Letters to the Editor: Electric vehicles could become even more affordable with the right policies

To the editor: George Skelton’s column struck me as overly biased in favor of gasoline-powered cars (“Californians sour on Newsom’s push to ban gas-powered cars,” July 20). Several of his claims don’t tell the whole story.

In California, charging an electric vehicle at home typically costs about $10 per 100 miles, compared with roughly $18 per 100 miles to fuel a gasoline car. Those are substantial savings. Pure EVs also don’t require oil changes and generally have fewer routine maintenance costs.

On top of that, charging technology is improving at a remarkable pace. New batteries and ultra-fast chargers are already reducing charging times, and the technology continues to advance every year.

Imagine how much faster we could improve charging infrastructure and make EVs more affordable if our national energy policy focused as much on accelerating clean transportation as it has on supporting the fossil fuel industry.

We should be having an honest discussion about the strengths and weaknesses of both technologies — not one that selectively highlights the drawbacks of EVs while overlooking their real advantages.

Mark Winkler, Studio City

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To the editor: I’m a lifelong nature lover and have been an environmentalist member of the Sierra Club for 54 years, but I do not agree with the idea that electric vehicles are the way to go. To a point mentioned in the column, there’s no way my parents and I would have been able to do our yearly summer vacations with electric vehicles. Nearly every day, we drove 100-200 miles on both main streets/freeways and country roads. Part of the fun was really seeing this country, as well as whatever attractions awaited us at our daily destination.

What I do fully support is biofuels. I’m waiting for the time when those various forms of environmental energy are mass-marketed.

Gail Noon, Fort Oglethorpe, Ga.

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To the editor: There is no doubt that most people don’t like mandates. But I, for one, love my electric vehicle.

Just the driving experience alone is awesome. I grew up in the era of muscle cars, but nothing beats the thrilling acceleration of my EV. Then there is the fact that there is virtually no service costs and no waiting at the dealer.

I drive it around 1,000 miles a month for just about nothing. I charge it for free off my solar panels at home, so I don’t have to wait in line at the Costco gas station. If I do take a road trip, I am ready for a half-hour break after driving 250 miles.

A few years ago, there were often lines at the charging stations, but those are gone. On a recent trip up the Central Coast, I found stations with 10 or more chargers, half of which were empty.

Things will only get better as more people realize the advantages of owning an EV. Having a mandate will no longer be necessary. Plus, we will all get the satisfaction that we are contributing to a healthier environment.

Karl Reitz, San Clemente