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Electric vehicles fill the streets of Oldsmar

Electric vehicles on display at the Drive Electric Tampa Bay event in Oldsmar.
Electric vehicles on display at the Drive Electric Tampa Bay event in Oldsmar.

The sun finally peeked out from behind the clouds around 10 a.m., providing a perfect day for the Drive Electric Tampa Bay event held this past Saturday in downtown Oldsmar, Fla. Drawing more than 50 electric vehicle (EV) owners who put their plug-in vehicles on display, the event attracted dealers offering test drives, organizations and companies promoting EV technology and hundreds of Tampa Bay residents interested in learning more about EVs.

On hand were representatives from Tampa Electric’s Alternative Fuel Vehicle team, Kenneth Hernandez and Juan Reina, who showed up in an extended-range Chevy Volt and an all-electric Nissan LEAF, two EVs that are part of the company’s Green Fleet of plug-in electric vehicles.

Tampa Electric’s Kenneth Hernandez explaining the benefits of owning an EV.
Tampa Electric’s Kenneth Hernandez explaining the benefits of owning an EV.

“It’s clear from the questions we received and the number of residents that came out to the event that momentum is building,” said Reina. “As the technology matures, we’re seeing more EV offerings come to market and an increase in the amount of charging infrastructure being installed across the country,” he said.

According to Hernandez, the number of drivers switching to EVs continues to grow. “In Tampa Electric’s 2,000 square mile service territory alone, there are approximately 650 registered EV drivers.”

Ready for the next test drive - Tesla’s Model S.
Ready for the next test drive – Tesla’s Model S.

Throughout the day, you could hear the oohs and aahs coming from the test drive area where visitors stood anxiously in line to get behind the wheel of several EVs, including a bright red all-electric Tesla Model S , Cadillac’s sleek ELR coupe and BMW’s newly released five-door i3. Other EVs included Ford’s Fusion and Focus Energi sedans, the popular Chevy Volt, Nissan’s all-electric LEAF and a few other models.

 

Are you thinking about switching to an EV?

Be sure to check out Tampa Electric’s website at tampaelectric.com/ev to learn more about the types of electric vehicles on the market, charging options and the savings you can get from fueling at the plug instead of the pump.

Tesla calls the car's front cargo compartment a "frunk," which offers 5.8 cubic feet of storage at the front of the car.
Tesla calls the car’s front cargo compartment a “frunk,” which offers 5.8 cubic feet of storage at the front of the car.
All-electric Nissan LEAF with a Level 2 (240 volt) charging station.
All-electric Nissan LEAF with a Level 2 (240 volt) charging station.
BMW's i3 uses a liquid-cooled 22-kilowatt-hour battery pack to deliver more than 80 miles of range.
BMW’s i3 uses a liquid-cooled 22-kilowatt-hour battery pack to deliver more than 80 miles of range.
Cadillac’s extended-range ELR coupe.
Cadillac’s extended-range ELR coupe.
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Tampa Electric and the Tampa Bay Clean Cities Coalition are side-by-side at Saturday’s event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tesla Roadster Sport

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