Quote Originally Posted by rebeccaC View Post
I assume you mean that is Tesla’s (actually17,000+) BEV share of the 70,000+ PEV’s sold in Ca last year (1/4 million in the last 6 years).

The advantage here is California’s developing of a good infrastructure for them, building the largest network of nonresidential charging stations in the nation, the ongoing building of a green electrical grid, car pool lane access, free city parking in my area and others, state rebates etc. I feel blessed to live in a state with the political will and a strong people/business willingness to bear the beginning costs to put social constraints on the Ayn Rand style capitalism that can do harm to the very earth that helps to sustain us.


One reason 48 of the condominium owners in my building have at least one PEV is our HOA at no cost because of California grants/rebates installed (or just wired for) the chargers for each units 2 parking spaces for those who wanted them. Most, like me, had at least the wiring done for the resale value of our condominiums. If we stay in the U.S. we’ll go one BEV, probably Tesla, next year. For just urban areas like where we live there is no real need for a 2/300 mile range though. The buying market here could easily support a 75-100 mile range which opens this market to more car makers.
I don't see how an EV car would work for me without major changes. I can only afford to have one car, which means I need it for shorter distances (work and running errands) as well as longer trips such as the 300 miles I drive to visit family. More importantly, there's no place for me to recharge the battery. I live on the second floor in an apartment that does not have reserved parking. Sometimes I park near my building, sometimes farther away, depending on what spaces are empty when I get home. In order to charge a car I would have to run a very very very long extension cord out my window.

As for mass transit, I used to use it all the time but since I moved to the DC area it has not been a practical mode of transportation. Sometimes I will take Metro (the subway system) but it rarely goes where I need it to go and it is not reliable due to an abysmal history of deferred maintenance.

I actually enjoy driving most of the time. I don't know what I would do if I had to use a self-driving car -- I can't read in a moving car and would be bored looking out the window at the same scenery every day. To me the biggest problem is a lack of alternative ways to get to and from my office. The area where I work is not accessible with mass transit -- it was built to be a car-centric suburb. It is too far to bike to work and there is no safe route, thanks to too much traffic on the roads and too many assaults on the trails.