EV's are No Joke, Thanks be to God

 

                                                                  Volkswagen Electric SUV

A few days ago the international automotive colossus, Volkswagen, announced that it was changing the "k" in its name to "t" as a rebranding thrust in North America. VW has taken an "all in" approach on electric vehicles and wants to compete with Tesla, so why not include a clever shift in name? Except that it was actually an April Fool's ploy to grab media attention and it seems to have backfired. While Volkswagen, with a "k" is committed to moving away from gas and diesel vehicles industry pundits and environmentalists were not amused. The company image already experienced a setback when it cheated on "clean diesel" vehicles, so the attempt at humour was not well received.

The reality, though, it that VW's decision has prompted other major vehicle manufacturers to move in the same direction. General Motors, the other global giant, is hot on their trail. VW's share price has shot up and Tesla is a darling of the industry. After a rocky start as a vehicle maker , Tesla sales have doubled this year from last and I see them everywhere. The Chinese are making EV's which they claim are as good as Tesla's for half the price. 

Many of us who are concerned about the well-being of God's good Earth are ready and willing to purchase an electric vehicle, if price, variety, and availability improve. Recently our son and daughter-in-law attempted to purchase a used EV or hybrid but they are few and far between.. The transition will be gradual because gas/diesel vehicles are on the road for many years now and most consumers won't buy just for the sake of switching. We're hoping that our next vehicle will be electric. 

There is now a Tesla shuttle vehicle at the Fogo Island Inn in Newfoundland, which is pretty much the far reaches of Canada. We asked for a lift when we were there a couple of years ago, even though we were prepared to walk in from the road as we've done before.We also saw EV charging stations on the streets of  Reykjavik, Iceland, a country that produces plenty of cheap electricity thermally. 

I chatted with an interesting guy at the gym last year who does solar installations on homes. He drives a Tesla and loves it. He knew what my profession had been and commented that EV's are good for the Earth as a nod to my care for Creation. 

I hope we do move away from our addiction to fossil fuels before it's too late, and that's no joke.

                                                            The EV charger at the Fogo Island Inn