Jack Horner’s analysis of electric vehicles makes unfortunate assumptions that lead to incorrect impressions.
He says that electric vehicles are “not well-suited for driving more than 250 miles per day,” then analyzes the Chevy Bolt, an otherwise fine car that’s marginal for cross-country trips because of slow charging.
The Tesla Model Y owner easily covers 600-700 miles in a day, with charging adding about 10 percent to travel time. Charging stops are 20-40 minutes, nowhere near the 2.5 hours that Horner cites.
Charging costs are far less than the 10 cents per mile he states. Even using his inflated assumption of 15 cents per kWh (the current Jemez Mountains Electric Cooperative residential rate is about 10 cents), given the over four miles that we travel per kWh, the correct number is under 4 cents per mile (our home solar electric system brings it down to under a penny a mile).
His stated cost of $3,000 for a home charger is high. Our two chargers each cost about $500. Installation of a new 240 volt circuit, if necessary, should cost perhaps another $500.
But the most important thing to understand is that the world of electric vehicles is progressing rapidly. Tesla is expanding their charging network three times its current size in the next two years, and other networks are increasing similarly. Annual electric vehicle sales are increasing 50 percent per year, and costs decrease as production volume increases. Before long, expect electric vehicle to be cheaper than their gasoline competitors in every category.
Please, Rio Grande SUN, readers deserve better coverage than this.
Chuck Wright
Dixon