An electric vehicle is plugged into the charging station at the Giant Welcome Center in Blue Earth, under the watchful eye of the Jolly Green Giant standing guard in Giant Park.

Recent trends indicate the 2006 documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?” might have been a little preemptive.

In fact, the electric car seems to be making a comeback, if more slowly in rural areas such as Faribault County.

And, even Faribault County is taking steps to accommodate the potential electric car boom.

Though electric vehicles made their debut long ago in the late 1800s, their latest renaissance began at the dawn of the 21st century.

Since then, the number of Americans choosing electric vehicles has slowly trended upward.

The U.S. Department of Energy reports 9,350 electric vehicles were sold nationwide in 2000. By 2019, nationwide sales had jumped to 400,746.

That being said, the nation has not embraced electric vehicles equally.

California currently leads the electric vehicle craze by a landslide. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the state reported 425,300 electric vehicle registrations in 2020.

Florida comes in at a distant second with an electric vehicle registration count of 58,160.

The numbers seem to fall most significantly in Midwestern and Southern states, particularly in rural areas.

According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), Minnesota had 23,897 registered electric vehicles in 2021, with most concentrated in the metro area.

MnDOT’s report showed 9,473 registered electric vehicles in Hennepin County alone.

Meanwhile, the numbers drop to five and 13 registered electric vehicles in Jackson County and Martin County, respectively.

In comparison, Faribault County is adopting the trend somewhat more enthusiastically, with 18 registered electric vehicles.

Tim Stoner, general manager of Blue Earth Light and Water (BELW), has observed the county’s electric vehicle evolution firsthand.

“Even in Blue Earth, we’ve seen a rise in owners of electric vehicles,” Stoner says. “There were only one or two five years ago. There are five or six now. Just in the last four months, we’ve had four new electric vehicles in Blue Earth.” 

Stoner also has his reasons for keeping an eye on the nation’s attitude towards electric vehicles.

Along with many community members, Stoner is aware of Blue Earth’s convenient location along I-90, which attracts travelers from across the country.

The Giant Welcome Center (GWC)’s construction in 2019 got Stoner thinking about how BELW could do its part to attract more of those visitors to Blue Earth.

“It was kind of a state of the art Chamber building,” Stoner recalls. “(Blue Earth) Light and Water really wanted to provide a service to help people get off the highway and get more people into town.” 

He adds, “At that point, electric vehicles were just in their infancy.” 

Seeing an opportunity, BELW set about installing two electric vehicle charging stations at the GWC.

When the brand-new center was unveiled, the charging stations debuted along with it.

One station is a level two charging station which charges vehicles at a relatively average speed.

However, “It can charge any vehicle on the road today,” Stoner adds.

The other station, a DC fast charger, will charge an electric vehicle in half an hour.

Shellie Poetter, Blue Earth Chamber of Commerce director, confirms she sees both stations receive frequent usage.

“We see people using it all the time, every week we’re here,” Poetter says.

Plug Share, an online map of charging stations, reports 105 check-ins at the GWC’s charging station throughout the past year.

Poetter has noticed, however, that travelers tend to sit in their cars while waiting for their vehicles to charge. Lately, she has been wondering how to persuade travelers to venture into town while they wait, instead.

A recent grant opportunity helped Stoner identify a solution.

“We were able to get a Volkswagen grant program through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency,” Stoner shares. “We were awarded a 50 percent match through MPCA.” 

The grant was created after a 2016 Volkswagen diesel settlement. The settlement’s funds were distributed to each state, to be used to reduce emissions as they saw fit.

As it turned out, BELW’s plans aligned with Minnesota’s plans for the settlement funds.

“Their (the state’s) ultimate goal is to provide (charging) locations along I-90. We fit their match, and we have the ability to put them in,” Stoner explains.

BELW intends to use the grant money to install two new charging stations, one in downtown Blue Earth and one by the Ag Center.

“I think two new units would draw people more in town,” Stoner reasons.

BELW is currently conducting the planning process for the stations.

“It’s too early to tell when they’ll be installed,” Stoner says. “Hopefully this summer.” 

When asked if he sees electric vehicles becoming a more popular choice in the future, Stoner replies, “We’re seeing it right now.” He adds, however, that drivers’ motivations for going electric vary.

Some electric vehicle drivers hope to save money on fuel. But, their savings depend upon where they live.

Self.inc reports New Jersey is the most cost-effective state in which to own an electric car, with drivers spending an average of $1,931 less per year than those who fuel with gas.

The savings are much more negligible in Alabama, adding up to just $103 a year.

Minnesota falls closer to the bottom of the savings list. Its electric vehicle owners save an average of $352 per year.

Ultimately, it is up to the individual driver to weigh the pros and cons of owning an electric vehicle.

For example, though they cost less to fuel, electric vehicles tend to be pricier. Some argue the vehicles’ initial sticker price negates future savings on gas.

There are also individuals who purchase electric vehicles for reasons which have nothing to do with money.

Stoner comments, “A lot of people care about what they’re using for energy.” 

MnDOT backs Stoner’s observation with numbers. The organization states 80 percent of potential electric vehicle owners in the nation cite environmental benefits as the primary motivator for their choice in vehicle.

Meanwhile, 63 percent of U.S. residents who are considering purchasing an electric vehicle are influenced by long-term cost savings.

Regardless of why they are becoming more popular, it is certainly a possibility that electric vehicles will become more common as the 21st century progresses.

According to MnDOT, in 2018, 20 percent of Americans said their next car will be electric.

Stoner summarizes, “I think everybody tries these vehicles for their own reasons.”

Whatever those reasons may be, the numbers show that people are, indeed, trying them.