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Natural Awakenings Dallas -Fort Worth Metroplex Edition

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The Future of Sustainable Transportation

May 28, 2021 08:30AM ● By Sheila Julson
2021 is promising to be the year of the electric vehicle (EV) —President Joe Biden announced a plan to transition the U.S. government’s fleets to eschew petroleum-powered engines. As a result, automakers are taking aggressive measures to expand their EV offerings, announcing dozens of new models to debut over the next few years.

The North Central Texas Council of Government’s Try and Drive Alternatives program is a regional initiative managed by the Dallas-Fort Worth Clean Cities Coalition that allows fleet managers and consumers the chance to borrow clean vehicle technologies such as alternative fuel and EVs for a trial period before making an investment.

Via these Try and Drive Alternatives, clean vehicles and equipment can be borrowed for a single day, a week or longer, allowing fleet operators to experience clean vehicle technology firsthand. Although the program is designed primarily for fleets, it includes a partnership with General Motors (GM) to include the Chevy Bolt, GM’s first mass market, purely battery/electric vehicle, first introduced in 2016.

General Motors Commits to an All-Electric Future


GM has made a $27 billion dollar commitment to development and production of clean vehicle technologies and plans to grow its portfolio by launching 30 EVs globally by the end of 2025. Brands including Cadillac, GMC, Chevrolet and Buick will all have an EV option for all uses at different price points. The Cadillac LYRIQ will be manufactured at the company’s Spring Hill, Tennessee plant, which is undergoing a $2 billion transition to build EVs.

GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant will be their first to be 100 percent devoted to electric vehicles. They will start building the new GMC Hummer EV, and eventually, the Chevrolet Silverado, in the fall.

In January, GM unveiled BrightDrop, a new startup division that will build electric delivery vehicles, software and services to support the delivery and logistics companies that use it.

Local Options for Consumers to Try Electric Vehicles


Consumers that want to test drive a GM EV have options at local Chevrolet dealerships. Tommy Gallatin, General sales manager at Friendly Chevrolet, says his dealership currently has the Bolt among its EV offerings. “The Bolt EUV Crossover will be out very soon, and it’s going to be a great-looking crossover,” he enthuses. “The Electric Silverado will be part of the 2022 lineup. People are already excited about the truck.”

A misconception about EVs is that they don’t accelerate as fast, which Gallatin says is not true. He also explains the difference between hybrid and electric vehicles: “Hybrids combine an internal combustion engine and electric motor. Electric vehicles come from a single electric motor that propels the engine.” He adds that key features of EVs include fewer moving parts, so they’re more economical to maintain.

Gallatin invites anyone interested in EVs to stop in and test drive the electric cars on the lot. “With our location being so close to downtown, excitement is building about our EV products,” he says.

Classic Chevrolet has the Chevy Bolt and the all-new 2022 Bolt EUV, which combines electric torque with a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-estimated 247 miles of range on a full charge.

“Electric vehicles are better for the environment, emitting zero emissions,” says Dorian Jimenez, General sales manager for Classic Chevrolet. “They are also less expensive, require less maintenance and are quieter and faster.”

Because electric vehicles receive all their power from electrical sources. Jimenez notes that some consumers may worry that EVs have a limited range and there is a dearth of public charging stations, but that infrastructure is growing. According to GM Financial, “Public stations are becoming more popular as the demand for gasless cars increases, and a quick search in your area can show the ones closest to you.”

At-home charging stations are available for rent or purchase. The myChevrolet app provides information about a vehicle’s current charge, weather and driving conditions, and charging station locations.

For more information about electric vehicles or to arrange a test drive, call Friendly Chevrolet, 2754 N. Stemmons Fwy., in Dallas, at 214-920-1900, or visit FriendlyChevy.com; or Classic Chevrolet, 1101 W. State Hwy. 114, in Grapevine, at 817-756-6866, or visit ClassicChevrolet.com.