A Tale of Two Vehicles

Denver, Colorado

As I stated last week in my first post on this new blog, I want to explore ways in which we can do something about the climate crisis as individuals.  I’m going to start out by getting really personal – looking at the vehicles we drive.  For some of us, the choice of a vehicle ranks up there with the choice of romantic partners, particularly with younger guys.  So I realize I’m on slippery footing here and may piss you off by messing around in your garage. 

At first glance, it seems like we could go a long way toward addressing the climate crisis if we all just switched immediately from gasoline (or diesel) powered vehicles to electrics (EVs).  But I’m afraid it’s not that simple. 

Is this the answer to the climate crisis?  Well, maybe not exactly.  Photo source:   https://performancedrive.com.au/2016-tesla-model-s-facelift-revealed-updated-design-1309/

 

Those people who have given much thought as to what to do about their gas-guzzlers (and face it, we’re all guzzling whether our vehicles get 10 mpg or 50), are probably concerned about the impacts of driving on the climate crisis.  They would like to do the “right thing” but are facing some dilemmas.  Let me present a couple friends who typify the problems faced by those of us who give a damn about the future of our planet. 

First, there’s my friend, Dan, who purchased a new Toyota Camry Hybrid sedan in 2014.  He felt he was being a good guy by buying a hybrid that gets 40 mpg (it’s not a plug-in which was not available from Toyota at the time).  It’s a nice, comfortable car which now has close to 75,000 miles on the odometer.  It got him to work every day before he retired and now gets him around town and up to the Colorado mountains on a regular basis.  Dan doesn’t take many long trips – occasionally to southwestern Colorado or northern California to see family.

Does Dan plan to trade in his 9-year-old Camry on an EV soon?  No way – he’s thrifty and says he will drive his Camry until it dies or until he does.  For one thing, a new EV would be expensive and he sees no reason to shell out money when he has a good car that has had no repair or maintenance issues. 

Beyond the expense of a new car, were Dan to trade in his Camry, someone else would buy it and continue driving it so it’s not as if it would stop emitting greenhouse gases.  Plus, consider the environmental impacts of producing the new EV that Dan would buy.  The manufacturing process would take lots of energy (probably generated from carbon-based sources) and raw materials.  The latter would include lithium, cobalt, and nickel for the battery which have significant environmental impacts on the areas where they are mined.

The second example involves my friends, Chris and “Zerlinacat” (obviously an alias!), a couple that owns a 1999 Toyota Forerunner 4-wheel-drive SUV.  The ol’ beast has logged nearly 400,000 miles for them including on bad roads in the Colorado mountains and in Utah canyon country.  They used to use it for work; now they take long trips to Arizona and back in the winter.  The Forerunner has had no problems except for a recent $3000 replacement of their cooling system brought on by a loose radiator cap.  Currently, it has a slow oil leak. 

This couple recognizes that their old friend will have to be replaced sooner rather than later but hope to get a couple more years out of her (I mean “him” – they gave it a man’s name), if possible.  Why not just replace him now?  Well, first of all, they strongly prefer holding off until the vehicle “is beyond repair because of the resources used in manufacturing” a new one.  Furthermore, their “dream vehicle” doesn’t exist yet, at least not at a reasonable price for a middle class couple.  They don’t want to shell out $100,000 for what’s currently available and thus, they will wait until a 4-wheel-drive, high clearance, SUV with adequate cargo space is available in the range of $50-60,000.  The $7500 rebate for new EVs under the Federal Inflation Reduction Act (subject to several conditions) and a $5000 Colorado state income tax credit will certainly help. 

I asked Chris if they would consider buying a plug-in hybrid vehicle that meets their other requirements.  After all, it would eliminate any concerns they might have about “range-anxiety” on longer trips.  He pointed out that battery ranges keep increasing with Toyota now promising a new battery that will get 700 miles on a charge.  Therefore, why buy a plug-in hybrid when it will be old technology in a few years?  

 

Judy & I in May 2013 with our new Toyota FJ Cruiser.  I needed it for work and play and there was no electric or hybrid 4-wheel drive, high-clearance vehicle available at the time.  It’s been a great machine but, man, does it suck up gas.  Most of the time it stays in the garage and we drive our 2014 Prius hybrid station wagon (not a plug-in) if possible.

  

I think these friends' situations illustrate the problems faced by millions of environmentally-conscious drivers when it comes to reducing their carbon footprint.  Unfortunately, there is no “free lunch” when it comes to our vehicles.  But here, in summary, are a few ideas for you to consider:

- Drive your vehicle into the ground even if it’s a gas-hog.  You will have a less than ideal carbon footprint but at least you won’t be buying a new electric vehicle that will have impacts resulting from its manufacture and its components.  And a couple or ten years down the road when you do buy an EV, maybe the manufacture of some of the components, especially the battery, will have less of an impact on the environment.

- If you do need a new vehicle right now or soon, avoid buying one powered by an internal combustion engine if you possibly can.  An exception would be a plug-in hybrid that would provide enough battery range for commuting and in-town driving presumably only using gasoline on longer trips.  Plug-in hybrids seem like a reasonable compromise in 2023.

Maybe you can’t afford a new EV, the battery range is insufficient for the long-distance driving you do, or the model you need is not available yet as an EV.  In that case, consider buying a late model gasoline-powered used car or truck which will get you by for a few years until the right EV comes along at a price you can afford.     

- Drive less and use public transport if possible.  That may be easier said than done.  We all have lives and oftentimes our lives involve getting out of our immediate neighborhood for a variety of reasonable purposes.  As for public transport, it’s great when it’s on-time, not uncomfortably crowded, and gets you easily where you need to go without long-wait times between transfers.  However, it’s often a big, slow, uncomfortable pain in the ass.

I use public transport when I can take a direct bus or train to a destination where parking is a challenge.  For example, I try to avoid driving the 25 miles to Denver International Airport.  Luckily for me, there is an express bus that gets me from a station about 3 miles from my house to the airport in about as much time as it would take me to drive, costs only $5.25 for a senior, and I don’t have to worry about the expensive airport parking fees.  So, my recommendation is to look for opportunities like this where you can avoid driving.

- Bicycling and e-bikes.  More power to you if you want to go this route but I’ll give it a miss.  I’m not about to take my life in my hands bicycling on city streets (except maybe in a quiet residential area for exercise).  About 15 years ago, I borrowed a friend’s bike for “Bike to Work Day” and rode 8 miles to my office and back.  I was almost broadsided twice by drivers who didn’t see me.  It was a nail-biting experience.

- Can you live close to where you work?  Nearly 50 years ago, my now ex-wife and I commuted by train and on foot from a northwest suburb of Boston to our jobs near the center of the city.  We spent a minimum of three hours a day commuting.  It would have been just as bad by car but many of our colleagues did it year after year like lemmings.  I swore I would never again subject myself to a long commute and I haven’t.  My partner, Judy, and I intentionally bought our current home 29 years ago about half-way between our two offices in southeast Denver.  Yes, people change jobs but it sure saves on stress and is a heck of a lot better for the environment when you can drive to your office in say, 15 minutes. 

 

I hope I’ve given you a few ideas to chew over.  I’m sure you have additional ideas and experiences you’d like to share on this subject.  Well, have at it!  Post your comments below or send me an email at wbmahoney@gmail.com.