Electric Vehicles in Rural Communities
Those who live in or near large cities enjoy ready access to public and private transportation, where bus, rail, taxi and ride share options are plentiful. But for smaller communities, getting around can be a real challenge. Well, we recently visited one Texas town that has found a smart, clean solution for shrinking this big problem.
Bastrop, Texas, is located about 30 miles southeast of Austin. It covers nine square miles and is home to around 9000 people. It’s a pleasant place to live or visit, on the edge of Texas hill country with the Colorado river passing nearby; a thriving main street downtown and a relaxed vibe all around.
Typical of small towns in the area, there are no city buses or subways here. Carts, the capital area rural transportation system, offers low-cost van rides for folks to get around within the city limits, or to connect with regional transit options.
And since December of 2019, Bastrop has collaborated with the lone star clean fuels alliance and e-cabs of North America to provide a cost-free and emissions-free micro-transit ride service using GEM low-speed battery electric vehicles. The US Department of Energy funded this two-year pilot project to explore how well these low-speed EV’s could meet a rural community’s first- and last-mile transit needs.
The GEMs carry 5 passengers and can legally travel on roads with speed limits up to 45 miles per hour, though the cabs themselves top out at 25. They can sustain 3 to 4 hours of continuous duty per charge.
E-cabs operates on evenings and weekends, and covers a limited area surrounding downtown Bastrop, but there are no pre-determined routes. It’s all on-demand and on the rider’s schedule, and these things stay busy! They also offer a para-transport option with a foldaway accessibility ramp.
The system allows riders to request electric cab service through a phone call or a mobile app. The e-cab driver is alerted immediately, and pickup time is typically fifteen minutes or less.
Bastrop mayor Connie Schroeder is a frequent rider, and she knows a thing or two about riding in style!
MAYOR CONNIE SCHROEDER: It doesn’t matter if you’re in a small town or a big town, you need to be able to get around. Everybody needs to go to the post office, go to a doctor, maybe get something to eat, and that last mile can be extremely hard. It can be hard if you don’t have a vehicle, it can be hard if you’re elderly.
JOHN DAVIS: Frequently taking the place of larger conventional vehicles, the system’s electric vehicles translate into lower per-trip fuel consumption and emissions. Bastrop’s e-cabs are re-charged using electricity from the Texas grid, which relies on one of the country’s highest proportions of renewable energy sources.
Nationwide, adoption of electric vehicles has lagged in rural areas when compared to urban markets. The hope is that the electric shuttles can increase comfort and familiarity with EV technology in the community, and could lead to greater interest in electric vehicle ownership, too.
CHRIS NIELSEN: This is a good idea because it’s incredibly inexpensive to operate, it’s efficient, the people like it. We have a lot of traction, and we’ve been adopted by the community here. And we’re a part of it now, and this has happened everywhere that we’ve deployed.
JOHN DAVIS: The e-cabs are bringing new mobility options to the citizens of Bastrop, and showing that even a small town can set a big example for clean transportation.
MAYOR CONNIE SCHROEDER: They take care of the environment, they’re convenient, they’re easy, and there isn’t anything better than waving to your friends when you’re in a free e-cab ride.
1998 TVR Griffith 500
Great Britain is known for making some of the most iconic two-seat roadsters to ever tear down the tarmac. But amidst the Aston Martins, Jags and Lotus’ that we’ve driven over the years, there’s another brand that has an equally unique story, TVR. It’s a story our own Roger Mecca learned about when he got behind the wheel of one of their most storied designs—one that has the looks, speed, style and thrills American car fans search for, but few ever found.
ROGER MECCA: For every household name in European automotive history, there are many others that just never gained attention in the US despite making sports cars that could leave their peers in a cloud of dust.
One of those brands is TVR, a British automaker you may not have heard of, but actually has been around for almost 80 years. And in that time, this is perhaps their signature model, the Griffith 500: A car that, on paper, anyway, had everything necessary to get people’s hearts racing.
Ralf Berthiez is the owner of this 1998 TVR Griffith 500, which he’s owned since 2022 after importing it from England. A longtime enthusiast, he’d been looking for a car that had the perfect combination of speed, good looks and driving comfort, while also being a little rare. The Griffith checked all those boxes.
RALF BETHIEZ: It’s a raw performance car. I mean, it’s kind of an in-between of a Viper and a Cobra. I mean, it’s just raw… and I like that. I like that it’s a something a little bit different. Something I don’t see all over the place. You know, you don’t want to come out of the supermarket and say “okay, which Porsche Boxster is mine.”
ROGER MECCA: But before we focus on the Griffith, I mentioned that many of you may not be familiar with the TVR brand. Well, since they’ve been around since 1946, I could literally spend an entire episode on TVR’s history. So, in the interest of time, I’ll summarize them this way: TVR is a boutique British sportscar company with a reputation for creating fast two-seaters with striking, often beautiful designs, but unfortunately, they’ve gone bankrupt three times. Despite trying to make inroads to the US several times, the brand never set up a consistent dealer network in America and few units ever made it here.
MotorWeek has reviewed only two TVRs in over 40 years: a 380 I Tasmin, as part of a 1985 review of imported convertibles, and a Ford V8-modified Grantura that was developed by, fittingly enough, American entrepreneur Jack Griffith. Though they haven’t produced a car since 2006, TVR is, technically, still in existence and, reportedly, working on a new V8 coupe that’s being developed in partnership with racing legend Gordon Murray and Cosworth. But as luck would have it, the last model that was available to a few US buyers was arguably the company’s best: the Griffith 500.
It’s a shame this car never took off in the United States because I think Americans would love it. I mean, it’s basically a muscle car. It’s got a big V8 up front, rear wheel drive, and then, of course, there’s the noise.
With an all-fiberglass body, the Griffith 500 is roughly the same size and weight as a first-generation Miata. But the Griffith’s engine, well, that couldn’t be more different. It’s a 5.0-liter, 340-horsepower all-aluminum V8 supplied by fellow British automaker Rover, an engine they got from Buick in 1969 and then used for decades. As you can imagine, putting a big V8 in a car the same size as a Miata produces some dramatic results.
Even by today’s standards, it’s very quick; 0-60 is just over 4 seconds, and with 350 pounds of torque, you just touch that accelerator and you’re off like a rocket.
When it came out, the Griffith was as fast, or faster, to 60 than any 911 model, the Corvette ZR-1, and only a few tenths slower than a Lamborghini Diablo! As for Ferrari, only the mighty F40 was quicker. Handling is very precise and there is immediate feedback through the steering wheel, and even the tiniest road variations instantly translate to your fingers. There’s no traction control, ABS or driver aids of any kind. It’s just you, and the car.
Inside It’s comfortable and refined, with soft leather, posh seats, and an easy-to-read dash layout with refined gauges and wood trim, all angled toward the driver, making for a classic, understated British elegance. It all adds up to an experience that, for people like Ralf, is something truly special.
RALF BETHIEZ: At the end of the day, I really don’t care who notices it. It’s for me, helps me smile during the day and the week, and that’s what it’s all about.