Because pg 4 6-21-18
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Today, being in the market for a new car is filled with options—literally! Remember when the biggest question you once asked yourself before buying a car (besides how much do I have to spend?) used to be domestic or foreign? Car options of yesteryear were power windows or air conditioning. Car options today are more complex with terms like “auxiliary port” or “touch screen” or “hybrid”.
Since I was in the market for a new car but, luckily, not in dire need of one, I decided to take my time and see what kinds of cars were really out there. Ignoring all of the techy-type of car options available, I focused strictly on my new car must-haves: good in the snow, high safety ratings, heated seats and… great gas mileage! This short list soon developed into a very highly priced, hybrid Volvo model. I then prioritized my short list of must-haves and discovered that what I really wanted in a new car was for it be all electric!
I do not live Off the Grid, but I am environmentally conscience. I do not litter and pick up trash when I see it. I use energy efficient lightbulbs and make an effort to eat organically when I can. I, by no means, am considered an environmentalist but I care about the health of my planet and thought it was time to try and make a minuscule, teeny-tiny difference.
As is the case with any virgin electric car buyer, I had lots of questions: How far can I go before running out of power? Where do I find power? Do I have to pay for power like a typical gas station? How do I plug-in at home? Can I listen to music and use air conditioning in an electric car? Efficient research resulted in attendance of a nearby auto show wherein I soon discovered that even though almost every automaker produced an all-electric model, not all of the auto show attendees were as zealous about buying a CO2 emission free car as I was…
I am now the proud owner of an all-electric, slightly used, Smart Car. The Smart Car will not be good in the snow, nor does it have heated seats, but it is quite safe, receiving 4 out of 5 from Consumer Reports on safety features. My little car can go approximately 60 miles on a single charge: a little more if I do not play the radio or use air conditioning or watch my gas accelerations. When my battery gets low, I simply plug-in to one of the many charging stations available, including the newly installed one in my garage. It takes less than 3 hours to fully recharge the battery. When I registered my new (slightly used) electric car, I received a 50 percent discount from the DMV for my environmental thoughtfulness. Since I do not have a far commute for work, I can take my electric car every day for all of my local, back and forth driving. Five miles here, seven miles there used to mean a weekly gas fill-up. Now, I simply plug-in. There are free Aps which locate plug-in stations all over the world. But perhaps, the best discovered benefit of my electric car is that I am now a member of a growing community of electric car drivers who share information, goodwill and a helping hand if needed. We are an eclectic mix with no typical demographic make-up except that we all decided, at one point, to make the leap and GO GREEN. Beep Beep!
Kathy Naumann, possessor of NATURALLY curly hair and the understanding that you can’t control everything!
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