BRIDGEVILLE, Pa. -- A new electric vehicle is saving cities, police and universities a lot of money.

Equipco in Bridgeville is one of the first companies in the U.S. to sell high-performance electric vehicles.

"Being totally electric, not a hybrid," said Equipco manager Don Heberle. "It will cost you about $1.75 for the entire (battery) charge. And that's going to give you 50 miles."

There are no fumes, odors or sounds emitted from the vehicle, which has a top speed of 25 mph.

The vantage uses regenerative brakes, too, which means it puts power back into the batteries.

Some of the places using the vehicles are airports and colleges, including Penn State University, which recently purchased several.

"They did eight," said Heberle. "And they're looking for 50."

The only drawback is the price of the vehicle, which is $18,000.

But the payoff comes over the long haul in operational and maintenance costs.

That's why the Pittsburgh Parking Authority and dozens of other local business and government groups are checking it out.

"We're looking for our enforcement officers who drive around the city daily, and we're less than 50 miles a day," said Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato. "So, there may be an opportunity there to save money."

For more information, visit www.Equipco.com.

---

Related Links:
More County News

Get RSS | E-Mail Alerts

---