Making Electric Vehicles Work for American Families
Recently, I was discussing my vision of electric cars on american roads with a few different people. During the course of the conversations, I explained the limitations of range, battery life, charging and top speed. What I ended up explaining was that pure EVs are going to require an acceptance of different driving habits from most drivers. There will be exceptions, of course, but for most families there will be 2 major options: Drive hybrids or have 2 cars. Both of these options will work for most people.
Having a pure EV will require a little more planning by the owner as the limitations include a limited range, often times being 20-60 miles and a lengthy recharge time which can be 4-8 hours. The 80/20 rule will apply to many families as generally one or both parents commute no more than 15 miles to work, which as a 30 mile 2-way trip is very achievable with a pure electric vehicle. This fact alone has a tendency to worry the average American.
It is my belief that americans like to feel like their car enables their freedom to go wherever they'd like and do whatever they want on a moment's notice. In the 50s, cars were touted as the great enabler of the American dream: the road trip. Driving cross country in a large sedan, filling up and stopping wherever they please, americans have always been sold the idea that cars equal freedom and success. That idea doesn't need to die but it may need a little refining.
The next 50 years may bring several changes of energy sources and new modes of transportation. Experts disagree on the amount of oil left in the earth's crust. Some say 20 years, others say 60. Beyond that there are supposedly large reserves of natural gas which can power some already-in-production vehicles. The fact of the matter, though, is that these are non-renewable energy sources. If they don't run out in 10 years, they will in 100. You can't escape the fact that the earth will eventually run out of oil, gas and coal. While we can adapt our vehicle technologies to use either oil, gas and maybe even coal, I don't believe it makes sense to keep switching from one direct energy source to another. The infrastructure changes alone would be prohibitively expensive.
For that reason alone, I believe that eventually we will all have to accept and embrace purely electric vehicles at some point. For now, the big issue is range, but that doesn't have to stop people from owning an electric car.
So what's the solution for families with 2 working parents? Have 2 cars: One electric, one gas/hybrid. It may not be a perfect solution, but it does allow for road trips and travel to anywhere one would want to go in the hybrid. The electric will cover a daily commute to and from work and does apply well to some 80% of the country.
Unfortunately with the way the world is continuing to mercilessly eat up fossil fuels, we won't all be able to have our cake and eat it, too, but with a little common sense, planning and understanding, we should only feel so priveleged to be able to continue using a mode of personal transportation to get us to and from work every day.
Stumble It!