Follow me as I spend a year living with an electric car. For the next 12 months, I plan to write stories and keep a blog of my experiences living with and driving an electric vehicle.
Up until now, most short-term tests have involved staged drives for eager journalists.
Sure, there have been longterm tests of the vehicles, but they all involve institutions, including municipalities. Until three months ago, consumers have been unable to drive them, let alone buy them.
But there is a groundswell of interest out there.
Who wouldn't be tempted by the thought of never visiting a gas station again?
In fact, I have been bombarded with questions from a curious public.
To satisfy their curiosity, I intend to purchase a car to use as my main commuter vehicle. It will also be used for trips to the grocery store, running errands and perhaps even short outoftown journeys. I intend to report on the pros and cons and share triumphs and disappointments with readers.
I hope to be able to answer questions such as: How difficult is it to live with an electric car? How much will a driver save on gas? How much electricity do they use? How far will it run? Where is the nearest charging station? What happens when I run out of power? What is the difference between a BEV and an EREV? How long does it take to charge? How green is electricity in B.C.?
As more people consider replacing a gasoline-powered car with an electric vehicle, many more questions will likely arise. I plan to be there with answers based on personal experience. My weekly columns will be supplemented by a blog at timescolonist.com/cars.
This week: Learning a new lingo - acronyms and abbreviations for a new generation.
