CHARGING AHEAD : SANTA CLARITA CITY OFFICIALS TRIAL-DRIVING ELECTRIC VAN.

Byline: Laurence Darmiento Daily News Staff Writer

Perhaps rekindling some memories of a carefree adolescence, Ken Pulskamp was having a good time Thursday on the streets of the Valencia Industrial Center.

Squealing the wheels as he turned out of the city's public-works yard, he playfully swerved along Rye Canyon Road, quickly accelerated and then jammed on the brakes, sending his four passengers careening.

``See, it's just like a gasoline-powered vehicle in every way,'' said the city's assistant manager, sporting a wide grin as he tested the limits of the California Vehicle Code. ``It's got good power.''

No one disagreed, which was fine with Pulskamp, especially since he wasn't driving a Funny Car but a 75-horsepower electric van called the Ecostar, courtesy of Southern California Edison.

The van, built by Ford, was being shown off Thursday at the start of a monthlong trial to determine whether part of the city's fleet can be switched to alternative-fuel vehicles.

Southern California Edison has been sponsoring the demonstration program for three years to promote electric-power vehicles.

The van has a top speed of 70 mph and travels only 100 miles between charges, but Santa Clarita officials think that electric power could have a future within the city's limits of 43 square miles.

Any city employee who can find a use for it on the job is being encouraged to drive the van during the trial. Officials already believe, however, that it might be best suited for inspectors who are on the road a lot but don't go far.

``Not many people drive 100 miles in a day,'' Pulskamp said. ``Most days inspectors don't drive more than that.''

From the exterior, the van looks like any other van, except for prominent lettering indicating it is a Southern California Edison electric-power vehicle.

The interior seems standard until one takes a second look at the dashboard. Gone is the fuel gauge, replaced by a dial that indicates how many more miles are left from the last charge. Another gauge indicates the percentage of charge remaining.

But on the road, one difference becomes obvious: the electric motor is almost silent. Engine noise is replaced by the sound of tires on the road.

Under the hood, the difference becomes visual. No grease, no oil, no pistons. A large aluminum cover takes up most of the space. It protects the three-phase, AC-induction motor, while a 12-volt battery up front powers the lights and the windshield wipers.

Nowhere to be seen is the large 30-kilowatt sodium-sulfur battery, strategically placed under the car, where the fuel tank would be in a gasoline-powered car.

That gives rise to an odd warning posted in the van's exterior: ``High-voltage components below floor. Do not drill into floor.''

The vehicle takes five hours to recharge using a special 220-volt station that Southern California Edison installed at the city's public-works yard. A standard 110-volt power supply requires a painfully long 27 hours.

The city plans to study use of the van carefully, including keeping a close track on how much power it consumes. Electric-power vehicles cost more than traditional ones to purchase, so city officials are hoping they will pay for themselves in the long run.

``We would like to break it down to a per-mile cost. We are expecting it to be much lower,'' said street supervisor Dennis Welch, overseeing the trial.

Officials at Edison say that experiences shows maintenance and fuel costs are far lower for the 4-year-old van and for other electric-power vehicles.

``If you take the current price of gas at $1.50 per gallon, electricity costs are a quarter (of that),'' said Wendy James, manager of electric transportation for Southern California Edison. ``The motors last 20 years, and they are typically nonmaintenance.''

The utility company has built up a fleet of about 70 electric vehicles - three loaned out for trials at any given time. Now the city of Lancaster has one, and a privately owned company is just about to receive another, James said.

Earlier this year, under pressure from the auto industry, the state's Air Resources Board rescinded quotas that would have required Detroit to put 22,000 electric vehicles on dealer lots by 1998.

They were replaced by voluntary, market-oriented goals that state officials estimate will put fewer than 4,000 electric cars in dealer lots by 1998. A requirement for 10 percent of all cars sold in the state to be electric by 2003 remains on the books, but state officials acknowledge it is subject to review.

The auto industry maintains that the relaxed goals allow more time to create an affordable battery that will go farther between charges - something auto manufacturers believe is critical to consumer acceptance.

While Edison and other electricity companies futilely fought to keep the 1998 quota, James said the air board's decision will not slow the company's fleet-test program.

Additional vehicles of all types are being purchased in an effort by Edison to prepare for mass use of electric vehicles, which will get a boost in several months when General Motors releases the EV-1.

To be sold through Saturn dealerships, the two-seat sports car features a top speed ranging from 70 to 90 mph but takes just a few hours to recharge, James said.

Other manufacturers are planning to release a variety of electric vehicles, while research continues on an advanced battery with a 200-mile range per charging.

``They are not golf carts, these things,'' she said.

After the trial period, city officials plan to borrow another electric-power vehicle from the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

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2 Photos

Photo: (1--color) Dennis Welch, left, Santa Clara city s treet supervisor, talks with Steve Thoms about an electric van.

(2--color) Santa Clarita city officials Ken Pulskamp, left, and Steve Thoms charge up an electric van.

Tom Mendoza/Daily News