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Reporter>> Maybe not exactly - "stagnant" is the word local car dealers use to describe
the electric car market, but industry experts say the State's efforts to boost it could
help in time. What's it sound like when you start her up?
Destler>>It sounds like nothing. [chiming of door open bell]
Reporter>> Bill Destler may be the President of RIT but as a Volt owner today he was more
like a pitch man for hybrid and electric cars. Deslter>> It's been fantastic actually. It
has been bug free, zero problems... 165 miles average per gallon.
Reporter>> RIT has charging stations and through the State's ChargeNY program, plans to add
more. Destler>> I think that for people who choose
this kind of transportation it'll make life more convenient.
Reporter>> Governor Cuomo recently announced a 2 million dollar program to boost the use
of electric cars in the State. An industry expert with the U of R tells me
that one of the problems consumers have with electrics - despite the fact that they have
been on the road for several years, many see them as "too new".
There is also the hefty upfront cost. Often thousands of dollars more than comparable
cars fueled by gasoline. Alan>> I never really thought about it too
much, but just the battery - I didn't care for how much work and, resources were used
to make a battery - and then you 've got to charge it and all that shenanigans.
Alan Egan of Webster wants a new vehicle, but has no use for an electric car. Or the
rush to spend 2 million dollars to recharge the market.
Alan>> Yeah, it seems like a lot goes into it and if customers don't want to buy it I
guess then why try and put new stands out there. Is it supposed to work by itself right?
Reporter>> While auto makers are pouring far more cash into making electric car bateries
go farther some problems remain. Destler>> For you know, cars like the Leaf
and the Tesla, you can run out of the battery. and if you do you are stranded. so I think
what you want to do is, you want to have enough charging stations around so that you don't
have to worry about those. Reporter>> Now managers for O'Conner Chevrolet
and Hoselton Nissan both say that sales of electric cars have been sluggish this summer,
others parts of the market locally are heating up. A Canandaigua company that provides charging
stations is adding 6 to the RIT campus and also helping add more charging stations in
the City of Rochester.