Going green gives a charge
Journal Star, Peoria, Il 05/04/08 By Cathrine Hopkins of the Journal Star
Peru Electric Company Converts Truck To Run On Batteries
PERU - The Peru electric department channeled its drive for going green into an electric pickup truck.
Maintenance workers converted a 1996 Chevrolet pickup to run on battery power instead of gasoline.
"Its main function is to drive back and forth to and from the hydroelectric plant (at Starved Rock Lock and Dam in Utica)," Superintendent Joe Prazen
* said. "We took out the gas tank and anything that had to do with the internal combustion motor and put in the electrical components. It's been on the road over a month now and never had a breakdown."
The vehicle isn't only environmentally friendly - it's cost-effective, too.
"It only costs about $3 to run it for two weeks," said John Lasik, maintenance operator. "This gets people thinking about alternatives to gas as we drive it around town."
The company invested $9,000 in the pickup and its conversion, but it qualifies for a $4,000
to $5,000 grant sponsored by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
"Before this, we were using a three-quarter tank four-wheel drive, which really used a lot of gas," Prazen said.
"We try not to use it that much anymore."
The vehicle can travel a total of 30 miles a day but needs a full eight-hour battery charge to go the distance. It can also reach the speed of 75 mph, according to maintenance operator Mike Lynch.
"Twenty-four six-volt batteries charge the car," Lynch said. "It runs on 144 volts, and you can plug the batteries into a standard outlet."
Lynch worked with Lasik and
Pioneer Conversions of Lemont to design and convert the truck. The company sells parts to make the necessary changes.
"It took about 90 hours of manual labor to get the job done," Lynch said. "We worked on it since December in our spare time."
For the past couple of weeks, it's been a teaching tool for automotive students at Illinois Valley Community College and LaSalle-Peru Township High School.
"People around town are curious about it," Lasik said. "The technology is there if people want to use it."
* Joe Prazen is a FVEAA member
