A few weeks ago, the EV folks on social media joined together to sing the scorn of a German engineering firm’s “Hyper Hybrid” — a modified Tesla with a reduced battery pack and a small range extender under the hood instead of a frunk. “Why fix what isn’t broken?” some asked. The general consensus was that battery EVs are the answer, while plug-in hybrids are a step backward. It’s not that simple, though.
Back in 2015, when we shopped EVs and then leased a Nissan Leaf, we were the primary EV educators up to the point of sale, not the salespeople. Even during the test drive, we had more knowledge. Our grasp on the function and reality of electric cars seemed to overwhelm the salesperson. We passionately emphasized why we wanted an electric car. Our sales person remained less than enthusiastic.
I drive a used EV. It’s the best car I’ve ever driven. The most energy efficient, lightest footprint vehicle (except my bicycle) I’ve owned, and I love the instant torque. It is smooth and safe. Best of all — it does not smell like gas vehicles, which give me headaches.
As electric cars become more common sights on the roads (mostly thanks to the rapidly growing sales of Tesla’s Model 3), the focus in the mainstream media has shifted from explaining why EVs will never catch on to asking whether they are now a viable option for average car buyers.
Any time a new technology starts to spread, it takes some time for a set of rules for proper etiquette to develop (we’re still waiting for this to happen with mobile phones). In some parts of the world, the availability of public charging has not kept up with the growing number of EVs on the roads, leading to frayed tempers and unpleasant scenes at some of the most crowded charging stations.
Louisiana hosted several National Drive Electric Week events, and I got to go to two of them, the Abita Springs one last week and the Gonzales one today. In Gonzales, Plugin Louisiana and Louisiana Clean Fuels teamed up with Tanger Outlet Mall to help bring awareness about electric vehicles and clean energy. I got to tag along with Karen Rudisil, owner of a Tesla Model X.
Abita Springs Drive Electric Day was held on Sunday, September 15, and was a part of the nationwide celebration of EVs known as National Drive Electric Week. Abita is known for its wide range of local brews. One of my favorites is Purple Haze, another is the holiday edition, Creole Cream Ale (which can’t get here quick enough!).
Sure, electric vehicles (EVs) are great for the environment in most places. Struggling to make a living doing rideshare work for companies like Lyft and Uber makes other things more important, though. If the car gets in the way of making a living instead of helping you put more money on the table, all of the warm feelings in the world that come from the lower footprint you accomplished can’t keep the landlord paid or the repo man away.
For several years now, I’ve felt both guilt and embarrassment for not driving an EV. I wonder how many other CleanTechnica readers who don’t own an EV yet, who own an ICE (internal combustion engine) car, feel similarly.
As every Tesla driver knows, electric vehicles are more reliable, more convenient, cheaper to operate, safer and more fun to drive than legacy vehicles. However, the most important reason for the transition to electric driving is to reduce the use of polluting petroleum products. As EVs proliferate, consumption of gasoline is expected to fall. It’s still very early days, but that trend is already observable.
