It's about time for a new vehicle. I want an electric car, but my partner disagrees. He'd like to restore a classic Cadillac. The giant pile of cans in our garage and cupboard full of reusable shopping bags is a testament to the fact that he thinks it's more environmentally friendly to reuse and recycle than to go electric. Can you help settle our argument?
-Dreaming Green
I really don't understand what the problem is. Are you having difficulty deciding what car to buy, or is it your partner's recycling "collection"?
Since most people in this country are accustomed to plugging-in their cars at night anyway, it's not a huge stretch to go completely electric. Heck, growing up on the Canadian prairie, I thought we had an electric car.
I'm sure your friends and family, not to mention readers of this column, will be more than vocal on the pros and cons of electric cars. But reviewing some of the basics may help you sort out your dilemma.
Vaughan and Cato try to separate the best from the rest in these gas-alternative vehicles
The BP disaster notwithstanding, we all know the supply of oil is limited. Who's to say reusing an old vehicle is the most eco-friendly way to go? Sure, with restoration you won't have the massive energy requirement of producing a new vehicle. But how does that stack up against the expenditure of resources necessary to facilitate electric cars?
We all know electricity to recharge batteries doesn't come from the energy fairy. Electricity comes from fossil fuels, hydroelectric dams, nuclear power facilities, wind farms, solar panels, tidal and geothermal sources. All energy has some environmental impact, though some sources are arguably cleaner than others. The environmental benefit of driving an electric car depends on how clean your power is.
The upside of electric vehicles includes zero emissions, and simpler, less expensive day-to-day maintenance. However, because they're largely computerized and self-contained, there's little room for the home mechanic. Electric cars are not susceptible to rising gas prices, and they're beautifully quiet - to the point of providing no audible warning to cyclists and pedestrians. When it comes to performance, the beauty of an electric is maximum torque when starting out at zero RPM.
Electric cars may well be the way of the future, albeit a future that could have been realized much sooner. In 1905, a third of all vehicles on the road were electric. If you want to live in a polluted dystopia, that's your business. It's nice to think of a cleaner future, where we could all make a smaller a footprint and avoid choking ourselves to death with carbon monoxide. We might even preserve the polar bear habitat.
On the downside, running out of power on a motorway is a common concern with electric vehicles. But how is that different than running out of gas? Anyone careless enough to run out of gas deserves to hitchhike into town for a jerry can, or pay for roadside assistance. A valid concern with electric cars is the cost of a battery, and its lifespan. What happens when a battery eventually expires, and then, how to dispose of it? These are some of the questions to be answered before you decide whether restoring an old car is the right idea.
The number of electric choices are growing. This fall, for example, the Nissan Leaf will join the electric vehicle lineup. Tesla and Toyota have formed a partnership to produce a fully electric RAV4 by 2012. The Tesla Model S family sedan - much more affordable than the sporty Tesla roadster - is also set for release in 2012.
Perhaps the answer to your question is a compromise. Why limit yourself? You haven't considered every colour of the rainbow. Electric and gas aren't the only options available to you. Have you thought about diesel? The newer models have better fuel efficiency than most hybrids. They're sexier, and, everyone's doing it in Europe.
Also, a select group of enthusiasts are converting their cars to electric. If you decide to restore that classic Caddy, why not make it an electric conversion? Old Caddies are certainly large and sturdy enough to handle the extra weight. Your partner would get a visually correct restoration, you'd get peace of mind driving an electric, and the world would have two less gassholes.