First we hear about a grant for hybrid buses, and today we hear that City Council President Kerry Kincaid is jonesing for some electric powered transportation, too. She’s hoping Eau Claire can adopt an electric vehicle demonstration project – we’re talking about a single, fully electric car to be used in the city’s fleet of vehicles.

While she’s yet to introduce her ideas in an official capacity, the Leader-Telegram reports that she’s drafted a motion for fellow council members for consideration before the city adopts its budget on November 4. The draft states,  "An electric vehicle demonstration project would show that the city is a progressive public entity that looks for ways to save energy, save money and improve the environment."

The plan would be to purchase the electric vehicle for no more than $30,000 and install a $10,000 charging station smack dab in the City Hall parking lot. When the test car isn’t being charged, anyone with an electric car could purchase the city’s juice using a credit card.

Obviously, this will come down to the price tag and whether or not people feel it’s a “good time to spend the money,” a phrase with which few are comfortable right now. I’m hoping Kincaid can present some persuasive figures on long term savings.

The L-T article also talks about Markquart Motors, which has an all-electric Chevy Volt available for test driving, and the Kwik Trip gas station on Golf Road which actually has a charging station on site.