In Abingdon, electric car sets an example at 25 mph

Abingdon’s new electric vehicle can reach speeds of 25 mph and will be used downtown. The car cost the city less than $15,000.

By: By Debra McCown Media General News Service | Lynchburg News and Advance
Published: April 20, 2009

ABINGDON, Va. – If you’re behind a teeny little car crawling at 25 miles per hour, don’t honk the horn – it’s going as fast as it can.

It’s all about the town setting an example; not the one about the 25 mph posted speed limit downtown, but rather one about the environment.

Meet VerdeGo, a 100 percent electric car that arrived last weekend for Abingdon’s information technology department and is emblazoned with the logo for EVA, the Electronic Village of Abingdon, which is the town’s Internet service.

“In our department, most of our running around is in town from building to building doing IT, and we felt like … to reduce emissions, we need to drive something that’s more efficient,” said Floyd Bailey, the town’s IT director. “It’s a zero-emission, no-noise car.”

Bailey said the car, which cost less than $15,000 and is about the size of a tall picnic table, is part of the town’s effort to be environmentally responsible and reduce its carbon footprint – or its net contribution of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

While capable of going 45 mph, the car is governed by federal laws that limit it to 25 mph, Bailey said.

Town Manager Greg Kelly said the purchase of the car and two Segways, electric two-wheeled police vehicles, was funded by the town, and it’s possible that two more Segways and another electric car could be in Abingdon’s future.

“We’re just trying to promote the town as environmentally friendly and hope that other people will see us do it and start doing the same type thing,” Kelly said.

“There’s a lot more to come, so just keep your eyes open.”