Following a near fatal car crash over 15 years ago and also realising just how dirty the oil industry is (in so many ways), I decided to stop driving and have avoided it ever since. Now though, I am being forced to change my position on that and am discovering a whole new world of electric cars that make the transition more enjoyable.
My memories of cars are mostly mixed in with stress - my dad was a car mechanic for his whole career and so I rode around in many, many different cars - though generally with the understanding there was something wrong with them that needed to be fixed. When I started driving aged 17, I mostly used my car for travelling to college, then university and then just for commuting to work in London and elsewhere. None of this was really much fun and so when I nearly died after being hit by a heavy truck at high speed on my way home from work - I was ready to look for alternatives.
Not long after that, I inherited a replacement car and ended up running several speed cameras in a short space of time, leading me to be threatened with 'losing my license'. This was around the time that I was learning about the legal/lawful system in Britain and how 'driving licenses' are just another scam that replaces an inherent right to travel with a controlled 'license' whereby your actual right is given away to someone else! I was not happy about this and considered my license to be a trap. However, I also knew that driving without a license, while possible if you know the intricacies and language of the 'legal system' is itself a stressful thing to do and I was not ready for that. In the end I 'cancelled' my license (which the government agency involved claimed could not be done) and that was that.
When I stopped driving I felt good at no longer being forced to pay into the oil industry and it's almost endless funding of war and just about everything that I want to remove from the Earth. So many problems begin and end with our unhealthy obsession with 'ancient dead life forms' (aka oil) that anything we can do to change the situation is of great help. Even just stopping driving a petrol car and using public transport is a step in the right direction.
Now though, I am informed that the bus service to my village may be stopped completely soon, forcing me to rethink my situation. Having now looked around at the range of electric cars that are available (totally electric), I am inspired to go ahead and buy one. Check out some of the benefits in Britain for electric car owners:
- No Road Tax To Pay For Electric Cars (the most efficient/clean ones).
- 'Fuel' is roughly 25% of the price per mile of petrol cars.
- No 'Congestion Charge' Fees For Drivers in Central London.
Plus, all the other benefits, such as zero pollution while driving, almost silent motors/running & quick acceleration.
The only downsides I am aware of are that the cars rely on charging points since they typically have a range of around 100 miles per charge (some more expensive cars can do over 400 miles per charge) and that the charging can take over 30 minutes.
Considering that we already have solar panels on our home, the possibility exists to essentially travel with zero fuel and tax costs! That's an evolutionary step I can't deny or ignore for long!
What cars are available?
Many of the well known car manufacturers already have electric models available - including a VW Golf, Tesla's awesome range of top end cars of various kinds, Nissan, BMW, Renault, Mitsubishi and even a Jaguar is soon to be released too.
- VW e-Golf
- Tesla Model X
- Nissan Leaf
The prices range from about £3000-4000 for a used car from the cheaper end of things - up to around £200,000 for a top end Tesla sports car (the fastest car on the road AFAIK).
This pretty much means that if you choose the cheapest option, it might end up costing no more than a bus pass to run your own car!
Where to charge your car?
Most charging occurs at home, so you would have a charging kit that you can leave on overnight or during peak sunshine hours if you run solar panels. Beyond that, for longer trips, an entire network of charging points already exists across Britain and much of our world.
Zap-Map provides an easy way to locate the various kinds of charging spots that exist, plus some cars have onboard computer systems that use GPS to plot your route for you to ensure you can always reach charging points when necessary.
Charging can take between 20 minutes and a couple of hours, depending on the parameters involved and the type of charger being used. Tesla cars can use Tesla's own Supercharger units that can be found across the country and which help support the longer range that Teslas are typically capable of.
Got Any Tips?
Do you own an all electric car? Got any tips for me and any one else thinking about buying one? I'd love to hear from you!
Wishing you well,
Ura Soul
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