Loup Generator — Fall 2020

Loup adds hybrid EV to fleet
New public charging stations coming to Columbus
Loup Power District offers several cash incentives to customers who
purchase electric vehicles.
The District has considered adding an electric vehicle to its fleet for a few
years and moved forward with that plan after discovering an incentive of its
own.
Loup was one of eight utilities that received a $16,000 grant from the
Nebraska Community Energy Alliance (NCEA) and Nebraska Environmental
Trust (NET) for the purchase of an all-electric or hybrid vehicle.
Loup used that grant money to purchase a Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in
Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV).
The all-wheel drive SUV will be used by District employees, especially
Customer Service Representatives from Columbus who travel to other
communities.
“We wanted a more reliable vehicle for them to use in winter,” said Walt
Williams, Vice President of Accounting & Finance/CFO.
Williams said he is very impressed by the vehicle’s performance.
“I think if people would drive it, they would realize it’s great option,” he
said.
The hybrid model also eliminates some anxiety because once the battery
wears down, the vehicle will switch to gas power.
Customer Service Representative Rhonda Rogers said the car is very quiet.
“I have to look at the dashboard to make sure it is on,” she said.
Accounting Clerk Lynette June also noted how quiet the Outlander is and
appreciated the vehicle’s handling.
“When I got it on the highway, the acceleration was very smooth,” she said.
June also said it was easy to shift the car from drive to reverse and to put
the car in park by simply hitting a button.
The vehicle’s drive battery can be charged with a standard 120V power
outlet at home with the supplied charging cable (full charge in eight hours), or
with a public or residential 240V charging station (full charge in less than four
hours).
It also has DC Fast-Charging capability (commercial charging stations),
charging up to 80 percent capacity in about 25 minutes.
It has an all-electric range of about 22 miles before switching over to gas.
Loup is also planning to install Level II public EV charging stations at its
Columbus Service Center on the Lost Creek Parkway and at the Holiday Inn
Express on East 23rd Street.
An additional grant from the NCEA and NET will cover the costs of those
two chargers. Loup will pay for labor and installation.
Todd Duren, Vice President of Corporate Services, said as EVs become more
popular, it makes sense for Loup to improve charger accessibility for the
public.
“Electric vehicles are the future and each year more models are being
designed and released to the market,” he said.
Duren said consumers in the Midwest may really embrace the technology
when electric full-sized pickups and SUVs can travel more than 300 miles on a
charge.
In the meantime, today’s models are ideal for driving around town as
well as short-distance commuters. Like Williams, Duren said people may be
surprised when they test drive an electric or hybrid vehicle.
“EVs offer an exciting and unique driving experience,” he said.
Top: Walt Williams, Vice President of
Accounting & Finance/CFO, analyzes data on
the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV dashboard.
Bottom: Williams charges the SUV at the Loup
General Office. The battery can be charged
with a standard 120V power outlet or with a
public or residential 240V charging station.
The PHEV also comes standard with DC Fast-
Charging capability.
18 GENERATOR