LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
With gas prices rising higher than ever and budgets being stretched beyond their capacity, the 37th Mission Support Group is ahead of the curve with two electric cars they purchased in 2005.
Three years ago, gas prices were approaching $3 a gallon and 37th MSG began to think about what they could do to combat fuel costs. With average prices now more than $4 a gallon, George DeCoux, 37th MSG deputy for installation support, sees the cars as a valuable asset.
"They only cost $10,000," he said. "And we don't have to pay for gas at all. Before this, we were using privately owned vehicles, and now we save the cost of fuel because all we do is plug them in out back. We have two plugs."
Mr. DeCoux said the cars run for roughly 35 hours.
"They only go 25 miles per hour, so we're not only saving fuel but promoting safety," he explained. "They're good for people who just need to go on short jaunts around base. Plus the cost of maintenance is virtually wiped out as well. You don't have to change the oil or put in windshield wiper fluid."
Tech. Sgt. Keeli Clark said the cars have attracted attention.
"You go out in them and you get lots of funny looks," said the NCO in charge for executive services. "Some people wave or stare, and you get a lot of questions about it. They're fun to drive around."
Mr. DeCoux said he got the idea from his acquisition of the cars at a previous position.
"When I was at Randolph, I bought 15 or 20 of them for my squadron," he said. "You can buy them as two-seaters with a flat back to haul stuff. Most of the people that use them are lodging people or housekeepers."
Because Lackland is so big, said Mr. DeCoux, the electric cars provide an economical way to drive to and from buildings that are often separated by a great distance.
"We use them for events, too," he said, "At Halloween, security forces uses them to drive around the neighborhoods, and we used them for the Fourth of July event. They are very handy to have around for many different scenarios."
Mr. Decoux said he hopes the idea of the electric car will catch on.
"I think other organizations on base should look into getting them," he said. "People just don't think about doing something like this to combat the rising fuel costs. The last gas price surge was bad, sure, but this one's worse. I think this one's here to stay."