Business & Tech
Electric Vehicles Thrive In The Desert
In this third part of the 10 Palm Desert Businesses You Need To Know series, we look at Electric Car Distributors, and how they're making a one-time golf course luxury into something economical and eye-catching.
With the high price of gas, the demand for alternative ways to get around town has Electric Car Distributors booming.
J.R. Thomas, whose father founded in Rancho Mirage in 1960, says that people are recognizing the savings potential in electric powered vehicles, and letting the gas-guzzler stay in the garage.
“They’ll use it for heading up and down El Paseo, and more and more people are doing it for going around town, especially with gas between $3.50 and $4 per gallon now,” Thomas explained.
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Palm Desert is one of the few cities that allows people for daily trips around town.
A visit to their Rancho Mirage showroom gives a sense of the amazing customization that are popular now with electric cars, including look-alikes of current high end production vehicles.
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“They expect to see something really cool when they walk in, so we always want some major eye candy on display,” Thomas said. “They come in looking for a basic car, but come out with all the bells and whistles.”
“We did a big a customization for a guy that owned a trucking company with 250 Kenworths, tanker trucks,” Thomas explained. “He wanted a Kenworth look-alike with a crome tank on the back. So we did it and now it’s very popular in the parades.”
If you are looking for a gift for an electric car owner, Thomas recommends a “street legal” package. Costing approximately $550, the upgrade package will bring a basic golf car in line with all DMV regulations.
Licensing cost varies from city-to-city, but the potential savings in fuel will more than make up for it.
Thomas says one of the things that makes Electric Car Distributors unique in the Coachella Valley is their ability to do repairs in-house.
“Its our service department that stands out,” Thomas told Patch. “We have a paint and body shop on property, which makes it a lot easier. The little guys have to farm all their repairs out.”
Elecrtic Car Distributors has survived in a competitive market where many have failed.
Thomas named four local dealers that have closed their doors in the past two years, adding “We’re no ‘fly by night, and hope it works’ kind of business. We’ve been around 50 years. We’ve got it down to a pretty efficient thing.”
Judging from the vehicles on display in their showroom, efficiency can also be a thing of beauty.
