With gas prices on the rise, Ballard resident John Marshall isn't too worried.

Marshall plugs his 1981 Volkswagen pick-up truck into an electrical outlet and it's good for 30 miles or more of driving at speeds up to 60 miles an hour. It costs an average of 45 cents to charge overnight and the extension cable's connector is behind the gas cap's hinged door.

The Volkswagen's former oil dripping, smog producing gas engine has been replaced by a clean, silent battery powered electric motor.

Marshall's second car is a Subaru that uses traditional fuel. He and his wife Nancy use the car to go to church outside the city and to visit their children in Spokane.

"It hurts to shell out money for gasoline," said Marshall.

Marshall was among those who waited in long lines to buy fuel during the gas crisis of the 1970s and this influenced his decision to go electric with his first Volkswagen in 2001.

On a daily basis, the Marshall's take the electric car to their business, the Episcopal Bookstore on Stone Way.

"This is our daily commuter," Marshall said. The car is used to haul mail order book packages to the post office.

Marshall's first electric car was a 1982 Volkswagen that he converted himself. That car was totaled in an accident.

"I was in a residential intersection and a car t-boned me. I was crushed for a year after," said Marshall.

He searched for another early 1980s vintage Volkswagen pick-up and found one in Ellensburg for $800.

"There are not many around," said Marshall who drove the car back to Seattle while "polluting the air on the way home."

There are books, which explain how to convert a car, and there are kits made for specific cars. Volkswagen pick-ups are among the easiest to convert. The lighter weight is an advantage. Heavier cars would take more battery power.

The project took a year to complete. Most of the electrical components in the new car are from the old one.

The rear bed of the pick-up houses 20 six volt golf cart batteries that last three to five years on average. "They put out more amperage over a longer time," said Marshall.

If the lights are left on overnight, the batteries will still run the car.

Maintenance on an electric car is simple. "Every 80,000 miles I change the brushes in the motor. It takes 15 minutes," said Marshall.

The electric motor can last a million miles because it only has one moving part. The car is whisper quiet when it starts up. It accelerates smoothly without engine noise.

Although the car has a five-speed manual transmission, Marshall can operate the car in second gear most of the time and does not use the clutch very often.

Marshall is a volunteer driver for Senior Services. On Fridays, he takes elderly people to medical appointments, always in his electric car. His passengers barely take notice when he tells them the car is run by electricity, not by gas.

"I do what I can for the environment and be a little example for other people," said Marshall.

The old car was painted "Corvette bright yellow," and featured a vanity license plate that read "ECO VW."

The new car is bright red with a regular license plate. On the tailgate, he replaced the "k" in Volkswagen with a "t" to read "Voltswagen."

On the front fenders in white lettering are the words "Electric Vehicle," to let the public know how the car is powered.

"This is a stab at big oil companies and big auto makers who say you can't do this and I can," said Marshall.

The car can be seen at the Greenwood Car Show later this year. For more information on electric cars visit http://www.seattleeva.org.

Dean Wong may be reached at deanw@robinsonnews.com