Would You Buy an Electric Car?

Tesla Roadster

Today's Washington Post included a piece discussing why consumers appear reluctant to embrace the electric car. The writer takes a stab at an answer to this conundrum. He suggests the vehicles' perceived driving range has deterred the public from purchasing electric cars. Price is also an issue, with the entry level starting around $40,000; the Feds offer a $7,500 tax credit to electric car purchasers to help manage the sticker payments. The Post piece only mentions the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf as the available electric cars. The story does not mention Tesla Motors' snazzy Roadster Sport, which commands a base price of over $100,000.

I think most people don't have any idea electric cars exist. The vehicles still seem like something out of The Jetsons, and the concept of plugging a car into an electrical outlet just comes across as farfetched. Now, in the interests of reasonably full disclosure, I should say we own a hybrid vehicle. We like the idea of it, and the vehicle's performance satisfies us. (We're not very demanding in that department.) Of course, we have not experienced to date any significant problems with the vehicle. In that sense, our jury is still out.

Nonetheless, the electric car continues to fascinate me. It's not because I'm so committed to eco-friendly products; I'm attracted to the new gadget for its own sake. Also, the hybrid has helped me become accustomed to an electric motor's virtues. Down deep, though, I want an electric car because it's cool.