Alexandra Paul on Electric Cars . NOW on PBS

Alexandra Paul on Electric Cars . NOW on PBS: "Actress Alexandra Paul, an activist and former star of 'Baywatch,' is so passionate about electric cars, she even got arrested for trying to save hers. Paul, a founding board member of Plug In America, is currently starring in the Lifetime movie 'The Boy She Met Online' and co-stars in the film 'The Frankenstein Brothers' due out next year.

NOW: You've had four electric cars. What are you driving now?

Alexandra Paul (AP): I drive an electric-powered 2001 Toyota RAV 4. I bought it used after GM wouldn't allow me to re-lease my EV1.

NOW: How do you go about charging your car?

AP: My car charges at home, in my garage, while I sleep. I charge pretty much every night, by just plugging this special paddle into the front of my car. In the morning, it's ready to go. Simplest thing ever.

NOW: How do you handle long distance driving?

AP: My car has a range of 100 miles per charge. I live on the outskirts of Los Angeles and I drive an average of 56 miles per day, so my electric car fits my needs perfectly. When I need to drive farther, I borrow my husband's Prius. But it uses gas, so I don't like it very much.

Range is the number one concern of people thinking about buying an electric car, which is interesting considering the average American only drives 29 miles a day. Here is my advice: if you are a two car family, then use the EV for most of your driving and the gas car for when you have to go farther. If you only want one car and your commute is 100 miles or less, then rent a car for those times you go on long trips. I have found most of us travel less than we think we do.

NOW: Compared to your other electric cars, how does your Toyota RAV 4 compare?

AP: In the 20 years since I bought my first electric car, battery technology has improved 10 times over. My first car, a converted Datsun ran on lead acid batteries, only went 25 miles before I had to plug the extension cord into the wall socket. My next car, which was a converted VW Rabbit, had the same batteries but went 50 miles. My EV1 had nickel metal hydride batteries, a special 240 V charger, and went 120 miles per charge. My current car runs on that same 15 year old technology. Today, the cars being built use lithium-ion batteries, which have the ability to go many more miles on a charge. The Tesla has a range of 240 miles and charges in 3 1/2 hours. Even faster charging batteries are expected in the near future.

NOW: What are some of the advantages of driving an electric car?

AP: The equivalent of 82 cents per gallon, quiet smoother ride, no tailpipe emissions, no transmission to fix, no oil to put in the car, virtually no servicing —except rotating the tires a little more often —no supporting oil wars or oil companies, no pollution if you have solar panels, less pollution even if you charge from the grid, domestic energy source... should I go on?"