Electric car use is gaining speed in Pennsylvania - Reading Eagle
While the coronavirus continues to plague the nation, Pennsylvania transportation and environmental planners are gearing up for an easy transition from gasoline to electric cars.
Transportation and environmental planners provided a lesson in electric cars in celebration of National Drive Electric Week.
“The sale of electric cars will continue to grow and one day will dominate,” said Alissa Burger, a program manager at Electrification Coalition, a Washington, D.C.-based network advancing the transition to electric cars.
Burger said the automobile companies, including General Motors, Toyota, Ford, and Volkswagen are investing billions of dollars in electric cars.
Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell said the number of electric vehicles registered in Pennsylvania is small, but is continuing to rise at a rapid rate.
“While it’s still a small number, the trend is clear: More drivers are interested in this zero-emission option,” McDonnell said during the program, “Driving Electric Vehicles: The Benefits and Basics for Pennsylvania Residents.”
The number of electric cars registered in Pennsylvania increased by 400% to 7,694 in 2018 from 1,652 in 2013, according to PennDOT’s bureau of motor vehicles.
The numbers of electric vehicles continued to rise in 2019 with a 40% increase to 10,875.
In 2018, there were 143 electric vehicles in Berks, rising to 219 in 2019.
McDonnell said the research shows the public has a lot to learn about electric vehicles, noting they provide better air quality, improve health and reduce greenhouse emissions.
