Gunnison Co-op Offers EV Exposure to Community

In March 2018, Gunnison County Electric Association expanded its electric vehicle program with the addition of a 2018 Chevy Bolt. The Bolt joins the co-op’s Nissan Leaf and a Chevy Spark that are currently in their EV fleet.

GCEA started the electric vehicle program with a Chevy Spark as a way to provide an EV driving experience for members. GCEA employees also use the car on a daily basis and named it “Spark-e.” To further educate people about EVs, the co-op loans Spark-e out for a week at a time in the “Adopt Spark-e” program.

The Chevy Bolt will be only offered for test drives. All long-distance trips in the Bolt are recorded and are outlined in a blog, https://followingbolt.blogspot.com. Check out one employee’s trip over Monarch Pass with the Bolt on the blog.

To further support EV owners, GCEA also offers a 35 percent rebate, up to $250, on home chargers — as long as the member goes on the time-of-use rate. They can plug in their EV at home at 6 p.m., but it is scheduled to start charging at 10 p.m. to stay off peak.

Studies suggest that exposure to electric vehicles increases acceptance, and Gunnison County Electric Association hopes to help its consumers understand EVs better by sharing their EV fleet.