Montgomery County is purchasing electric cars and buses but for the area to meet its greenhouse emission reducing goals, the public and private sector must also go green, according to County Executive Marc Elrich.
On display at the Go Electric event Saturday in the parking lot of the north campus of Montgomery College in Rockville, electric cars, buses, scooters, bicycles and battery powered power tools were on display.
“The world has radically changed,” Elrich said, noting that when he bought his electric-powered LEAF car, he could go about 83 miles without running out of power. He still drives an electric vehicle, but the current one allows him to travel 300 miles at a stretch.
“We need people to participate. If it’s only government, we will not meet our goals” of reducing emissions and cleaning the environment, Elrich said. “I honestly believe at some point, it’s going to sink in. We don’ t have a choice” on whether to clean up the environment.
David Dise, the county’s director of General Services, explained that the county is purchasing only electric Ride On buses and that vehicles that deliver to the libraries and alcohol beverage stores as well as big trucks also will be electric powered in the future.
“We are pushing the industry,” he said, adding that Montgomery County “leads by example.”
Also, Dise noted, new county buildings will be net zero construction.
Chris Conklin, director of the county’s Department of Transportation, urged everyone to walk or bike when they can and take public transportation the other times.
Montgomery County set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2027 and by 100% by 2035.
Check out all the electric cars on display at Go Green at Montgomery College @mymcmedia pic.twitter.com/xftRMOYyf1
— suzanne pollak (@SuzannePollak) March 19, 2022
Go Electric with a bus, car, bike and power tools. Learn about it at Montgomery College Saturday @mymcmedia pic.twitter.com/EJUCMzzxDI
— suzanne pollak (@SuzannePollak) March 19, 2022
