In case you haven’t heard yet… California is banning the sale of gasoline powered cars by the year 2035. That means you have about 12 years to find an electric car that fits your own personal transportation needs.
To start your research, come to the Electric Car Show hosted by Nevada County Climate Action Now. It will be held in the parking lot of the New York Hotel (Broad Street across from the Nevada Theatre) in Nevada City on October 29th from 10AM -3 PM. On display will be up to 10 electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles of varying makes, models, and ages for you to inspect, as well as electric bikes.
Many owners of the vehicles will be present so you can ask questions and find out what they love (or hate) about their cars. Representatives from the Sacramento EV Association will also be there to answer questions about cars, charging, rebates and tax credits. This group has been helping people throughout the Sacramento Valley region get familiar with the advantages of going to all electric vehicles.
There will also be a selection of electric bikes to look over and you can speak with their proud owners! Sorry- you won’t be able to test drive them at the show, but there will be a wealth of information on many models and the new tax credits available.
In the next few years car companies will be introducing many models of all-electric vehicles. Already there are everything from sub-compacts (think Fiat 500) to Luxury sedans and SUV’s and pick-up trucks. All the major car companies are gearing up for this change. In addition, there are new companies that are working on becoming household names- Rivian is one producing electric trucks and vans; Lucid, Polestar and Fisker are new companies producing sedans and SUV’s.
This revolution to electric transportation is being led by major innovations in lithium battery technology. There are plans to open many factories to produce the major components that are needed for this changeover. As these companies perfect their technology, the range and charging times of the vehicles will improve. Cars with ranges over 300 miles per charge will be the new normal soon. And soon, charging stations will get to be all around; President Biden just approved $900 Million toward getting a nationwide network of these charging stations. Municipalities-like Nevada City and Grass Valley- are already looking for space in their parking lots.
While the price of electric cars may seem high now, particularly because of the pandemic shortages and lack of parts for new vehicles- be patient. As more and more models get introduced the sticker prices will fall. Also, with the introduction of newer models, the price of those used electric cars is bound to fall. That used 2018 Tesla that now sells for $40,000 may be half of that in 2 or 3 years. It will still have a lot of life in the batteries and there will be a whole industry of aftermarket replacement batteries available in years to come, including ones made from recycled lithium and cobalt.
For further information, see our website https://www.ncclimateactionnow.org/