I mean, hey, we can all afford $30,000 for an electric car, right? With a range of 110 miles per charge (in perfect conditions), right? And that’s the least expensive. A Mini Cooper SE. BTW, where’s the power coming from to charge it?
A way to maintain the tradition of an American road-trip while not contributing to climate change
Visiting Colorado’s public lands is a transformative experience for so many Americans. I have fond memories of piling in our family van in Houston, TX and driving through the night to hit Gunnison State Park by morning. Family and group trips to our state have inspired generations of environmentalists, outdoor adventurers and conservation advocates, me being one of them. But these great benefits have come at a high cost, as the very act of visiting our state and national parks contributes to their main existential threat — climate change.
When we drive a traditional car or a diesel-powered camper van into a national park, our vehicle emits harmful greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Climate change is contributing to intense wildfires, widespread beetle kills, and loss of snowpack across Colorado. Localized pollution coming directly out of the tailpipe also leads to diminished air quality within our parks, decreasing our public lands’ ability to provide a suitable natural environment for both its human visitors and animal residents.
There is a simple solution to all this, that allows us to maintain our traditions of the iconic American road-trip while not contributing to the effects of climate change.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are the answer.
For some, electric vehicles may seem like a far-fetched, expensive, impractical and almost futuristic dream. That may even be the case for those who are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. It’s also probably also true for outdoor recreationists who want to be able to travel far distances, on less-traveled roads, and want a vehicle that can handle any sort of adventure the driver has in mind.
But the dream is already becoming a reality. Thanks to state policies, like Colorado’s EV Plan for 2020, that provide incentives and direct funding, and Xcel’s vision to get 1.5 million EVs on road by 2030, EVs are getting boosts in infrastructure and incentives, which means more charging stations and more cost-competitive and widely available EV options.
The author, Hannah Collazo, is the state director of Environment Colorado and Environment Colorado and Environment Colorado Research & Policy Center. Will she tell acknowledge that most people cannot afford a straight EV? Most can’t and/or do not want to. You can get a Civic Sport for $22,000, and, sure, it doesn’t get quite the MPG as that Mini, but, it has a lot more room, it is a hell of a lot less to maintain, and you can drive for 4-5 hours, at least, before needing to stop and refuel. Which costs you about 10 minutes, tops, right? It also holds its value. EVs and even regular hybrids have horrendous residual values.
When does the state force residents to only buy these? Without massive subisidies and tax breaks people aren’t that interested.
Even Tesla admits that:
How ’bout that? It takes five to ten minutes to fuel up your evil fossil fueled vehicle, and maybe you can even grab a sandwich and Mountain Dew for the drive. But how many people would like having to make 1½ hour recharging stops in a long trip?
1.5 hours assumes there isn’t a line ahead of you already plugged in. Typical Leftist mentality, “other people dont count”.