Megachurch Installs EV Charging, Pastor Gets BMW i3
Originally published on EV Obsession.
In a show of the way that the gradual public acceptance of electric vehicles has been accelerating, a megachurch in Colorado known as “The Resurrection Fellowship Church” recently installed a charging station in its parking lot, according to recent reports.
In addition, the pastor of the Loveland, Colorado, megachurch is currently leasing a BMW i3, and considering other electric options when that lease ends, reportedly. Also worth noting — the church is planning to add a second charging station, which would bring the outlet number up to 4 (capable of charging up to 4 vehicles at once).
Green Car Reports provides more info:
Pastor Wiggins (he prefers to be known simply as “Jonathan”) spoke with Green Car Reports about the intersection of the church’s mission and electric cars. He admits to being “a bit of a car nerd,” and had actually test-driven a Tesla Roadster at the single Tesla Store permitted under Colorado state law. But that high-performance sports car was both impractical and very expensive. It wasn’t until the recent crop of more affordable electric cars and lease programs arrived that the church could consider one for his use on official business.
…Members of the congregation concerned about the cost of installing charging stations used by only a few vehicles were reassured that 80% of the cost of roughly $8,000 was paid through a grant from the Department of Energy’s Workplace Charging Challenge, in which Resurrection is apparently the sole church participant. As far as he knows, Wiggins was the very first pastor in Colorado to drive an electric car.
…Overall, Wiggins is a fan of the church’s leased BMW i3, though he notes that in talking to parishioners and the public at large, he’s come to understand that in his community — as elsewhere in the US — battery-electric vehicles face three key hurdles. First is the price point, since some buyers will turn away from a high bottom line even before they learn about financial incentives. Second, of course, is range; 80 miles, minus a significant penalty for cold weather, just isn’t enough for many drivers in a state where towns can be separated by 20 or 30 miles of mountainous roads. And third is the lack of all-wheel drive in any all-electric vehicle south of an $80,000 Tesla Model X. “Snow is a big deal in Colorado,” he noted modestly.
Wiggins noted that the range hurdle will be less of an issue when the next-gen of electric vehicles hit the market — making mention of his interest in the Chevy Bolt, in particular.
The whole read is an interesting one, for those that have the time to do so.
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