CHARGED Electric Vehicles Magazine JAN/FEB 2012 Preview

Page 29

car was a 21-mpg 1995 Acura NSX-T, an incredible sports car that was a joy to drive and still got better gas mileage than the Pathfinder. Shortly after getting the RAV4-EV, we sold the Pathfinder and the RAV4-EV become our primary car, being more energy efficient then the Insight and having nearly as much passenger and cargo space as the Pathfinder. When we got the Roadster, Cathy made me wait six weeks before selling the NSX. She was worried I'd miss the NSX if the Roadster wasn't everything we thought it would be. When the six weeks was up, I drove the NSX and realized how slow and unresponsive it felt compared to the Roadster. We sold the NSX shortly after that and haven't regretted it a bit. We waited another year before selling the Insight when we realized we used it so little we should let someone else take advantage of a very efficient gas car. With only a few models of electric cars available, not everyone will be able to make the switch

but, like us, I suspect many of them will find it quickly becomes their main car, with the gas car as the vehicle relegated to occasional long trips. If we can replace just one car in most of the multiple car households in the US, that would be a giant step toward reducing our economic dependence on oil, our political and military costs in trying to stabilize the world oil market, and the impact of our driving on the environment. Plus, it's a better experience to drive electric than gas.

to all electric, but millions of households in the US have multiple cars and a garage where they can charge an electric vehicle. Many of those households can replace one of their gas cars with an electric. They may think of the electric vehicle as their second car, a limited vehicle that they just use for short trips

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