The Electric Vehicle Boom
Here’s a story that’s bound to churn up the dialog we often have here about the eco-viability of electric transportation. The U.S. federal government is investing mightily into the charging infrastructure, as a tool to stimulate EV sales and displace internal combustion engines.
Yes, this means a slight increase in coal consumption for a short period of time, but increasingly, EVs are charged with solar PV, and coal is being aggressively phased out (given that Trump loses).
The electric vehicle boom finally reach the doorstep of reality for my wife and I. After 118K on our minivan and some issues with check engine lights we decided to check out the EV world and more specifically the Chevy Volt. I loved it. The reduced cargo capacity was a small price to pay for the stratospheric fuel economy on short trips. But, my wife with 2 artificial hips and arthritis would have nothing to do with it. On thinking it through a bit more, I concluded that I myself may have mobility issues long before we put another 118k on any vehicle. So, we looked at larger vehicles and decided on a Toyota Avalon hybrid. It gets EPA 40 mpg city and 39 mpg highway. This almost double what we got on the minivan. We still had to sacrifice load capacity but ease of access, seating comfort, smoothness of ride and economy of operation have made it a great deal. Twenty or thirty years ago old people looking for comfortable transportation would have been choosing a big Buick or maybe a Cadillac weighing 3 tons with a V-8 engine and maybe 20 mpg on the highway. So progress is being made. The biggest advance IMO would be adoption of a hybrid diesel for 18 wheeler long haul trucks. Of course I would rather see a SNAP type or generation4 Thorium reactor powering our commercial fleet but that is still in the Dream stage.
Thanks for this very interesting story. Yes, progress is being made, indeed.
Hi Larry,
Congratulations on buying your first step into EV technology. I know you’ll just love no more idling at traffic lights, etc 🙂
I’m currently touring New Zealand for 32 days and I’m driving the same model, so I know you will really enjoy your new car.
Other alternatives include the Lexus range of hybrids (all great cars) and the Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid.
Did you consider investing in a Tesla? The all electric Tesla’s range is more than adequate for most folk, and both models are very roomy, and it’s an all American automobile.
Once again, congratulations.
It is an impressively extensive list of changes. Most if not all seem to be executive branch rather than legislative decisions. This may create funding problems down the road.
I also noticed the reliance upon private industry. Because we are dependent upon private funding “stakeholders” seem to be getting a first say about the direction we are heading. But I am plagued by a study conducted that made it clear that the cheapest method to implement ev transportation was collectively by electrifying the roadways rather than many private charging stations. http://phys.org/news/2012-02-wireless-power-revolutionize-highway.html Because we can’t act cooperatively we will all pay a little more. Such may be the price of our sense of independence.
Yes Marco, on paper, I considered the all electric vehicles that are included, especially the Tesla. The range would be adequate for most of our driving but twice a year we make the Wisconsin to Texas migration and charging would become a necessity each night. I know that there are charging stations available and some motels let you run an extension cord from your room to the vehicle. But, I do not want to be tied to a fixed route and certain motels along the way. We travel a different route each time. So, it’s not exactly range anxiety but our reluctance to take that plunge all the way into a pure EV is due to the presently limited charging availability which limits our trip flexibility.