Electric vehicles' potential weighed

Could Pasco County's public fleet have electric vehicles in its future?

County commissioners on Tuesday heard a report from Progress Energy about the state of electric-vehicle technology, including the prospect that Florida will be a test market next year for a new all-electric Nissan car.

As the county prepares for the day the economy turns around, leaders are looking at ways to change the way they've done business. Electric vehicles, with their low fuel costs and green footprint, could be part of that mix.

"I think we're positioned well to take advantage of it," Pasco County Commission Chairman Jack Mariano, an advocate of recycling and other environmental causes, said of the push toward all-electric or hybrid gas-electric vehicles.

Tampa has several hybrid vehicles in its public fleet, primarily for use by code enforcement and building inspection officials. Mayor Pam Iorio drives a leased Toyota Camry hybrid, said Richard Evans, the city's fleet logistics supervisor.

Pasco commissioners also see the evolving technology as a job generator. After years of depending on home construction for growth, officials hope to push Pasco's economic base in a more sustainable direction.

John Walsh, interim president of the Pasco Economic Development Council, said the county should try to get in early on the movement.

"We know it's coming anyway," Walsh said. "Why not position ourselves to be at the front of that wave? Who know who will show up?"

The county's efforts to build a high-tech industrial base got a boost in September when Odessa's Dais Analytic announced a $200 million deal to sell its high-tech air filtration systems to China's government.

The material at the heart of the filtration units has the as-yet untapped potential to work as a battery, company officials said.

Progress Energy spokesman Mike Waters, manager of the company's advanced transportation division, said the technology behind electric cars is changing quickly and has grown dramatically.

"There's a whole new world out there in terms of batteries and technology," Waters said.

Electric vehicles, though, still face major challenges, Waters said.

Electric and hybrid vehicles cost more than conventional ones. They also lack the widespread public support and the basic infrastructure - such as charging stations - to instill confidence in consumers.

Waters said Pasco could encourage the growth of electric vehicles by adding some to its fleet and by making it easier for potential owners to wire their homes with the dedicated plugs needed to charge cars quickly.