CLEVELAND — With gas prices higher than average and still rising, it's no surprise that many are thinking about the advantages of electric cars.
They’ve been a hot topic at this year’s Cleveland Auto Show with nearly every manufacturer showing off their latest models.
Gene Brown popped into the Auto Show Friday not looking for anything in particular, but a metallic blue 2023 Chevy Silverado caught his eye.
“Actually, it does stand out, like I was saying earlier, it's aesthetically very pleasing to the eye,” said Brown.
The truck is just one of several electric vehicles at the auto show this year. Almost every manufacturer present has a vehicle on the floor or in the works.
“It's a desire for the consumers asking for alternative fuel vehicles and electric has become the most popular that everybody's rolling out,” said Lou Vitantonio, president of the Cleveland Auto Show.
Vitantonio said while there was some skepticism about electric cars at first, that is slowly fading away.
“I think there's a lot of benefits of the electric vehicles on top of just the range ability and you know, durability and charging and all the things that come with those vehicles, but you can power your home if you need to. You can do some of the things off of these vehicles that are large batteries,” said Vitantonio.
People intrigued by the possibilities have been stopping by the Electric Auto Association’s booth. Member Jerry Potts said they’re not selling cars–just ideas, like changing people’s minds who have concerns about affordability.
“The price is still a little high compared to the gas cars. It's almost at parity. It's coming down. This particular model has a base price of $32,000. So it's in a price range that it's affordable now compared to gas cars, maintenance–almost no maintenance, no oil change, no tuneups, no brakes, no muffler, no radiator. We don't have to use antifreeze. So the maintenance is low,” said Potts.
Potts said rising gas prices have woken some folks up and has them questioning the impact on their wallets if they stick with combustion engines or go with electric.
“It’s no joke on how high the gas prices are going up. So again, at the same time you do want to consider electric vehicles, cleaner air, etc.,” said Brown.
Brown said there’s a good possibility you might see him driving away with one in the next few years.
“I'll educate myself more on it before I make that move. But I'm looking forward to making the move,” said Brown.
Vitantonio said while electric cars are part of the auto industry’s future, there are other alternative fuel options to look out for like hydrogen, natural gas, and maybe even solar power.
Jade Jarvis is a reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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