Grandmother loves car of the future

SMITHFIELD -- For the past few weeks, an unusual car has stood between the sedans and pickups in a downtown Smithfield parking lot. It looks like a souped-up golf cart, but it's actually a street-legal, all-electric car called the GEM e2.

Margo Allsbrook, 70, is driving the electric revolution to Smithfield.

"I just try to do my part," she said, to leave the planet in good condition for her grandchildren.

Allsbrook said she and her husband bought the car partly because they wanted to help the environment. Electric cars don't directly put out polluting emissions; their engines run on electricity from the grid, not gasoline.

"It seems young people are too busy now," Allsbrook said. "It's the older people who see the seriousness of how today's world is."

Plus, Allsbrook added, she is tired of sending oil money to Saudi Arabia. "We're extra-patriotic," she said.

Allsbrook's e2 tops out at 25 mph and can travel 35 miles on an overnight charge. Dubbed a "Neighborhood Electric Vehicle," it is legal on any street in North Carolina with a speed limit less than 35 mph. She keeps an extension cord in the back, just in case she needs to recharge.

She won't be winning many races, but Allsbrook said the car is perfect for running errands and getting to the Johnston County Heritage Center, where she works some days.

She and her husband bought the two-seater about a month ago. A $3,700 federal tax credit, which expires Dec. 31, halved the cost of the car, which typically sells for about $7,400. According to a news release, power for the car costs 2 cents a mile, the equivalent of 150 mpg.

Allsbrook could hardly wait to take the car for a spin when she got it home. Her model has tent-style flaps instead of doors, no heater, no air conditioner and no radio (all cost extra). But Allsbrook has fallen for the car nonetheless. "Tiny," as she named it, hugged the road and handled perfectly when she took it for a drive in a rainstorm last week.

"The more you drive it, the more you want to drive it," she said. The car's engine is whisper-quiet, leaving nothing but the sounds of the wheels and the wind.

The electric revival

Drivers such as Allsbrook might be early adopters in a trend that has been a long time coming. Electric cars were popular early in the 20th century, but gasoline engines have dominated for decades.

Now, electric cars are re-entering the mainstream. In 2010, Nissan is scheduled to launch the LEAF, an all-electric hatchback that is said to reach almost 90 mph with a 100-mile range.

"It's still the tip of the iceberg," said Robert Glaser, president of the N.C. Auto Dealers Association. "We look forward to selling these things once the consumers have a clear understanding of what the vehicles are, how they're used."

Glaser said better battery technology and unified charging standards could boost the vehicles' popularity. Meanwhile, that federal tax credit has inspired some year-end purchases as its deadline approaches.

Christopher Monahan, who sells GEM electrics in Cary, said the last few months brought about 100 potential customers, from retirees to corporations.

The dealership sells scores more traditional cars than electrics, but lately more people have been interested in the electric models.

Trying out technology

Early adopters such as the Allsbrooks are kindling the trend, showing off the new technology and spreading the word to friends and strangers.

The Allsbrooks are interested in other energy-saving technologies, too. A few years ago, the grammar-school sweethearts built a new home around a concrete insulation system that uses 16-inch-thick walls to lower heating and cooling costs.

Lower bills never hurt, but Margo Allsbrook said she feels best about polluting less and using less oil.

"We want [to leave] something that our grandchildren and great-grandchildren can enjoy," she said.