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Washington has three new electric vehicle charging stations with two level-two chargers each. Locations include; behind the new Washington Police Station, at the Aquatic Center and the parking lot at the corner of Bonner and East Streets.

A grant provided by the State Department of Environmental Quality provided the funding. They charge at a rate equaling approximately 60 miles of range per hour.  If your vehicle has a 240-mile vehicle range, it will take approximately four hours to completely charge a vehicle.

The chargers increase the availability of charging stations in the Washington area and are available at a reasonable rate per kilowatt hour. If you’re a tourist or traveler in Washington with an electric vehicle, they provide additional locations to charge a vehicle.

Electric vehicles are becoming more prevalent in Washington. I see them all the time. It’s amazing how many are white for some reason. I have a white Honda CRV and have gone to the wrong car a few times.

I don’t particularly want an electric vehicle. I’m old and don’t particularly like change.

They are much more expensive than a gas-powered vehicle and many have reliability problems. I do expect those problems to decrease. Other concerns include range anxiety and higher than normal depreciation. Prices and demand have come down some.

With advances in technology, design and material; I expect electric vehicle prices to go down over time. The actual construction of the vehicle may change to better adapt to the technology of an electric vehicle. Remember what happened with flat screen televisions.

I absolutely would consider a hybrid vehicle. Over time, the technology has become reliable and the vehicles do save gas and don’t need to be plugged into a charger. There is a price premium to consider when purchasing one.

If electric vehicles were to come down in cost, and be comparable or cheaper than a gas-powered vehicle, they would instantly become more desirable and popular. Increases in range with a full charge and faster charging would also have the same result.

Then, one would be suitable for my family as a second vehicle which I would drive around Washington and between Greenville or New Bern.  I would plug it into my charger in the garage.

Due to the fact that I don’t travel far often, it could become my primary vehicle. On long trips I would absolutely want a gas-powered vehicle. I can’t see myself looking for and sitting at a charger unless it is nearly as quick as a gas pump.

New technology is always slow to develop. When the government gets involved, it creates a barrier. Things can actually happen without the government and politics.

I’m sure some people will think I’m nuts but electric vehicles are here to stay. Will they replace the gas-powered vehicles completely? I hope not; everyone should be allowed to buy their vehicle of choice, as long as it is in demand.

Electric powered vehicles may not be suitable for some applications and, who knows, something might come along to make them obsolete.

Al Klemm is a Washington resident and former Beaufort County Commissioner.