Better Than Petrol

Phil Barnhart described a lot of the enjoyable aspects of driving an electric vehicle (EW, 12/5). I can add a few more to the list.

I drive a Nissan Leaf (all electric). I would never return to driving an internal combustion car. (We should stop thinking of the latter as being “regular” cars.)  In warm weather, I can back my car out of my driveway with the windows open, and not fill the cabin with pollutants.

I smile when I pass cyclists and pedestrians, knowing I’m not polluting their air. In cold weather I can park my car with the heat on and not pollute my lungs or anyone else’s.

When I climb a hill, my available miles indicator drops faster because I’m using more stored charge. But when I go down the other side, I watch the available miles increase because the regenerative braking system recovers a lot of the energy I used on the way up.

An internal combustion car (unless it’s a hybrid) recovers literally none of that energy beyond what you get as you coast. When you step on a regular brake, that energy is turned to waste heat — entropy, plain and simple.

Besides Teslas and Leafs, there are Chevy Bolts, Volkswagen e-Golfs and lots more to choose from. My son drives an electrically assisted tricycle called a PEBL. He gets the equivalent of more than 1,000 mpg.

This is a great time to switch to an electric vehicle.

Gordon Kaswell

Eugene