A Rough Patch for Electric Vehicles

The March 12 story, “Vigil an Outlet for EV1 Fans,” refers several times to electric cars as “nonpolluting.” This assumption is as inaccurate as it is common. To be sure, electric vehicles appear to be “zero-emission” transportation. But this holds true only if we ignore the production of the very electricity that operates the cars. In fact, over half of L.A. Department of Water and Power’s power comes from coal (not oil, but a fossil fuel nonetheless). One must also factor in the energy loss that occurs when transporting electricity from the production site to the charging station. Until all or most of our electricity comes from clean and renewable sources, the electric car will be nowhere near “nonpolluting.” Let’s all ride our bicycles instead.

Jacquelyn Myers

Santa Monica

General Motors spokesman Dave Barthmuss hit the nail on the head when he stated, “Eight hundred leases in a four-year time frame does not a business make.” However, it’s not because GM lacked widespread consumer interest.

GM ceased production of the car with thousands of people on waiting lists. I waited in vain over three years for GM before I finally found an EV1 on my own by taking over another person’s lease. I’ve also offered to purchase any EV1 and sign away all of GM’s responsibility for parts, service and liability for the car. But GM would rather turn away willing customers and crush the most advanced car it ever made available to the public. No wonder GM and its stock continue their steady downward spiral to irrelevance.

Sam Thurber

Los Angeles