Plugged In
My friend Raejean looked at her navigation screen on her Tesla and told me it’s time to plug in. We had taken a ride to Los Angeles to shop and were on our way home. Reaching San Clemente, her car gave her the information to find the nearest plug in spot and directed us to it. As is typical, there was a restaurant nearby where we could have dinner while charging.
Raejean loves her electric car and in fact has two of them, a Tesla Model S and an all-wheel drive Mitsubishi Plug In Hybrid Outlander to use in the mountains when she drives there.
She is passionate in her belief the new technologies of clean fuel cars are the only way to drive in the future, so passionate that she is the newly elected National President of the Electric Auto Association (EAA). EAA is, the oldest and largest non-profit organization comprised of volunteers who educate and advocate for electric vehicles in outreach events across the country. Maybe you met them at the recent EV Day San Diego in Liberty Station, A National Drive Electric Day event on September 15th.
Riding in an electric car is such a pleasure. Electric cars have extremely high torque power so the pick-up is both quick and smooth. There is no gas to buy, no oil changes and with fewer moving parts, less things break or wear out. Plus, there are now cars for every budget. No longer the playing field only for drivers who can afford to buy expensive cars, more and more people with average incomes are turning to electric cars and saving costs in the long run. Many states are giving tax rebates or credits as an incentive and California offers a up to $4500 tax credit that Governor Brown is hoping to extend for many more years to come. Federal tax credits are available up to $7500.
Driving electric is inevitable as our future. Although the auto industry is not pushing hard, the profit is higher on gas vehicles, more and more electric cars are on the road. Since 2012 and the launch of the very popular Nissan Leaf, plug in hybrid (PHEV) and fully electric cars (BEV) are being introduced by auto makers at an accelerating rate. California as usual, leads the country in electric cars sales with 48 percent of U.S. sales, and 4.8 percent of international sales. The U.S. is actually behind California with only 1.13 percent of all sales, falling far behind the leader Norway who claims 39 percent of all new car sales.
I have also noticed more plug-in stations wherever I go. Some are free and others take your charge card, but the best place to charge is at home. For over 90 percent of EV owners, their routine is plug in their phone, plug in their car, and go to bed. With charging while you sleep, you never have to worry about where the next gas station is. Businesses, shopping centers, schools, markets are all getting on the band wagon and providing plug-in spots in their parking lots so you can power up as you work, shop, or take a class.
Of course, there are the naysayers not ready to accept the new kid on the block. There are arguments on every aspect of driving electric, but if consumers do their homework, they can answer every negative with a positive alternative.
For more information, visit: www.electricauto.org, and www.pluginamerica.org.
Category: Business, Life Style
