Maine could show the way on overcoming rural obstacles to electric vehicles

  • Date: 11/08/2020

Only 1% of vehicles sold in Maine are electric, yet a few of those cars are already traveling the back roads and dirt driveways of Hancock and Washington counties. When the nonprofit agency Downeast Community Partners delivers food, it’s likely to be in a battery-powered Chevy Bolt.

As part of its mission to help “improve the quality of life and reduce the impact of poverty in Downeast communities,” the organization uses three all-electric Bolts, powered by solar energy and charged at publicly accessible stations near its offices. Dale Basher, Downeast Community Partners’ housing operations manager, wants area residents to experience the many benefits of electric cars.

“A lot of people are skeptical, but they’re an incredible vehicle,” he said.

Electrifying transportation with solar power, Basher believes, could ease long-term cost burdens on the region’s residents. While acknowledging hurdles to widespread electric vehicle adoption remain, he’s optimistic that improvements in batteries will hasten the transition.

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