SAN JUAN ISLAND

Pillow goes green with blue truck

Story and photos by Sharon Kivisto

posted 04/30/2008
Brad Pillow of San Juan Island cut his gas bill to zero, reduced his carbon footprint, and took a chunk out of his ferry expenses by purchasing his electric truck. The bright blue Zaptruck goes 45 mph and has a range of 40 miles on a charge. "It costs a penny a mile to operate," Pillow said.

The only maintenance is a pint of oil per year for the differential and windshield wiper fluid. Brakes and tires would have to be replaced for wear and tear. The vehicle cost Pillow $13,000 which included a $600 upgrade to larger wheels and tires. With the standard size tires the vehicle can go 40 mph.

"I didn't want other vehicles to have to pass me, I wanted to be able to go the speed limit," he said. With the upgrade, his truck goes 45 mph.

Since it has three wheels it is registered as a motorcycle and is treated on the ferry as such. This means it goes to the head of the line and pays a lower rate.

As for the cost of charging the batteries, Pillow says it takes 4.2 hours to fully charge the battery. The cost is 32 cents. The manufacturer pays for the first year's worth of electricity.

Pillow purchased his truck in Salem, Oregon from electricwheelsinc.com. They sell the cars in stock form. Other dealers he spoke with were selling the vehicles with modifications which drove up the price by thousands of dollars.

Pillow, who works in construction, and his wife Liz drive into work from the middle of San Juan Island each day with her bicycle in the back of the truck. She rides home from the courthouse on her bike. "You can't get more green than that," he said.

SAN JUAN ISLANDER © 2008

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