scoggin-Dickey in Lubbock, said the electrification of the automobile industry will be interesting to watch. But until manufacturers produce a larger electric vehicle, like and SUV or pickup truck, he does not see them catching on in West Texas. “You got to think about West Texas, we’re a little slower to change,” Zwiacher said. “Our lifestyle is different. The business in the vehicle department is for trucks or SUVS. It’s been that way for 40 years. “They’re going to have to work really hard, and I think it’ll be a number of years before they can get that worked out for a truck.” ... An expanded electric vehicle market may be coming at a good time. As many as 40 million Americans said they will at least consider a battery-electric vehicle the next time they buy, according to a AAA report from this year. But only four in 10 believe the majority of vehicles will be electric by 2029. [© lubbockonline.com] ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lubbock,_Texas Lubbock is a city in northwest Texas known as the birthplace of rock ’n’ roll legend Buddy Holly. The Buddy Holly Center celebrates his life and music with artifacts and mementos ... Settled?: ?1890 ... + https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-bmw-ceo-krueger-electric-cars-20190706-story.html Slow transition to electric cars dooms BMW chief Harald Krueger Jul 06, 2019 Harald Krueger quit as CEO of BMW on July 5 ... he was felled by the transition as he failed to provide a road map to the future ... he cited the “enormous exertion” demanded of BMW employees as the company grapples with the unprecedented demands of the shift ... 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