The new year is here, and no doubt a new car is on your mind, lol. However, with data showing we only have 10 years before runaway climate change, you should choose your next transport vehicle wisely (28% of emissions are from the transportation sector).
If you are a two-car family, make at least one of these vehicles electric, either short- or long-range. There are many charging options in Asheville (including your home), and you will be amazed at how much you will save from not buying gas! If you are a one-car family, a plug-in hybrid is a great choice and goes a long way to reducing emissions (perhaps 80%-90%) from driving. Or maybe you want to jump right into the world of EVs with a pure long-range EV.
There are so many varieties of EVs available, used and new, that there is no excuse to not make your next vehicle electric. Not only are EVs better for the environment, they are better on your pocketbook. The only tons they emit are tons of fun — you should not die without owning an EV! So go ahead, make a positive change for this decade.
— Rudy Beharrysingh
Asheville
Editor’s note: Beharrysingh adds that he is president of the Blue Ridge EV Club, a nonprofit, diverse group of EV owners devoted to the proliferation of electric transportation through education and advocacy. For more information about electric vehicles, you may contact the group at blueridgeevclub@gmail.com or visit its web site: www.blueridgeevclub.com.
And the electricity used to charge them comes from unicorn flatulence lulz. Where do you people come from? Better yet, how can people believe in something and yet be so misinformed or downright ignorant on the matter? And in life in general?
The electricity comes from the sun in our home. Many EV owners also buy RECs or have solar panels to offset the electricity for the car. I have owned and driven an EV for over 6 years. Recently I acquired another used plug-in EV that was hardly used for a real deal (I am not rich). The deals are out there if you care to look. And, after you have one you laugh past the gas station and all the way to the bank! The negative propaganda about batteries is more of a ploy from bots and people with an interest in oil revenues.
Where do people get these cute solutions based on such limited observations? Where is the money coming from to buy these electrics? Real people who really live in Aville do not make the monies to support your wealthy style of living. Wake up and smell the coffee, guy, and why don’t you have a cinnamon bun with your coffee? We’re all in the food business here, and damn lucky if we even have a car. Oh, thanks for the tip.
My personal experience says EVs can be an economical choice: When it came time to buy a replacement car for my 20-year-old gas-fueled transport to and from work, I found a used all-electric LEAF for $8,500, with four years left on its multi-year warranty. Two-and-a-half years into the experiment, I’ve found that the car requires virtually no maintenance: Just plug it in at night and drive the 30-mile daily commute to work for about a dollar of electricity. Sweetening this already good deal, there was a tax break from the federal government that effectively reduced the price.
I hope you never need that warranty but if you do, good luck. Nissan definitely doesn’t recommend virtually no maintenance! Take a look at the maintenance schedule. If you’re not doing all of the stuff they both require and recommend, then they’re not going to let you cash in on that warranty.
I’ve wondered what these EVs are like during hot humid summers when A/C is desirable, or during an Asheville winter when some fan-driven warmth in the car is appreciated, or necessary to clear the windshield and side windows for safe vision. What amount of driving range exists when all those watts are being pulled from the under floor battery for cooling, warmth, lights, and jungle-music for the hip people? Moving the car with its heavy battery pack is not the only physical process requiring electricity in these vehicles.
I’m sure a lot of brainy engineers have already addressed these issues.
Hi. I bought a plug-in hybrid (Chevy Volt) in early November and just want to chime in about my experience. I was due to buy a car as my Honda Civic was well over 200,000 miles so I had to spend the money. Turns out a used Chevy Volt isn’t any more expensive than other used cars. I haven’t even used a half tank in the 3 months I have had the car as 90% of my driving around town is covered by the 50-60 mile electric range. I was also surprised at how little my home electricity bill has gone up from home charging. You can buy a Tesla if you have the money or you can buy a used Volt or Leaf, or any of the ones coming on the market. They are all fun to drive….my car is fast and fun and comfortable!!! I feel like I am driving a BMW or Audi or something it is so fast and fun, but it is a Chevy. Thanks for the conversation.
According to this survey, 96 percent of electric-vehicle owners said they would buy another electric vehicle. On the basis my own experience, I’m guessing the other four percent misunderstood the question. https://www.thenewsguard.com/news_paid/owners-love-their-evs-prices-comparable-to-gas-powered-cars/article_
I bought a used 2014 Leaf in the summer of 2018. It had been a lease vehicle and only had 14,000 miles on it. Trading in my 2004 Prius I paid $15,000. I live in a net-zero, all electric solar home and charging the car made very little difference in my energy use. It is definitely a “city” car, with a maximum range between charges of about 80 miles in summer and seventy on really cold days. Heat and A/C drop the range a few miles. You can game the system. For one, the heated steering wheel seems to have no effect on range and effectively replaces the need to warm up the whole car except in very cold weather. You find you don’t really need A/C full time, but just to cool down when you’ve been parked in the sun. Etc. The regerative braking is amazing. Early on I drove up the Parkway to Craggy Gardens. When I got there my projected range was 2 miles. Gulp! But it was downhill most of the way back to town and I had 28 miles on the ticker when I landed in Asheville.
Oh yeah, the other thing is that electric cars are incredibly fun to drive. Torque out the wazoo. Feels like an old-fashioned sports car!