Jul. 13--GLENDORA -- Fred Sparling is a big believer in the efficiency of electric cars.

And now he's selling them.

In fact, Sparling just opened the San Gabriel Valley's first 100 percent electric vehicle dealership in Glendora.

A ribbon-cutting for the Drive Green CA franchise will be held at 8:30 a.m. today.

The business, at 146 N. Glendora Ave., opened July 1. It offers three different models of electric vehicles as well as an electric scooter.

The ZENN, a two-seater sedan classified as a "Neighborhood Electric Vehicle," comes factory equipped to reach a top speed of 25 mph, although the car can be retrofitted to go as fast as 35 mph.

"The ZENN provides up to 35 miles of travel on a single charge and it can be recharged anywhere from a standard outlet," Sparling said. "It would be good for people who drive less than 20 miles a day to work each way. They're not freeway legal -- you have to be able to go 55 mph to be on the freeway."

The ZAP line includes the ZAPCAR, a four-passenger vehicle that can reach a top speed of 40 mph, and the ZAPTRUCK, a two-passenger utility pickup designed for short haul trips around town.

"I look at this for things like government use, security uses, security departments at colleges, hospitals and parking enforcement," he said. "I think most of the sales of the ZAPTRUCK will go for utility types of uses."

Sparling said the ZENN and ZAP vehicles are significantly cheaper to drive than their larger, gas-guzzling cousins.

"Driving to the grocery store in an SUV can be expensive, but this is about 2 cents a mile," he said. "They get the equivalent of 245 miles per gallon."

The speed and distance limitations might seem restrictive to some, but Sparling said there are still plenty of consumers who could make use of the cars.

"It's great for people driving back and forth to work if they work close by, and it's good for going to the market," he said. "You can only drive on streets that have a speed limit of 35 mph or less. Much to my surprise, younger kids are more interested in this because they are more conscious of the environment -- and their pocketbooks."

Jeremy Snyder, general manager of Tesla Motors Los Angeles, said the U.S. is seeing a fundamental shift away from petroleum-based transportation uses to Americans truly embracing "a more efficient and superior electric drivetrain."

Will Beckett, vice president of the Central Coast chapter of the Electric Auto Association, said the ZENN and ZAP vehicles would adequately serve many Americans.

"Most Americans drive less than 40 miles a day," he said. "And most people go home every evening, so the charging is really quite simple. They can plug it into the standard household current."

Beckett said electric vehicles have been extremely cost-efficient for him.

"I've been driving electric vehicles for over 13 years," he said. "And I have 4,000 watts of photovoltaic solar power on my roof, so in essence, I don't pay for electricity."

Consumers will make an initial payout with electric vehicles, Beckett said, but it makes sense in the long run.

Counting rebates, the ZENN has a base price of $9,995. The ZAP sedan starts at $9,975 with rebates, and the ZAPTRUCK begins at $10,400 with rebates included.

Drive Green CA also sells the ZAPINO electric scooter, which can reach speeds of up to 30 mph.

"They're very hardy, heavy looking scooters," Sparling said. "They would be good for college students."

Drive Green CA is located at 146 N. Glendora Ave, Unit 104, Glendora. For more information, call (626) 893-1014.

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