Dear Editor,
Again, I find myself defending our chosen way of life from the eco-moronic enviro-twit mentality of obviously uninformed non-visionary naysayers like Roland Seguin [Electric cars not so eco-friendly, Sept. 8 Community Forum, Langley Advance].
Funny though, I, as the founder of FEVER (The Formula Electric Vehicle Entertainment and Racing Association) have been able to beat four EV Guinness Records in five attempts, and so far successfully proven two with one more pending and another set to begin.
The longest distance on a Segway, (in addition to motorized bicycle, Tesla Roadster, and 24 hours Segway pending), yet another first time ever record created by us and Guinness so that we can set these here in Canada, and prove that we are the world class leader in the game.
One lap around Vancouver Island early next month as a prep for our cross country “Stand Up For Canada Tour” next summer on our 150th birthday.
I find this mentality as somewhere between offensive and amusing, and breathing more of this drivel out of his literary tailpipe.
First of all, we are not even trying to “compete,” only to survive against this line of heavily biased thinking, because we know what is good for us, or more specifically, less bad for our children and our planet.
Despite what he tries to blow, the first two things holding back sales are charging times and range anxiety.
The next are that the infrastructure and the law have not caught up with our technology.
And I will address all realms of EV, not just cars, but we will start there.
Sure, price is significant right now, but so were cellphones, satellite dishes, and computers in their infancy.
So obviously that will become moot as this new world order comes to it.
If you look at infrastructure, he misses another big point.
Math-wise, if one were to count the potential volume of sales at any gas pump, it might be one transaction every five minutes, maybe 12 per hour, or likely more than 100 transactions per day.
This would mean that on per capita basis, every pump would service about five to 700 vehicles per week in any given area.
But EV’s will require one to two chargers for every car.
This will mean a boon to an entirely new economy, via charger sales and installation to local contractors and vendors.
Plus the cost of a fill-up runs $2.50 to $8, or roughly one-eighth the cost per kilometre as his fire breathing dinosaur.
Next is the law regarding light EVs such as the Segway and e-bikes.
Currently the law allows e-bikes to be driven on the streets without insurance, plates, or a driver’s license, which is good if the operators are sensible.
But this needs to be expanded to include the Segway, yet another pompous-elite status symbol for those who can afford it.
But it is the greatest technological advancement in personal mobility since the wheel.
And it will change the face of Vancouver once ICBC finally allows it.
That’s what bike lanes are for.
We elect governments to look out for the best interests of its citizens, and if they see fit to subsidize electric vehicles, then obviously they know something Roland doesn’t.
And they never bought my vote like he professes with no actual proof, again.
Besides, he is the one “ignoring real science.”
The glaciers are melting and salmon are fading faster as just a couple examples that real scientists have already proven beyond any doubt due to global warming.
The energy involved in manufacture does not “far negate any benefit” as long as we charge them with clean energy, not from coal.
And over the life of the vehicle far negates the need for our economy to be held up at gunpoint by the tar-sands.
Finally, these vehicles are not a status symbol for the pompous elite.
They are symbols of a new world order of thinking for a sensible, cleaner future for all.
It is not about the market or winners or losers such as Mr. Seguin’s way of thinking.
The time for change is already here.
Danny A. “Hurricane” Halmo, Langley