Electric Cars

* In a June 20 letter regarding electric vehicles, a writer correctly pointed out that these vehicles need to be charged, sometimes with the use of fossil fuels, resulting in no net benefit to the environment. In fact, due to the nature of electricity production, many of the 3,000 or so EV owners such as myself are charging on clean hydro, wind, natural gas, or other sources. The writer correctly pointed out that there are efficiency losses along the power lines, charging system, etc. Even considering these losses, EVs still come out more efficient, and utilities have excess capacity at night--the ideal time to charge.

Unfortunately, naysayers conveniently omit petroleum efficiency losses due to the pollution incurred shipping fuel and in the gasoline production process. Let’s also include the costs of sending our military abroad to defend petroleum reserves and the ever-rising trade imbalance due to our dependence on this source of energy.

BOB BATH

Grants Pass, Ore.