If there was a time when I wanted to drive an electric car, it might have been last week — Colonial Pipeline Cyber Attack Forced the company to take part of the system offline. Fuel shortages from the attack caused panic in parts of the country, with residents lined up with pumps and gas prices soaring.
Long lines, high petrol prices, and short tempers are frustrations that electric car owners like Kathleen Begins are happy to have no need to deal with.
“My son said,’Mom, we have your car. Don’t worry too much,'” she said, CBS News meteorologist and climate expert Jeff Berardelli. Told to.
Mr Begins said he was relieved to see gas shortages across the country and longer gas station routes.
“Turning on my car I feel much safer because I have control in my home and I’m not on the whims of the oil and gas markets,” she said.
For 99% of people who do not drive electric vehicles, the surge in fuel demand has pushed up prices nationwide.However, the average sticker price for electric cars is $ 19,000 higher than for gasoline cars, so many people will Actionable choices..
But Biggins said the investment has long-term rewards.
“In general, it’s much cheaper to fuel a car with electricity than with gas,” she said.
according to Consumer Reports Analysis For EVs, fuel savings alone can exceed $ 4,700 in the first seven years of ownership.Electric vehicle has only 20 moving parts for maintenance Savings The overall life of the vehicle ranges from $ 6,000 to $ 10,000.
Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, an economist and sustainability expert, said direct tax refunds and other subsidies could help with initial costs.
He said savings will really increase as the industry expands and expects the total cost of EVs to fall below gas vehicles in just a few years.
“This ongoing cost cut will continue, and the fact of the matter is that we’re so much because all manufacturers now look at Tesla and say,’Hey, we’re going to do that.’ There’s also a way that you won’t have a choice, “he said.
The necessary shifts were further emphasized last week from a national security perspective. The types of hacks that occur in the Colonial Pipeline can also occur in the power grid.
“This is a digital hack, not a physical hack of the pipeline, so there are real concerns with any type of vehicle or any energy system,” Sax said. “But I think the national security of renewable energy systems is home-based renewable energy that is independent of international market fluctuations, the Middle East War, the boycott of the Middle East, and the geopolitical crisis. It will be much better. “
There are policy promises in the near future. The Biden administration has pledged $ 15 billion to build 500,000 charging stations nationwide, and the number of EV models available in the United States is expected to triple over the next three years.
“Even if the cost is at a disadvantage, you’ll have to do it because of climate risk. Thank you for the goodness that it will be a big bargain anyway. I think it’s almost easy.”
Over the last decade, battery prices have fallen by as much as 90%. According to analysts, the purchase price of EVs will be lower than the purchase price of gasoline-powered vehicles in the next two to four years.
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