The call-to-action to drastically reduce our carbon footprint is escalating in its urgency. We’ve been met with dire reports suggesting that we have a little over a decade to save ourselves from terrible and irreversible climate consequences. The reports (coupled with the many weather-related disasters of 2018) made for a depressing sense of hopelessness. (We published an article about this last October. Check it out here.)

However, there is hope! While the news and social feeds continue to be littered with attempts by the Big Oil interests to extend our dependency on fossil fuel, the reality is that there has been a persistent march towards sustainability. The Sierra Club recently published article that nicely summarizes the progress being made on several fronts. Among the list is the electrification of transportation. This excerpt is especially meaningful.

“As with renewable energy, economics may end up being the game changer. EVs are getting cheaper and more reliable, so much so that Wall Street Journal auto columnist Dan Neil concluded that buying a new internal-combustion engine car is now equivalent to buying a flip phone in an era of smartphones.”

With innovations in storage and economies of scale, we’re now seeing affordable electric cars on the market. It’s reached the point where electric cars are on par with gas-powered cars with regard to total cost of ownership. Many manufacturers are responding to the demand ‘halo’ created by Tesla – most major car companies are touting their electric line and several are bringing on 200 mile -range cars in the mid-$30,000 range. Additionally, a robust used car market is developing as early adopters are upgrading. For instance, there are low mileage Tesla Model S sedans selling for less than $50,000 (less than a new Tesla Model 3)!

On our island, we’re seeing more and more electrics on the road. We will see even more this year as a result of these developments in range, price, and choice. Of course, it will continue to be critical for electric car owners to be even more involved in advocacy and education. (Poor awareness and false assumptions about electric cars are deterrents to adoption.) If you’d like to be involved in the BIEVA’s advocacy and consumer education activities or would like to join our association, please contact us at hawaiidriveelectric@gmail.com.

Check out the Sierra Club article to learn the other reasons to remain hopeful.