Museum of Historic Vehicles adds electric charging stations

With installation, museum blends history with the future technology

BOYERTOWN » The Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles is juxtaposing its old-fashioned cars with the new age — with the installation of six electric vehicle charging stations.

“It struck me as a little odd that normally you go to a museum to see history; but today we came to a museum to see history being made, and that’s pretty exciting,” Berks County Commissioners’ Chairman Christian Leinbach said at a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony for the charging stations.

The Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles at 85 S. Walnut St. has added four Tesla and two universal connectors to the parking lot across from the main entrance. The whole process took about three months to complete, according to Kendra Cook, curator and manager of the museum.

“This is really exciting for us,” Cook said. “I think this is going to be the way that society goes in general. It seems to be moving in this direction.”

Leinbach said that in all the municipalities in Berks County, he isn’t aware of any other place having these types of chargers in a public setting.

“It is great to see Boyertown, and more importantly the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles, on the cutting edge of the automobile industry,” he said.

The addition of the charging stations isn’t the museum’s first tie to electric vehicle connection, however.

The Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles has a long history with electric cars. The museum is housed in the former location of the Boyertown Auto Body Works, which operated from 1872 to 1990.

“Actually, in the 60s and the 70s, we built vans for electric utilities,” said Bob Dare, executive committee chairman for the museum. “In the same building, we built 300 electric Volkswagen Rabbits.”

Dare, who worked at Boyertown Auto Body Works in the 70s and oversaw the 300 Rabbit project, said they bought new Pennsylvania made Rabbits, but would take out the exhaust system, gas tanks and motors. They then replaced them with batteries and an electric motor.

“They went all over the United States,” Dare said. “We still have them. They’re still around.”

Dare said they also built electric vehicles for utility companies, selling their lead acid batteries — compared to the lithium ion batteries of today — to 57 companies throughout the United States.

In addition to the ribboncutting, Quigley Chevrolet had the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt and 2018 Chevy Silverado with the E-assist on display.

While Internet Sales Manager Kristin Quigley said people are still predominantly buying gasoline vehicles, she believes that as infrastructure “allows for it,” we’ll see more electric cars on the road.

And the law seems to be reflecting that. State Rep. David Maloney, R-130th Dist., said legislation was recently passed which legalized low speed electric vehicles on low speed roads.

“It seems to me that Boyertown has been and will continue to be ahead of the curve,” Maloney said. “I mean, that’s just what Boyertown does.”

The price for electric vehicles is also dropping from the original $70,000 to $100,000, according to Dare.

“Anyone can afford one now,” he said. “Even when we were building electric vehicles, they were more expensive than gas.”

Tesla representatives were also at the event, offering test drives.

“It’s very, very smooth, I must say,” said Wil Hallman, head of the facilities committee at the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles, while test driving a Tesla vehicle. This was Hallman’s first time driving a Tesla, but not his first time in one. Austin Hallman, his grandson who accompanied Hallman on this ride, was the driver before.

“I thought my engine was quiet,” Hallman said. “This is quieter.”

“I think electric vehicles are the way of the future. I really do,” Dare said. “In the future, I think that every automobile manufacturer will offer some type of electric vehicle.”

The Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. The museum “preserves the transportation history of Pennsylvania and displays over ninety locally manufactured cars, trucks, carriages, motorcycles, sleighs, and other types of vehicles,” according to a press release.

Admission to the museum is $8 for adults; seniors or AAA members are $7; and children under 15 and museum members can enter for free.

For more information visit http://boyertownmuseum.org/

MONICA SAGER — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA In this photo, electric cars are being charged, while people look at electric vehicles on display at the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles. There are now four Tesla and two universal connectors to charge electric vehicles at the museum .

There are now four Tesla and two universal connectors to charge electric vehicles at the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles. The museum unveiled the new technology. In this photo, a car charges at one of the stations. “I think electric vehicles are the way of the future. I really do,” Executive Committee Chairman Bob Dare said during Friday’s unveiling.

The addition of six electric vehicle charging stations are not the first connection to electric vehicles for the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles. A 1921 Milburn electric car was on display during the unveiling of the charging stations for modern electric vehicles.

Mark Dolinski, vice president of membership and events of the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance, presents a certificate to Kendra Cook and Bob Dare of the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles. The museum has added six electric vehicle charging stations to the facility.

MONICA SAGER — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA The Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles added six electric vehicle charging stations to their parking lot. In this photo, museum officials and guests cut a ribbon to mark the occasion.

“I thought my engine was quiet. This is quieter,” Wil Hallman said as he test drove a Tesla vehicle during the unveiling of six electric vehicle charging stations at the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles. Hallman is head of the facilities committee at the museum.