We’ve just installed electric vehicle chargers on our property at Franchi’s Corner, off Main Street in Boulder, just behind the Sweet Spot. It’s the first commercial EV charging station between Butte and Helena — to my mind, an important milestone for Boulder, and a step forward for EVs in rural Montana.
Electric vehicles have become a polarizing topic in our culture. But they don’t have to be. The problem in our culture is when we make it a binary equation of either only EV’s or no EV’s. That is similar to saying we should either drive diesels or only gasoline vehicles without taking into account the driving requirements.
For example, I own an electric vehicle, (a Polestar, a division of Volvo). I also have three petroleum powered vehicles, including a 1995 Ford Bronco that drinks gas like sweet tea on a hot afternoon. They each have things they were made for, and things they are not good at.
For one thing, Montana is a huge state. I wouldn’t drive my EV to Billings as I would have to stop to charge at least once. Charging times run from 20 minutes at a fast charger to over five hours on a slower charger.
Currently Montana doesn’t have a lot of places to charge, but that is slowly changing. You can count on the larger cities, but there is a lot of road between those.
And weather can affect performance. In warm temperatures, my EV fully charged will go around two hundred miles depending on speed, air conditioning, up and down mountains, etc. On the coldest days, that is sub-zero, my range drops to about 150 miles, well within my range requirements for a daily commute.
However, if your normal driving routines are under 150 miles per day, an EV may be well suited for your needs. And there are really a lot of great things about driving one.
First, maintenance is super easy. With electric motors, there are way less fluids; no gas, no oil to change, no radiator or transmission fluids, no diesel exhaust fluid. All you really have to worry about are wipers, brake pads, and the normal checkups that are recommended by any car maker.
Secondly, the technology is cutting edge. In a lot of ways, it is like driving an iPad. The display shows me what my charge will be when I reach my destination, and it will find EV charging locations on longer drives. I can even set my car to warm up each morning at a set time.
Third, right or wrong, by skipping the pump I miss the taxes that the Federal and State governments place on fossil fuels. That adds up to about fifty cents per gallon. I am paying for my fuel at residential electric rates.
Finally, EV’s are just fun to drive. Without internal combustion engines or the need for turbos to kick in an EV can be much quicker. With the battery running the length of the car mere inches from the ground, road grip for turns is great, extremely beneficial in our frequently snowy driving conditions.
So, back to our charging station. When we first bought the Franchi’s Corner building last year, we wanted to maximize the success of the entrepreneurs who lease from us. We had to find ways to get people off the highway further than the Town Pump.
EV charging on location provides an attractive draw. Remember, it takes at least 20 minutes, and up to a couple of hours, to charge an EV. This gives folks plenty of time to enjoy a cup of coffee at Kayla’s, a meal, ice cream, or even paint some pottery. EV owners tend to have high discretionary income, and we hope they’ll spend some of that in Boulder.
We have provided both of the commonly used EV chargers, serving both Tesla and non-Tesla owners. Those are free of charge. Eventually, we would like to add fast chargers — but those can cost over $10,000, so we’ll charge a fee for their use. The upside is that many EV drivers look only for these while traveling, especially cross country.
We are focused primarily on adding a couple of restaurants and a soda fountain to what we currently offer at our property. EV chargers were never meant to be the primary draw, just a way to bring more customers into our tenants. Hopefully, we’ll be seeing a few more Teslas on Main Street — along with our old Broncos.
Goodner lives in Boulder.
