Takoma Park, Maryland is home of the very first fully electric converted refueling station in the country. This gas station decided to convert to fully electric after the owner’s daughter convinced him it was time to make a splash. As climate change activists are marching across the world, more people are making decisions such as this.
Depeswar Doley, the owner of the station, isn’t sure if this is a gamble that will work out in his favor. Still, it didn’t stop him from trying. Even when he spoke with a public city official about the idea, they didn’t immediately dismiss it offhand. Apparently, they’ve been having a difficult time negotiating with oil and gas companies. The way they structure contracts is never in the best interest of anyone but themselves.
Taking a deal home to his family, his daughter was all for it. She spoke with him about the environmental impacts currently going on. Oil and gas burning in cars is some of the biggest polluters of our air and is decisions like this that force people to make better environmental decisions.
“It’s good for the environment,” Doley said. “I’m not doing this just to nickel and dime, thinking about how much money I’m going to make — no. I know this is a good cause, and this is something new. What I’m doing, maybe it will encourage other businesses owners and encourage the electric car business.”
Social Change Using Electric Cars
Electric cars still aren’t a mainstay in our country. The vast majority vehicles bought are gas powered, but the technology is finally catching up so that these vehicles are cheaper to buy. The only question now is how to fill up. That’s difficult to do when, again, the vast majority of refueling stations are for gas vehicles.
Even then, it’s not so easy. It can take as long as 30 minutes or even much longer to refuel an electric car. This is much longer than what it takes to refuel the average gas vehicle. To staunch environmentalists, this is actually worth the time if it prevents more pollution from filling up our skies.
“Maryland is proud to be a national leader when it comes to clean and renewable energy, climate change, and the promotion of electric infrastructure and vehicles,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “This fully-converted, gas-to-electric charging station is a prime example of our administration’s commitment to the environment and transportation.”
“This thing is so new, we don’t know what’s going to happen,” Doley said. “It might flop, or it might work out — we have no clue at all. We’re just crossing our fingers, and in the back of my mind, I know this is something good for the environment.”
