DAV adds parking spot to county lot to improve services
EBENSBURG, Pa. – Disabled American Veterans now has a permanent parking spot at the Cambria County Human Services building parking lot on Candlelight Drive that officials said Thursday will help improve services.
'It just cuts down on so much time,' said John Clay, James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center chief of the center for development and civic engagement.
Elected officials and representatives from the VA gathered at the new spot at the lower end of the lot in Ebensburg to celebrate the new partnership.
Clay said one DAV vehicle will remain in Ebensburg and the other will stay at the VA Clinic on Galleria Drive in Richland Township.
This will cut down on the six drivers' travel time when helping veterans get to appointments both in Cambria and Blair counties and other engagements, he added.
DAV drivers are volunteers who pick up and drop off veterans as a free service to those who served the country through the military.
Clay said partnering with the county and making a vehicle for use at a location easily accessible just made sense.
Commissioner Keith Rager, who helped to coordinate this partnership, is also really excited about the prospects of the relationship.
'We're just trying to do our part to help veterans,' Rager said.
During Thursday's event, Clay took the opportunity to note DAV needs more drivers.
Bob Skyrock, a volunteer who started in March, said lending his time to the organization has been rewarding.
He noted that the vehicle parked in Ebensburg will be a lot of help.
At this time, the service runs Tuesday through Thursday.
For information on how to volunteer, call 814-943-8164, Ext. 17141. For veterans interested in utilizing the service, use Ext. 17383.
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Equally, at this point Ford knows a thing or two about setting up a smallish hatchbacks, and we found our Select test car to ride well enough despite its comparatively ordinary mechanical layout, even at low speeds. Note, however, that the entry-level Gen-E tested here wears 17in wheels with generous sidewalls. Premium-grade cars have 18in wheels with shorter sidewalls, and in our experience this can make a noticeable difference to compliance on a small wheelbase, and with a quite a taut, sporty setup. Still, we can only assess the car we've driven and, by class standards, the Gen-E Select cushions sharp impacts (potholes and the like) surprisingly well for a car with such engaging handling and it also exhibits a fine long-wave gait on motorways – although you won't be spending too much time on those, as we will come to soon. The Gen-E is refined enough too. Its 66dBA at a 70mph cruise is an exact match for the larger (and independently suspended) Skoda Elroq, as well as the considerably more expensive Mini Aceman SE Exclusive we've previously tested. Ford has taken its time to deliver a sub-£30,000 EV, but the Gen-E is, finally, that car – so long as you go for the entry-level Select without any options whatsoever. (Add £2000 to go for Premium grade.) In fairness, doing so won't leave you bereft of kit. You might want to spec an option pack or two for heated seats and a fancier sound system, but even if you don't, you still get the Sync 4 infotainment, the digital instruments, wireless phone charging and a rear-view camera. It puts the Gen-E in an interesting position, usefully undercutting some of the premium brands but starting at a noticeably higher price than the Renault 5, which has to be considered this car's chief rival. In terms of usability, the small battery capacity should concern anybody undertaking longer drives on a regular basis. Our test car's 3.4mpkWh at 70mph isn't poor, but with just 43.6kWh to draw from, it translates to a motorway range of only 148 miles. Public charging can be done at up to a claimed 100kW, which is par for the class, but we saw a considerable drop-off in speed from a 50% state of charge (SoC) onwards, and a weighted average of 68kW for the 10%-90% SoC period. The Renault 5 has the same maximum charging speed but maintained a quicker rate for longer. However, the Gen-E aced our 'everyday' economy test for low- to medium-speed routes, averaging 6.2mpkWh. That should give you a strong 270-mile day-to-day range. Because we're dealing with a small crossover here, that's probably a compromise most Gen-E owners will be prepared to make. Ford is also offering a free home charger in partnership with Octopus Energy and 'up to 10,000 miles' of charging credit if you opt for the Intelligent Octopus Go tariff, though only for cars bought before the end of June. There's five years' free servicing on offer too, although the likes of Kia, Hyundai and MG all offer longer vehicle warranties. Being based on the existing petrol Puma platform, the Gen-E's potential to change the game in its class was always going to be limited. Certainly, Ford's belated introduction of a more affordable EV doesn't set new benchmarks for range, charging speed or price, even if the car's 'everyday' efficiency is very good indeed. Instead, this is a nicely rounded small electric crossover and, unlike the VW-based Explorer, it is recognisably 'Ford' in its handling. Owners will enjoy driving it, even if they can't quite say why. Its easygoing manner extends to its refinement, which is a surprising strength, to go along with that everyday economy and a vast boot. The Gen-E straddles the outright-budget EV class and the more refined small SUV class and does so neatly. ]]>
