There’s a lot of talk in the auto world about converting to electricity instead of fuel, and this talk has only increased with the rising cost of fuel. One Illinois man decided to take matters into his own hands and convert his 1996 Ford Escort to running on electricity.

Joe Downing learned how to do this by attending regular meetings of the Fox Valley Electric Auto Association, a group which is a place to get together with other electric car enthusiasts and get the tricks of the trade from others in the same boat.

The Chicago area group has seen its membership jump from around 25 members three years ago to 70 today. The group’s president, Ted Lowe, says that the increase is due to the increase in fuel costs, the overwhelming public interest in all things environmental, and America’s dependence on foreign oil.

Downing says his commute costs have decreased from about $32 a week to $10 a week, and with numbers like that, it’s no wonder people are flocking to buying electric cars or modifying their current cars to run on electricity. At the moment, converting one’s car is not for the faint of heart, and it’s really only an accessible option for people with the time, money, inclination and know-how to do it themselves.

It looks like the major auto makers, including Ford, are paying attention to these shifts in customer focus and all of them are creating electric and hybrid cars to meet the market demands. They realize not everybody can trick out their own car, and why would they want to? The days of a new Ford truck or car that runs exclusively on electricity are not far off.

If you’re looking for your own new Ford truck or car, stop by Sunset Ford for a test drive, or visit the website for specials and new inventory.