According to a story from the Associated Press driving an EV might not be as friendly to the environment as we think. Personally I purchased an EV because of the savings it would ultimately give me as opposed to a ICE car. Of course that was before the Oil Depression and Gas went from $4.oo plus per gallon to as little as $2.25 per gallon. My math does not work out as well with this dynamic. That being said I take exception to the results of the story. Even though I do get most of my electricity from coal fired plants, I have economized my life in so many ways that my overall energy consumption is less than before I purchased my EV.

“How is this?” you might ask. Well I have become an energy efficiency fanatic at my home. I keep my thermostat set at 62 degrees except when I am at home and then only to 70 for the couple hours I am awake after getting home from work. I have changed all my light bulbs from incandescents to LED bulbs and I am only using appliances that I really need.  This allows my Electric Bill to fall even with my EV charging at home.

My driving habits have also changed. I am very diligent in making only those trips which are absolutely necessary. And those trips which are necessary I make as many are possible on a single trip/charge. With all these modifications in behavior I have reduced my energy footprint across the board. Thus It is my assertion that I have a lower impact on the environment than when I drove an ICE.

If I ever get to install Solar Panels I will almost eliminate my impact on the environment. I have to be honest though, this is not a real high priority for me. Again I got the car to pay less per mile than I did in the ICE. Secondarily I got the car to free myself from foreign oil and its stranglehold on the American Economy. It is merely a side benefit that I have a lower impact on the environment.

Read the article and make up your own mind, but I think their argument is a bit overstated and not valid in my personal experience.

Peace,

Fr. Bill