BarrieToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected]. Please include your full name, daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following is in response to 'LETTER: Don't drink electric vehicle 'Kool-Aid',' published March 13.
I wanted to comment on this recent post by Mark Coles of Orillia regarding his electric car experience. It is sad that he has such negative observations regarding EV ownership, long-0distance driving and view of what is, in my opinion, an all but certain industry change toward an entirely electric vehicle infrastructure.
A couple of small points. He said that he was driving an "electric hybrid car" and while does talk about seeing full chargers, he doesn't mention charging himself leading me to conclude that his vehicle is a not a plug-in hybrid, but instead one that leverages braking and excess engine energy to recharge a small battery. This is not, in any way shape or form an electric vehicle which relies either entirely or mostly on the battery to move the car.
I bought a Tesla Model Y LR just over a year ago. Within the the first month, I had driven it to Florida with my family and within the first six months, also to Indianapolis and Albany, N.Y., as well as enjoying a number of long weekend drives. I have never had an issue accessing a charger either at a hotel, in a parking lot, at home — where my primary charging takes place — or on the Tesla Supercharger network.
In terms of car performance, well, I wouldn't want to go up against a Tesla Model S Plaid, but my car is pretty quick and a real pleasure to drive.
I would also point out that the study Mr. Coles leveraged from JD Power seems to be from 2021 and yes, early in the production cycle on these cars there were issues, but I, like most Tesla drivers, have not experienced any and current ratings are significantly better with the Model Y rated as one of the safest cars in the world.
We all have differences of opinion and I certainly respect Mr. Coles'. That being said, I think it is a pretty safe bet that this ship has sailed. I am happy to be a bit of an early adopter but the EV sales are rising rapidly and in some markets dominate automotive sales. The year 2035 is only 12 years away and by then the world will look pretty different on the personal transportation front.
Paul J. Mackin
Newmarket
