The Silver Volt Corporation has installed what they claim is the world's first electric vehicle charging station for use by the general public. The coin-operated station is located in the parking lot of the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel.

One of the least understood and smallest of most future-based fueling ideas is the electric vehicle, a car or truck running on an electric engine off a system of rechargeable batteries. While most people immediately think "golf cart," there are serious ongoing studies attempting to develop the electric car system of the future.

One of the major groups involved is the Electric Auto Company of Detroit, whose distributor, Silver Volt, will be selling electric vehicles and is involved deeply in setting up a series of 24 charging stations throughout Southern California. That first one, at the Marriott, is scheduled to open at the end of September. Each station costs about $11,000 to build and install and needs a standard 220-volt line to operate. The Marriott allowed the installation partly for the prestige of being first, and partly because of a healthy interest by Marriott personnel in the technology.

The charging station houses three slow-charge and one fast-charge center. A slow-charge on the Silver Volt vehicles takes six to eight hours for a full charging, while the fast-charge takes about 45 minutes. Only the Silver Volt batteries can currently take a fast-charge, while most electric vehicles can handle the slow-charge station's output.

Each station has a small, locked door, behind which is the slot in which to drop quarters or tokens and on/off circuits. Electric vehicle owners will receive keys from Silver Volt or other electric vehicle companies which will fit the stations. Tokens will be available at dealer­ ships, or at locations near stations (hotel lobbies, restaurants, etc.).

Each Silver Volt has its own charging cord, which the driver simply plugs into the car and the station. A fee for the charge has not been definitely set as yet, though charging the vehicles at home costs about $4 for a full eight hour charge.

A charge in the Silver Volt will take you about 100 miles running on batteries alone. However, the Silver Volt also has a gasoline-powered rotary engine which augments the electric when necessary to extend mileage and increase power. The car also holds about six gallons of gasoline for the rotary powerplant.

Silver Volt's current top of-the- line car retails for about $49,000 (it is a modified A-car) but the company plans to introduce a $10,000 in-town vehicle during the next year, aimed at fleet sales in the pro­ per areas. As battery technology develops, and there is a "race" on among companies to produce electric vehicles first on an assembly- line basis, cars will become lighter (the big car weighs about 5500 pounds now) and have increased speed and longevity. Silver Volt currently warranties all their models for five years.

John Ziegelman, Silver Volt vice president, is primarily interested in installing these charging stations and getting lots of publicity about them in local media. With more than 16 million licensed drivers in California, he has chosen his market well, and his battle has just begun. The day of the electric fleet may soon be upon us. Ziegelman can be contacted at (805) 497-3121.