Electric Vehicle Project Overview

EVs, Are They Our Future?

Electric Vehicles and their place in Oklahoma

One thing we like to do at CKenergy is stay on the cutting edge with convenience and cost cutting options for as many members as possible.  As you know, we have always offered aggressive programs for our members, such as load control rates for water heaters and air conditioning systems, electric generators for standby power as well as peak power savings, and the nation's best geothermal incentive program.

Well, it seems there may be an additional service opportunity to offer CKenergy members if the product is as good as we think it is. Electric vehicles have really taken a turn toward reality with the advent of new battery technology and motor efficiency.  What once was only viable for golf carts can now zip a car down the road at speeds as fast as gasoline driven muscle cars.  Now don't get us wrong, there's nothing quite like the throaty rumble of a souped up muscle car engine or the smell of high octane fuel burning at the track.  But all of a sudden there are vehicles which make no sound at all that will blow most of them off the line.  The drawback?  If you want the throaty rumble and the smell you'll have to clothespin the playing cards to the spokes in the wheels and tie a kerosene lamp to the top of the car because the electric car just whispers.

But we don't know how the electric car market is going to go here in Oklahoma because there's just no history beyond golf carts; and they tend to go dead after about 36 holes of continuous play.  Plus, Oklahoma is an oil and gas state and we certainly don't want to alienate our friends in the fuel business.  But we think the electric car industry will go hand in hand with the oil and gas industry in the generation of electricity.  

Program Decision

So we at CKenergy have decided to take a dedicated research and development approach to electric vehicles.  We're going to purchase one car and we're going to drive it...a lot.  We're going to study it's "fuel" efficiency based on conservative driving habits and liberal driving habits.  We're putting me, Boyd Lee, behind the wheel for this study because I drive a lot of miles each year; about 33,000.  I jack rabbit start and stop on some days while I chill out and hold up traffic on other days.  I sometimes forget to look at the fuel gauge and almost run out of fuel.

These things cost money and very few wish to buy one without knowing the quirks, so we're going to try to expose the quirks for you.  We will work to answer many questions you may have like, What will I do if I run out of electricity before I get home or back to the office?  How long will I sit while the car is charging up enough to get home?  How far can I go without a charge?  Are there charging opportunities where I'm headed?  How many miles do I reduce my capacity if I stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer?  Is this car good for anything other than minor commuting or can it be relied upon for extended distances?  How much planning will need to go into each driving day?  Can I pull out in front of an 18 wheeler without fear of being crushed because I'm too slow? 

Our goal is to develop the electric vehicle market if it makes sense for our members. Hopefully, you'll get good information from this blog and you'll follow it regularly for updates.  I will link other articles of interest, post photos, and answer any questions you may have regarding electric vehicles.  So please enjoy and let me know how to improve the information.

Boyd Lee