I乌鸦传媒檝e had my eye on an electric car for a while now. I乌鸦传媒檝e driven four Honda Civics into the ground (and past 300,000 miles) and was intending to do the same, until I met Sarah Bond. Sarah is in grade 11 at Pen High. She乌鸦传媒檚 learning to drive in an electric car, specifically a Nissan Leaf, and she乌鸦传媒檚 an electric vehicle (EV) enthusiast, with the facts to back her arguments. You should know that Sarah is so enthusiastic, her teachers had to ban the topic of EV乌鸦传媒檚 from further papers or presentations!
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Sarah乌鸦传媒檚 family has three vehicles: A 2013 Nissan Leaf, A 2019 Tesla Model 5, and a gas-powered truck to tow their RV. Sarah says that her family tries to do things that are good for the environment: they take glass to the bottle depot to be recycled, they compost in their yard (they do not yet have urban chickens but her mom wants to get chickens).
However, Sarah says the biggest reason they own two electric cars is because they are a good value. She told me a story about their last vacation: when they bought the Tesla, it came with six months of free charging, so they carefully planned to get maximum value for those six months. They took a vacation, driving down to San Diego, charging for free along the way and staying with relatives. The charging went completely without a hitch, but afterwards her father calculated how much it would have cost without the free charging. From Penticton to San Diego charging costs $80 CAD one way. They really didn乌鸦传媒檛 need the 乌鸦传媒渇ree charging乌鸦传媒� to make the trip.
From Penticton to San Diego charging costs $80 CAD one way.
I asked her about the car they had had the longest, the Nissan Leaf which was purchased used five years ago. What kind of repairs had they done? Sarah said 乌鸦传媒淭ires and windshield wiper fluid乌鸦传媒�. I found this hard to believe. What about recalls? My Honda has had several in the last five years. Her mother confirmed: No repairs, no recalls.
乌鸦传媒淏ut this is why you have to buy an electric乌鸦传媒� Sarah explained with enthusiasm 乌鸦传媒測ou may think it would be better to have a hybrid, but electric engines are really simple. They are cheaper to drive and there are hardly any repairs 乌鸦传媒� you don乌鸦传媒檛 have to change the oil.乌鸦传媒�
You may think it would be better to have a hybrid, but electric engines are really simple
Sarah乌鸦传媒檚 dad elaborated: 乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 no pistons, there乌鸦传媒檚 no rings, there乌鸦传媒檚 no muffler, there乌鸦传媒檚 no clutch. In fact the engine is so simple, it doesn乌鸦传媒檛 take up much room. The Tesla has a surprising amount of storage乌鸦传媒�.
It乌鸦传媒檚 not just the engine itself that is better designed. In a combustion vehicle we take for granted the continual war between acceleration and braking. In my conventional Honda it would be most efficient to drive across town without stopping (although it might result in a trip to visit Sarah乌鸦传媒檚 mom at the hospital). New EVs take the superiority of an electric engine and go one step further by adding regenerative braking: slowing down for a light actually charges the batteries.
Sarah乌鸦传媒檚 father tells this story: (Note that in place of a fuel gauge, EVs report the range 乌鸦传媒� how far they can drive on the current charge.)
乌鸦传媒淲e drove this year to Lost Moose Lodge [2200 ft/635m elevation above Penticton ??]. When we got there the Tesla was down to a range of 40 km. By the time we returned home, regenerative braking brought that up to 80 km乌鸦传媒�.
Sarah chimed in: 乌鸦传媒淲e drove to up to Apex this winter, arrived with an 11 km range, and back home that night we had 80 km.乌鸦传媒�
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I asked her about day-to-day charging. Sarah said 乌鸦传媒淲e have a normal charger [i.e. Level 2, 240 volts which which requires the same wiring as an oven or a clothes dryer] and the Tesla came with an adapter so we can charge that too.乌鸦传媒� But as a matter of fact they don乌鸦传媒檛 do much charging at home. Sarah乌鸦传媒檚 mom works at the hospital, where there are free EV chargers, so when a vehicle needs charging, Sarah乌鸦传媒檚 mom uses it to get to work.
Sarah says they drive from Penticton to Vancouver (420 km) several times a year, something that would take planning in the 2013 Nissan Leaf. 乌鸦传媒淲ith the Tesla, there乌鸦传媒檚 one quick stop [at the Hope Supercharger] for lunch, which we would do anyway乌鸦传媒�.
Sarah乌鸦传媒檚 dad ended with a stern warning: 乌鸦传媒淒on乌鸦传媒檛 go test drive a Tesla unless you are ready to buy.乌鸦传媒�
Missed last week乌鸦传媒檚 column?
Dyer: DIY energy audit with solar bonus material
About Kristy Dyer:
Kristy Dyer has a background in art and physics and consulted for Silicon Valley clean energy firms before moving (happily!) to sunny Penticton. Comments to Kristy.Dyer+BP@gmail.com
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