Myrtle Beach area ready to plug into electric vehicle transportation

Plug-ins for electric vehicles are popping up along the Grand Strand. Local car dealers have electric cars to show off. All they need now are the drivers.

The Grand Strand is slowly building the backbone to support electric vehicle transportation, with about a half dozen plug-in stations being installed since the first one went in at Ocean Lakes Family Campground during the summer. Local electric companies are getting involved to educate folks about electric vehicles, and some car dealers scoot around town in “demonstrator” electric cars aiming to grab some attention -- and make a sale.

But so far, the electric vehicles and plug-ins have gotten more questions than use. Experts say the trend will eventually catch on along the Grand Strand -- it just might take a year or so.

Nationally, the electric vehicle movement has caught more momentum as Chevrolet and Nissan debut electric vehicles and consumers become more inclined to use products -- including cars -- that are less harmful to the environment, one of the benefits of electric vehicles.

Last week, Wal-Mart said it would partner with ECOtality to install plugs at about 10 of its stores in California, Oregon and Washington.

But it’s still in its infancy along the Grand Strand.

“The issue right now is that no one wants to be the guinea pig,” said Bill Marsh, owner of Palmetto Chevrolet in Conway, which got its first Volt about a month ago and trained sales associates on the car’s features last week. “It gets a lot of interest, but we haven’t had a lot of offers.”

The dealership has sold one Volt, to Horry Electric Cooperative. The electricity provider got the car wrapped with its logo last week and will use it to run errands, spokeswoman Penelope Hinson said.

“We are experimenting with it to see how it works with the system,” she said. “We know that they are coming. If this is something that people want to invest in, we need to be ready for it.”

Santee Cooper also is educating residents about the best practices with electric cars -- for example, drivers should charge the cars at night and not during the more in-demand daytime hours -- and helped find locations along the Grand Strand for the plug-ins.

Horry Electric added a rate category last summer for vehicle plug-ins, which will help the utility monitor the use, Hinson said.

There’s not too much use right now to gauge, though. A couple of drivers have used the electric vehicle plug-ins Ocean Lakes installed about six months ago, spokeswoman Barb Krumm said, adding that interest is growing as the vehicles have arrived at local dealerships. Campground guests can use the plug-in for free and others can charge up at the station if they buy a $5 day pass into the campground.

“There just really hasn’t been a demand and we kind of figured that would happen,” she said.

Krumm likened the electric cars to recycling, which took a while to catch on in the campground after it was introduced.

While it will take time for consumers to buy electric cars, having charging stations will allow them to feel more comfortable with the idea, said James Poch, executive director of Plug In Carolina, which got grants to install plug-ins across the state.

“We’re at the infancy of the roll-out of electric vehicles,” said James Poch, the executive director of Plug In Carolina. “We’re trying to support and bolster the development.”

The organization got grants to install 80 charging stations across the state, 73 of which should be working within the next few weeks, he said. The goal is to have about 100 charging stations in South Carolina by early 2012, Poch said.

The cost of electric vehicles is what’s holding back some consumers, he said. The Volt and Leaf can go for $35,000 to $40,000, though tax credits could lower that price.

“That’s still a little more than your typical mid-size, four-door car,” Marsh said.

Some consumers are concerned about running out of battery, but that is why it is important that the type of electric car they purchase fits their needs, Poch said. About 50 percent of Americans drive 25 miles a day or less, which is well within the 100 mile range of all electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf, he said. For drivers who tend to spend more time on the road, a car like the Chevrolet Volt, which also has a gas tank, would be a better fit, Poch said.

Next year, Toyota will release a Prius Plug-In hybrid in 14 states, which doesn’t include South Carolina. It is scheduled for nationwide availability in 2013.

It costs about 3 cents a mile to power an electric car, compared to the 12 to 13 cents a mile for a car using gas, he said. That can translate into more than $1,000 in savings every year, he said.

Plug In Carolina used to focus on selling the economic and environmental reasons to buy electric cars, but has shifted its attention to getting consumers to try the cars.

“Now it is more about ‘get in this car, see how it drives,’” he said. “You’ll enjoy it. It’s not a green sacrifice.”

Hinson said she was surprised at how quickly the Volt takes off.

“It’s like sitting in an iPod,” Hinson said, referring to the white color and trim. “It’s neat. It has a lot of power to it. It’s pretty zippy.”

Electric cars, which come with push-button ignitions, are much quieter than other cars, said Vitaly “Victor” Daminov, internet sales manager and designated Leaf specialist at Grand Strand Nissan, which got its demonstrator Leaf to show off about two months ago.

“It’s a completely different experience,” he said. “They make zero noise and they are very fast. You put your foot on the gas pedal -- it will put your head back.”

Interest in the Leaf has been pretty brisk at Grand Strand Nissan, Daminov said. Buyers build their Leaf vehicles online then pick them up at the dealership. Two locals have picked theirs up, and a third is arriving for delivery in early December, Daminov said.

“Up until this point, not a lot of people have seen them or heard about them,” he said. “It’s definitely starting to spin off and be a new generation of transportation.”

Installing the plug-ins helps generate interest -- folks ask questions about how they work, how far an electric vehicle can go before it needs a charge and how much it costs, said Rein Mungo, director of university projects and planning at Coastal Carolina University, where two plug-ins were activated about two weeks ago off Chanticleer Drive beside Palmetto residence hall.

At some point down the road, all the interest popping up now will translate into more electric cars being driven and the plug-ins getting more use, experts said.

“A year or so from now, you won’t be surprised to see one on the road,” Marsh said.