By Brian Hawk
Growing up in rural Indiana, I’ve always had a love for fast cars with enough horsepower to shove you back into your seat every time you hit the gas pedal.
There is an exhilaration that comes over me every time I experience the sound of the vehicle rpms rising and the feeling of being glued to the back of my seat. Over the years, I have had similar experiences with diesel trucks, bass boats, motorcycles and jets.
The only downfall I’ve ever found with pushing a vehicle to its limits: fueling it up when I’m done (and for all you moms out there, my safety).
Well, this year, that may have all changed when I drove an electric vehicle for the first time.
Initially, I was a skeptic, like many of you, I’m sure. But after driving and riding in two different brands, I’m ready to consider an electric vehicle for my next purchase.
Driving and displaying an EV at our last annual meeting, I was surprised by the torque and handling of the car. Unfortunately, it was a traditional EV with the looks of a very small car that would get good fuel mileage anyway.
I took some jeers when I pulled up to the office, but after several employee ride-alongs, the jeers turned to cheers.
Up until now, there haven’t been a lot of “cool guy” options in the affordable electric vehicle market. But with Tesla introducing a $35,000 Model 3, with 220 miles of range, a top speed of 130 mph and an impressive 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds, the EV market is prime for a facelift.
There are new manufacturers coming into play with nice-looking vehicles with a lot of luxury options.
For instance, Rivian, an exclusively EV company, will be releasing a pickup truck and an SUV in late 2020 that will drive up to 400 miles without charging, run 0-60 in 3 seconds and have a motor on each wheel totaling up to 750 horsepower. If that doesn’t make you smile, nothing will!
Equally as important, the existing automotive giants are gearing up to launch new EV models of their own. Ford recently released a video of an all-electric F-150 towing 1 million pounds of train cars, an impressive feat.
The bottom line of all this swooning over the electric vehicle option is the efficiency standards that come with them.
As a guy driving pickup trucks that get 11 mpg and 13 mpg, I’m very excited to see a pickup that will cost $12.80 to fill up vs. $87 for the same 400-mile trip, coming in at less than a quarter of the price.
There will be some changes that will need to be considered when jumping into the EV market, but with savings like that, you can pay for a couple therapy sessions to help you cope!
If you would like more information about electric vehicle savings, visit powermoves.com, and click on the “Electric Vehicles” tab. Or as always, give me a call.
BRIAN HAWK is the energy advisor at Noble REMC.
