William Walsh, the author of five books and 100s of articles, is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at Georgia State University. His area of study is contemporary American poetry and Southern Literature. As well as being a Formula One fan, he is an avid golf, tennis, and soccer player, and a world-renown sports photographer. Earlier in his career, he worked as a writer and analyst for the automotive industry. For the past 16 years, he has owned and operated a private investigation firm, World Information, battling all types of fraud. His new collection of poetry, Wild Wreckage, is scheduled for 2013. His website is http://www.inmylife.smugmug.com.
If you haven't test-driven a 100% electric car, I'm hear to tell you it'll change your life. The old gas-powered cars, albeit cultural icons of the American fabric, will cease to exist as electric cars create a paradigm shift, rivaled only by cell phones and the Internet. In time, every household in the United States will have an electric automobile, while old behemoths will be as attractive as Kodak film.
However, the automobile industry has a long way to go.
Americans are unlikely to buy the current crop of electric vehicles costing between $20-$40K, regardless of the tax incentive. Here's why. These cars do not go anywhere! Plus, they take too long to charge. The Nissan Leaf (my personal favorite) travels only 100 miles, as does the Honda Fit EV, and while the Mitsubishi i EV claims to travel 126 miles, the EPA-rating says it's closer to 69 miles. If I cannot travel from Atlanta to Athens with full confidence of returning the same day, what good is it? The manufacturers intend for the electric car to be used for city driving because on average most people drive under 50 miles per day. This means you will need an electric city car and a traveling gas-guzzler. That simply will not suffice. But more importantly, the industry's is banking on young people buying electric cars. How many 20-somethings can afford an electric and gas-powered car, as well as insurance for both?
The auto industry is missing an essential quality of American mind, the mobility of people to move about. The American psyche is about being mobile, untethered, free, running wild at a moments notice; however, as it stands, there is no reasonably priced electric vehicle capable of providing such independence. And this is why electric cars are destined to fail. As I sat listening to people in the know describing the remarkable mileage of the Nissan Leaf and the lithium-ion battery system, I believe they failed to notice another key fact of American Life: we are impatient. Americans will not wait 12 hours to charge a battery only to drive 100 miles. Nissan is not alone -- the other manufacturers missed this important point, too. What am I supposed to do after I drive 60 miles, get a hotel while my car charges just so I may return home. The Ford Focus claims to obtain a full charge in 3 to 4 hour; Honda Fit EV in 6 to 12 hours; and, the Leaf in about 8 hours. Are they crazy? No one will invest $30,000 for this. Moreover, Mitsubishi must think we are idiots, claiming their battery will be 80% charged in 30 minutes at a Public Quick-charge Station. I doubt their claim because by Mitsubishi's own admission, their vehicle at 120 volts takes 22.5 hours to fully charge, or half that at 240 volts. Big deal! Just plug in at your house and wait forever! But don't despair. Better mileage is obtainable as seen with the $110,000 Tesla Roadster -- 245 miles and a 3.5 hour charge time. Of course, few can afford it.
As manufacturers vie for position, they must do this: build a vehicle with a range of no less than 300 miles with a charge time of no more than 15 minutes. When this happens, I will be first in line for my new Nissan. If they produce such as system, the electric car will prosper. Remember when cell phone batteries were the size of a city phone book and as powerful as two Dixie Cups and a string? That wasn't good enough and people demanded a better product. There is an electric vehicle just over the hill, a car with power enough for a coast to coast vacation so keep your eyes open on the future. It's coming.
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