WESTBOROUGH – It’s not every day you see a Mr. Coffee plugged into the engine of a vehicle.
Chris Spychalski of North Andover was demonstrating how he can plug in appliances into the electric load of his Toyota EV.
“I mow the lawn with it,” he said.
Spychalski has owned his electric vehicle since 2018. Aside from replacing an electric heater and windshield – which were both covered under warranty – he said driving an electric vehicle has been “wonderful.”
He was among nearly three dozen drivers taking part in the “Get Charged Up” EV Expo on Oct. 15 at the Amazon Robotics parking lot on Otis Street.
The Cameron family of Westborough came with their red Ford Mustang they purchased last May.
“There’s no maintenance, there’s no upkeep aside from tire rotation, the acceleration is awesome,” said Neil Cameron.
“You’re not burning gas, you get good acceleration … I love it,” said Tom Wheaton of Littleton, the owner of a Polestar 2 since April 2021.
He said he gets about 220 miles on a “90% charge,” but cold weather can reduce that range by about 20%.
The Quirk dealership in Braintree brought a Chevy Volt, along with 110-volt and 220-volt chargers. According to Mary Collins, a finance assistant, a full charge at home would cost between $5 and $10, while a “fast charger” would cost between $10 and $20. She added that the chargers are programmable so that vehicles can be charged during off-peak hours.
In addition to the electric vehicles, the police departments from Westborough and Hopkinton brought their hybrid cruisers.
Sharad Mehta, chair of the Westborough Rotary Club’s Committee of the Environment, said this year’s expo had “a lot more variety of vehicles.”
“It’s still very expensive; 70% buy second-hand vehicles,” he said. “After a few years, it will be a lot more common. They are cheaper to run than gas-powered vehicles.”
Sponsors include Sustainable Westborough, Sustainable Northborough, the Rotary Club of Westborough and the Hopkinton Sustainable Green Committee.
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