Eldon Wenstrand's 1981 Jet Electra (Ford Escort)

In May of 2000, I purchased something I had been wanting for 20 years. It was an electric car. I did a report in high school on electric cars, and have been hooked ever since! I purchased a 1981 Jet Electra (Ford Escort professional conversion) from a gentleman in California. I work out of my home and really just need a means of transportation for short trips around the area. Our other car is a minivan, which we use for everything else. We sometimes now only have to fill up once a month if we are lucky, or twice if we have been doing more longer errands. The electric car is very quiet, has no exhaust, and requires very little maintenance. I check and fill the batteries every 3-4 weeks (17 of them). We only charge the car at night, when the rates for electricity are exceptionally low. Since I purchased the car, I haven't even noticed a difference in our electric bill! Typical trips in the car include: going to the golf course, grocery store, shopping mall, my dad's home in Sun City, church, going out to eat, or any other short errand you can think of. I have a comfortable range of 35-40 miles. One of the reasons I purchased this particular car was that it could seat four people. That has been a big plus, since my family uses it a great deal to go places together. I am a very happy EV owner and would recommend the experience to anyone who would like to cut down on pollution, save money on ever-rising gas prices, and have something a little unique!