Opinion: Will the Chevy Bolt EV be a ‘game changer’?

To the editor: Increased mileage on a charge for electric cars is all well and good, but the real “game changer” won’t come until a way is found to recharge the battery that renders the process equivalent in time to filling up a tank with gasoline.

( “Chevy’s ‘17 Bolt seen as a ‘game-changer,’ ’’ Sept. 13 and “Tesla cars to rely more on radar,” Sept. 12)

Not everyone has a home with a convenient means to plug in their car, and few are able, willing, and sufficiently patient to wait hours before continuing their trip.

Many drivers in this country live in apartments, often without dedicated parking. What are they to do, run a lengthy cord out to their car and hope that no one interferes while they are sleeping?

Michael E. White, Burbank

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To the editor: The Bolt is a “game changer?” I say not so.

As a proud 3-year owner of 2 Tesla S sedans; the real “game changer” is Tesla’s system of superchargers that enable S and X models to pull into a Tesla charging station and quickly recharge (20 to 30 minutes) and be on the way at no cost.

No one else is even close to this transcontinental, fast, free refueling system.

Dave Weiner, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Articles about electric cars would be more useful if you included the cost of the electricity to run them.

More important would be information on the environmental costs of producing the electricity.

Dave Pierce, Los Angeles

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To the editor: This article about Tesla’s cars to rely more on radar should be just one more warning that what I’ll call “Detached Driving” is not going to save lives.

Giving over the full control of any motor vehicle to any array of sensors backed up by an e-box of algorithms in today’s traffic is Brave New World stuff in a world where 99.999% of the vehicles are not so-equipped.

A bit like being the only driver in the Indy 500 wearing a helmet and fire suit.

Driving is still up to the driver (at least at this point) and all the add-ons, enhancements, and other driver aids should be just that — aids, not surrogate drivers.

For that we have trains, buses, taxis, and ride-sharing services.

Doug Stokes, Duarte

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