In my experience, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are better than cars with internal combustion engines (ICEs). Not to be confused with hybrid or plug-in hybrid vehicles (HPVs) — which, while more efficient than their ICE counterparts, are based on complex systems and in my opinion should be avoided.
Our family is fortunate to have options when selecting a car to go to Smith’s. There is a Ford F-150, a 1967 MGB, an old diesel truck, and a Ford Mustang Mach-E. Of those options, the car that gets the most use is the Mach-E. Not because it’s environmentally friendly (though it is), but because it’s simply a better car.
Here are a few reasons why I think electric cars are better:
The Mach-E costs about $6 to fill up — or in this case, charge up. Six dollars. For those of you who are math-challenged, that’s more than 87% less than the $45 or more it takes to fill up your average car. Better yet, we fill it up at home using our rooftop solar, not a smelly gas station with awful bathrooms.
We purchased our Mach-E in July 2020, and the only fluid we’ve added to the car is windshield washer fluid. That’s correct: no oil changes, no oil filters, no transmission fluid, no coolant. Even the brakes are in great shape, thanks to regenerative braking.
BEVs have amazing torque. For you non-car folks, that means they take off like a rocket ship.
With excellent computer-controlled all-wheel drive, our Mach-E easily handles the snowy roads of our town.
Our family loves music, and since the car is so quiet, music sounds better. Try this: Get into your car, put on your favorite song, and listen before starting the engine. If your sound system is decent, you’ll hear clearer bass and better dynamics. That’s how music sounds in an electric car, even while driving.
Electric cars also heat up fast in winter. Why? Because ICE vehicles rely on the engine warming up before the coolant-based heater works. BEVs use either an electric heater or a heat pump, which kicks in almost instantly.
Then why is it that some of my Republican friends up until recently hated electric cars? You’ve probably heard the arguments: limited range, poor cold-weather performance, they don’t do well in the heat, power comes from coal, the batteries are toxic, and it’s hard to find a charging station. Most of this is outdated information or misinformation pushed by the oil companies.
No one seems concerned that their ICE cars are hurtling down the road at 60 mph with 18,000 explosions per minute under the hood and 16 gallons of flammable liquid onboard. And for all that complexity and risk, ICE cars only convert about 20% of the fuel’s energy into motion. That’s right, math experts: 80% is lost to heat and friction.
If I’m being honest, I think conservative electric car hate isn’t because Republicans are bad at math. It’s because our friends on the left were so quick to embrace the new technology. The logic seems to go: “What right-minded person would think a Democrat could come up with a good idea?” Ergo: Electric cars suck!
Why do we judge the quality of an idea based on the politics of the person or group behind it? If Hakeem Jeffries comes up with a great idea, we should all embrace it, regardless of our math aptitude or political affiliation.
I call this Idea Origin Bias.
Not supporting a good idea just because it gives the other side a win or because we don’t like the person proposing it? That’s intellectually bankrupt. A good idea is a good idea. Period. Yes, people with a track record of good ideas get to move to the front of the idea line. But dismissing every idea from someone we don’t like? That’s just counterproductive.
And Idea Origin Bias cuts both ways, doesn’t it? We also defend or stay silent when bad ideas come from our side. Signaling that the southern border is open for business? Bad idea. Slapping indiscriminate tariffs on imports without an apparent long-term strategy? Also a bad idea.
So, as we work to make our society better, how about we come together and support good ideas, no matter where they come from. Likewise, let’s call out bad ideas — even when they come from our team. And if we do that, maybe, just maybe, the rhetoric and divisiveness might cool down a bit.
Ari Ioannides, chair of the Summit County Republicans, is a recovering tech entrepreneur, founder of BootUP PD, and serves on local government and nonprofit boards. He offers a conservative perspective on local politics. He can be reached at [email protected]
