What to expect (or not) when driving electric.

First off, if you haven’t yet driven electric, it’s only a matter of time. With some governments around the world, including California, banning sales of new fossil burners within fifteen years, auto manufacturers are set to launch hundreds of new electric models. And once you’ve tried electric, you’ll never go back. Fact is, driving electric is better in every way, except maybe one, for some.

If you love the sound of a V8 you might want to keep one around to turn gas into noise occasionally (although some electric cars now also offer an “engine sound” option). 

You probably already know electric cars are cleaner, quieter, smoother, safer and way cheaper to run. You might also know they are quicker and more space efficient (gas burners have a maintenance hungry chunk of metal in the “frunk”). What you may not fully appreciate until you get behind the wheel, is how much more relaxing they are to drive. With instant, silent torque, regen braking and single pedal driving both going and stopping are easier and more fun. You also get instant heat (and screen defrost) on a cold day, since the heater doesn’t rely on an engine warming up first. 

As for “range anxiety”, it now only exists in the minds of non-electric drivers. If you drive average mileage and can plug in at home (as most Novatans definitely could) you won’t need to think about charging anywhere else 98% of the time. Otherwise there are 5,000 fast chargers (mostly near freeways) and 57,000 level 2 chargers in California already, with both numbers set to double in the next 5 years. That’s an install rate of 34 per day, and it won’t stop there. For comparison there are only 10,000 gas stations in California and no one mentions range anxiety in fossil burners, although people still run out of gas. Plus, electric cars are smarter than that. If you run low they’ll tell you, then navigate to the nearest charger.

Having said that, I had range anxiety once, while driving my daughter to college in Ohio in 2015. After leaving Zion National Park in the early evening we set off after dinner for our hotel a couple of hundred miles away on I-70. My daughter fell asleep and since the car showed enough range I skipped charging en route to avoid waking her up. Unfortunately, in the dark, I had forgotten about the Rocky Mountains. Soon after passing the last charger on our route we started heading uphill. As we climbed higher and higher, the range kept dropping. At midnight, in the middle of nowhere (sorry Utah, you are spectacular in the daylight!) and not knowing how much higher we had to climb, I was starting to get anxious! Turns out I needn’t have worried. We topped out at 7,000 feet with 90 miles to go and only 65 “in the tank”, but heading downhill at 80 mph while adding range with regen (try that in your gas-guzzler) we arrived at the hotel with 30 miles to spare. Lesson learned; going uphill uses more juice (just like a fossil burner) but you get a lot back on the return journey. 

Yet another advantage of electric versus internal combustion; you have the same power at 11,990 feet (when we crossed the Continental Divide next day) as at sea level. And by the way, that 6,000 mile round trip cost $5 in “fuel”. We paid at Zion to support the National Park charging network.

That’s a long-winded way of saying, forget range anxiety. Yes, if you need to charge on a long trip it takes a little longer than filling a tank. But chargers are everywhere these days and don’t you need to take a break, grab a bite or catch up on email every three hours or so anyway? An extra 20 minutes won’t kill you. And think of the money you’re saving not pumping gas, just to burn it and blow poisonous fumes out the back!

With Federal and State financial incentives, a growing choice of models, virtually zero maintenance, and way lower operating costs (potentially free with rooftop solar) it just doesn’t make sense to stick with 20^th century, dirty technology. You’ll never need to visit a gas station, get an oil change or smog check ever again. And there are now used electric options. If you’re a high mileage driver one of the best deals available is an early Tesla model S. For less than $30k you could drive free for life and still get a limited warranty. 

So, if you haven’t yet thought seriously about driving electric, it’s time. Oil burners are heading the way of the dinosaurs they run on. Sure, keep your classic V8 if it’s automotive art and makes you happy. But your daily driver should be electric. And you will love it!

For more info, plus discounts, here’s a good place to start: https://drivecleanbayarea.org And if, after going electric, you miss visiting gas stations, go ahead and put air in your tires or pick up an occasional soda once in a while.