Local Electric Vehicle Use Is Not Keeping Up With Global Trends | Business

She owns a second Tesla electric car. She said this is good for the environment because it reduces carbon emissions and there is no engine oil.

Electric vehicle sales will increase 24% in 2020 across Pennsylvania, despite a 15% decrease in total vehicle sales during the COVID-19 outbreak, according to data from the Pennsylvania Environmental Protection Agency. Did.

Global sales of electric vehicles also accelerated in 2020, but sales in northeastern Pennsylvania have not caught up, said Keila Kelly, Internet manager for Tom Hesser dealers. She said Tom Hesser Nissan sells several Nissan Leaf cars a year.

Electric vehicles save fuel costs and reduce emissions, but even with state rebates and federal tax incentives for buyers, charging can be time consuming and expensive.

Tesla prices range from $ 37,990 to $ 144,490. The Nissan LEAF has a starting price of $ 31,670, and Kelly said there is growing interest in them at Tom Hesser Nissan.

“There are some people who are environmentally friendly,” she said. “Buying those cars is like a lifestyle.”’

Dowd is one of the first companies in Luzerne County to set up a free electric vehicle charging station for electric vehicle owners at its Sundance Vacations headquarters in Highland Park Boulevard, Wilkes-Barre Township.

She installed a charging station at Sundance Vacations in 2013 after purchasing her first Tesla. She said she could charge Tesla overnight in Lee Highton’s garage and drive about 240 miles after charging.

“It was more comfortable to have a place to charge here during the day,” she said.

As electric vehicles grow in popularity, more charging stations are emerging throughout northeastern Pennsylvania.

Electric vehicle chargers can also be found at Wilkes-Barre Township’s Breaker Brewing Luzerne County, Wilkes-Barre’s Arena Bar and Grill, Plains Holiday Inn, and Wilkes-Barre Township’s Ken Pollock Nissan and Benco Dental of Jenkins Twp.

Benco Dental’s two electric vehicle chargers were installed in 2016, and dental distributors plan to install two more this year, said John Muscovitch, Benco’s national facility and fleet manager.

Benco Dental’s charger is compatible with all electric vehicles, including Tesla with an adapter, and the new charger is compatible with all electric vehicles, Muscovitch said.

Muscovitch said he is constantly looking for new opportunities “to reduce the environmental impact of the facility.”

Benco Dental doesn’t have an electric car, but “we are watching the industry carefully as electric cars become available,” he said.

“We have increased support for electric vehicles and have adjusted our infrastructure to meet the needs of our employees and customers,” he said.

In Lackawanna County, electric car chargers can be found at Moosic montage shops, Scranton’s Tom Hesser BMW and Chevrolet, and Dunmore’s Tom Hesser Nissan.