Larry Dye considers himself a pioneer.

As the owner of Electric Wheels Incorporated, a company that was the first to bring a growing and emerging technology to the state, he is not only a pioneer, but also a survivor.

“We were the first in the state of Oregon to have an all-electric vehicle dealership,” he said. “And although several others have tried, I’m the only one who is still here.”

For Dye, the idea to bring electric vehicles to the state began with a trip to a town in Florida, where he saw that nine out of ten vehicles driven about the town were electric.

“My wife and I went to a little town outside Orlando called Celebrations,” he said. “It is one of those communities where you can drive your gas vehicle in and out of the community, but once you are in the community, you put your car in the garage and shut the door and open another door and get your electric car if you want to drive around the community. They are very green-minded."

Dye returned to Oregon and began researching business opportunities. His business passed the four-year mark in June. According to Dye, his research showed that there are numerous reasons to choose an electric car.

Electric vehicles are up to 90 percent cleaner for the environment than the newest and cleanest gas-powered vehicles, he said.

Dye also points out that the vehicles are inexpensive to operate, stating that electric vehicles cost 1.1 cent per mile to operate and that they are all but maintenance-free.

“They are zero-maintenance except for charging them up and making sure you have air in your tires and checking your hydraulic brake fluid,” he said. "Other than that, there is no maintenance. All the bearings are sealed and the motor is not a brush motor; they are permanent magnet motors which have better range and performance.”

Dye also points out that they are inexpensive when compared to the price of many other vehicles.

He said that that one of the vehicles his company offers, The E3000 motorcycle, gets up to 50 MPH for up to 40 miles and has a price of $3,499 F.O.B. (which excludes shipping.) His ELI 3000 motorcycle gets up to 60 MPH for up to 60 miles using the LIFePO4 Batteries and has a price of $4,999 F.O.B.

The main reason he has stayed in business is the low cost, and his prices stem from his being involved in the production, design, shipping and all other aspects of the vehicles he sells.

“I was involved with the production and design of the motorcycles,” he said. “I make multiple trips to China every year to speak with and work with the manufacturers there.”

And Dye’s influence does not stop with his own products. Among the many proponents of electric cars is musician Neil Young.

When Young needed help with his LincVolt project, a conversion of a classic 1959 Lincoln Convertible to clean power energy sources, he turned to Dye for help with the battery system.

“Neil is all about the green,” Dye said. “He has been beating that battery up as much as he can, and it is still running strong.”

His list of clients spans the globe, but he's making big strides locally as well.

“State Representative Kevin Cameron bought one of my trucks and uses it for his Café Today business.”

Many have chosen his vehicles because they are cost-effective and meet their needs for commuting.

“I have one customer who is a teacher in Monmouth. He drives from South Salem out to Monmouth, and when he gets there he plugs it in and when he gets off, drives it back,” he said. “I have another customer who is a mail carrier and he drives from North Salem out to Woodburn and back every day.”

It makes sense because cents (eight, to be exact) are all it costs to recharge one of his motorcycles - and that's if it's completely dead.

For Dye, all of this is just part of his role as a pioneer. He feels that a large part of his mission is to inform the public of the many benefits of electric vehicles.

“You have to educate the public first,“ he said. “I have people who come back multiple times before they buy a vehicle. I inform them and then they do their research, and then they decide that this is what they want.

"I believe in what I have to offer, and I think that when people see what I have to offer they will believe too.”

For more information about Electric Wheels Incorporated, contact Dye at 503-485-0588, at 1555 12th Street S.E. Suite 110 in Salem, or on the Web at www.electricwheelsinc.com.