Once in awhile, I actually do something that does not involve neuroscience. Amazing!
Last Friday, my husband and I were getting our 2000 Expedition (we don’t buy cars too often) serviced, and we were chatting with the nice Mullahey Ford people about electric cars. We have already signed up with SolarCity to do our house, and we’re waiting for Elon Musk to decide his Tesla back-up battery for our solar panels is good to go. We’re told to expect installation next March. In the meantime, we were also thinking that as long as we were going solar for the house, why not get an electric car? We could charge at home, literally for free!
I had a chance to visit a Tesla dealer in Columbus, Ohio, while I was visiting the faculties of Ohio State and the University of Cincinnati last summer to make sure our books were working for them and their students. As much as I love the Tesla, the price tag is a bit much for me (after I added my features, my car was $117,000)! I thought we would wait for their “affordable” car, which is scheduled for 2017.
There’s a problem with waiting, though. Because of the regulations protecting utilities from having to buy back a bunch of energy produced by your solar panels, you can’t install “extras.” You can only install enough to cover your current bill. So if we installed BEFORE buying an EV (electric vehicle–I’m learning new jargon here), we might not produce enough power to cover the charging. It just made sense to buy an EV now, before we get the final plan from Solar City. But which EV? We hit the Internet for reviews and photos. Roger decided instantly that the BMW EV was off the list–he hated the skinny tires. I was leaning towards the Ford Focus, because it just seemed practical and affordable, and we’ve had really good luck with our Fords. Then Roger said, “What about Mercedes?” I didn’t even know they made an EV, but we decided to head down the road to our local dealer, Alfano Motorcars, to check it out. They had two in stock, and we ended up driving out with one of them. Many thanks go to the wonderful people at USAA, though, who make this so easy.
I’ve downloaded the app from PlugInCars.com, which makes it easy to find charging stations in your neighborhood. You can plug the car into any 120 wall socket, but we plan to install a 240 charger at some point. With my driving (Cal Poly and back, shopping in town, etc.), it’s unlikely I’d ever really need to use a public charging station, but it’s good to know how to do it. The car has a range of about 90 miles, unlike the Tesla’s 300, so it’s not a great long-distance car. I’ve tried the chargers at Home Depot and in the Madonna Promenade. At both locations, the car was a bit of a conversation piece. People walk up and ask what you’re doing. I actually ran into another MB B Series driver at the Promenade, so we could compare notes about our cars.
Cal Poly has charging stations in the lot across from the library, but there’s a bit of a glitch for me. You get four free hours, but then they charge you $6 per hour. I have class and office hour from 8-12 four days a week, and I usually get to campus around 7:30. I would have to run out to move my car before my office hour, which could be really awkward given the horrendous state of parking on campus this year. So I’m thinking I won’t even try to use the Cal Poly chargers unless it’s really an emergency.
So far, we’re all enjoying the car! I like the idea that we have a Musk designed battery, even if we don’t have the long-distance Tesla. Daughter Karla, who has autism, absolutely adores the tech in the car, and I’ve tasked her with reading up on it and teaching me the ins and outs. It takes some getting used to. As soon as you apply the accelerator (gas pedal doesn’t work here), you’re off! When you take your foot off the pedal, you stop really fast. It’s really easy to get on the freeway because of the peppy acceleration, even here in San Luis Obispo, where our on-ramps are really short. I won’t miss the gas station or getting my oil changed. All I need to do is rotate the tires every 10,000 miles or so. The car is super quiet. It even makes a tone when it travels slowly, so that pedestrians and cyclists know we’re there. On our walks, Roger and I have had many close calls with hybrids coming around a corner behind us that we didn’t hear, so I think the tone is a good idea.
So if you see an electric “mountain gray” MB on campus, that may be mine!
10 Comments
saraportnoy · October 18, 2015 at 2:47 pm
Now that electric cars are starting to become more common, there won’t be as much smog an air pollution in the environment. Driving a car that accelerates and stops extremely quickly must be hard to adjust to, without having a good deal of prior experience. The brain probably has to work in overtime to get used to driving at a much faster pace.
EricaFinfer · October 20, 2015 at 4:59 pm
I switched over to a Prius after driving an SUV in high school and could also feel a difference in the way the car picked up. The accelerator is much more sensitive and I had to be a conscious driver while getting used to the new car. Switching over to a more eco-friendly car is something I recommend to everyone!
sarahdemarois · October 21, 2015 at 2:21 pm
What a great experience for you and your entire family! I love how you incorporated your husband and daughter in the entire scope of the decision making process. It really sounded like a “family affair” to go from gas to green!
shelbydewberry · October 23, 2015 at 8:20 pm
Electric cars are definitely gaining popularity, which will surely be good for our environment. The only draw back of them, in my opinion, is the driving range on some of the vehicles but it seems as though if you use the car as just a “daily driver” car it shouldn’t be much of an issue. Electric cars seem to be a great investment–maybe I’ll look into getting one the next time I purchase a new car!!
Laura Freberg · October 24, 2015 at 2:00 pm
I’m really enjoying my electric car! We do have charging stations at Cal Poly, across from the library, but you can only park there four hours before they start hitting your credit card. I have class and office hour from 8-12 Monday through Thursday, and I need some time on either side to walk to and from, so I haven’t used the chargers yet. I would have to stop and move my car between my last class and my office hour, and with parking the way it is this year, that might make me very, very late! Otherwise, I can’t report any inconveniences!
jennylu18 · October 25, 2015 at 6:57 pm
My dream car is actually a Tesla however, after reading this article, I didn’t realize there were so many new options for electric vehicles! They seem to be getting more and more advanced too which is great for competition in quality and pricing as well. I have heard that when Tesla cars first came out, you couldn’t drive the length of California without charging it which would be troublesome since public chargers weren’t as popular but from further research, they have really increased. It is very reassuring that the rumors about electric cars being slow and unaffordable are starting to be of little value.
kathryngreenup · October 28, 2015 at 10:24 pm
I remember reading an article a year or two ago that said that EVs were deceptively “clean” and weren’t really that good for the environment. The article suggested that the extra energy and resources it took to actually build the car were greater than the energy it saved by not using gas, I’m sure the EV tech has gotten better than the first editions but I wonder if there’s still some truth to that. They sure do make us feel ecofriendly though!
What happens if you need to go more than 90 miles? Is there a gas reserve that kicks in so you don’t get stranded? I can’t imagine there not being a back-up plan.
Laura Freberg · October 29, 2015 at 1:16 pm
Hi, Kathyrn.
I fear you’re correct in that the manufacture of the batteries is probably not so green! Your only back-up plan for longer trips is to stop and charge, which probably limits the sales of non-Tesla EVs (Teslas can go 300 miles). This isn’t really a problem for me, as most of my driving is around town. For long trips, I would use our gas-guzzling regular car! I rarely use public charging stations, as it’s really easy to plug in at home. Once we have our solar panels, this will be essentially free to do.
Sophie Marsh · November 15, 2015 at 2:27 pm
More and more people seem to be switching to electric vehicles and I think in future years that number is only going to continue to grow. It would be wild to think of a future where parking lots are primarily charging stations with just a few normal spots (a reverse to what it currently is). This also makes me think about the concurrent change that is happening in the car industry which is a switch to self-driving vehicles. I wonder what psychological implications of such a vehicle are and how these cars are going to change the culture of driving.
joylomax · November 30, 2015 at 7:55 am
I’m really thrilled for us all going green in the next couple years! I truly think this could happen and I’m really excited that you made the switch. As i haven’t exactly switched my car to electric (it’s an expensive switch as a college student as you probably know) I’m excited to do so in the future. I met a guy this weekend who works for SolarCity and encouraged me to be an ambassador for helping the world go green. Seemed quite interesting! He was talking about how this next generation will eventually switching completely over to solar and how much of a difference this will make on our world and environment. He says its cheaper to switch to Solar, and you stop paying your electrical bill and start paying SolarCity for a lower cost! All while helping the world out at the same time. Seems like a deal to me!