Karyn Gattermann: Electric vehicles are not the environmental boon they're advertised as

To The Daily Sun,

Fast facts: The average distance on a charge for electric vehicle is 250 miles (about 3.75 hours at 70 miles per hour). Average time to recharge the battery is 8 to 10 hours. Distance from Laconia to Orlando, Florida, is approximately 1,365 miles. It would take almost 6 charges to reach Orlando (Disney World) from Laconia. Today, Google Maps estimates this trip in a gas-powered vehicle can be done in 22 hours (driving straight through).

Based on these facts, a trip to Disney World would take two days max in a gas-powered vehicle. The same trip would take almost nine days in an electric vehicle. While you could make it to Boston on one charge, you can’t make it to New York City on one charge.

Additional things to consider: How is all the required electricity being generated? Wind, solar and hydro are a small fraction of current production. How will the grid support this? Two days after California passed the law to convert to 100% electric vehicles by 2035, they asked people to conserve energy during a heat wave, including not plugging in their EVs. Currently, California is at 2% EV. How are we going to dispose of the lithium batteries? What will the impact on the environment be? Did you see the stories about flooded EVs exploding in Florida after Hurricane Ian? How about the story of the Ford Lightning (think EV 150) that barely made it 64 miles towing a trailer on one charge?

Karyn Gattermann

New Hampton