Everett man loves his electric car, but not its range

EVERETT — Craig Tibbetts has mixed feelings about electric cars.

The Everett man bought an electric-powered Zenn two years ago. It drives about 15 miles before it poops out and only reaches a top speed of 35 miles per hour.

When he needs to range further afield, “I borrow my wife’s Jeep,” he said.

On the flipside, it costs less than $6 a month to charge, and recharging it is as easy as plugging it into a standard wall outlet.

It’s quiet and there’s no oil to change. People often give him a thumbs-up or a friendly honk when they see him toodling to and from work at Boeing.

“I’m really happy with it,” he said. “But I’m disappointed with the range.”

The toylike appearance of many electric cars as well as their limited speed and range have prevented any widespread acceptance of electric vehicles.

Tesla Motors sells a sleek, electric roadster that can drive 200 miles on a charge and go from zero to 60 mph in less than four seconds. But its base price is more than $100,000.

The introduction of a new generation of more affordable, mass-produced electric cars is about to change all of that, said Steve Lough, president of the Seattle Electric Vehicle Association.

“I feel like I’ve waited 30 years to take full advantage of electric cars,” he said.

Electric car drivers have often built their own.

With major car builders now offering plug-in options, in the next year or two a regular Joe or Jane can buy a highway-capable vehicle and find places to charge it.

Lough believes this is the beginning of the end of gas-powered automobiles.

“If you read anything about peak oil or climate change, you have to understand we are getting close to the end of the oil era,” he said.

He’s waiting to see how all the new electric cars perform before he buys one.

Tibbetts said some of his co-workers at Boeing have expressed interest in buying an electric car, too. “I can see people getting into it,” he said.

Debra Smith: 425-339-3197, dsmith@heraldnet.com.