In 2018, I bought a plugin hybrid that gets 55 miles on battery power before reverting to its gas engine. I used so little gas that I was eventually forced by the software to use only gas until the tank was empty. This was required so the gas did not get stale which took perhaps a year of driving.
My car is a mid-priced one but some of the new Japanese luxury plugin hybrids get 37 miles on battery and are slowing creeping up to the point that people will not normally use gas in them either. While they are a little late in increasing their electric miles to make these vehicles practical, better late than never.
People may not realize that electric vehicles are in my opinion more fun to drive than most gas-powered ones. These vehicles (optionally) leap off the line and I can easily be 10 or even 20 car lengths ahead of all the gas cars when I am first in line at the light and press the accelerator.
And all this occurs with no drama, noise, or tires spinning so neither law enforcement nor other drivers really notice this quick acceleration. I consider this type of driving fun but also a safety issue. When I lose other cars at the light, it is usually smooth sailing with no cars near me for quite some time. Less congestion means fewer accidents and less driving stress. I have gotten used to this luxury afforded by electric vehicles.
I recently bought a 2025 electric SUV which has many of the same driving properties as the plugin hybrid.
Now I also have an old muscle car with a big V8 that I can drive if I want a nostalgic driving experience (noise, smell, vibration, acceleration, sports car looks, and a 6-speed transmission) but one or two thousand miles a year uses little gas.
I also have the satisfaction of limiting pollution, noise, and vibration during my driving experience as well as seldom visiting the dealership since these cars require almost no maintenance.
And given that big oil is one of the major industries financially supporting the degeneration of our political system into a unconstitutional form of kingship bordering tyranny, I can say “no” to buying the oil-based products that drive us slowly but seemingly systematically towards monarchy.
There is a reason the “big, ugly bill” pushes back against wind and solar and takes away the $7,500 incentive to drive electric cars. Republican “conservatism” is actually about conserving the business model of existing businesses (big oil) while using religious and social conservatism as a smoke screen to distract their supporters.
However there will be a number of electric cars and SUVs on the market soon that will be much cheaper than the current lot, and affordable even without the government incentives.
I invite all to join me in saying “no” to air pollution, big oil, and the coming monarchy by choosing to buy or lease a partially or fully powered electric vehicle when you need to replace your current vehicle.
