Greener Cars

I, like so many other Americans, love my car. I am constantly delighted by the fact that my very own car is out there in the garage, ready to go at any moment. I don't have to share, I don't have to wait for a scheduled stop, I don't have to get up extra early, I don't have to expose myself to the elements, or arrive sweaty and dirty. I am in control. I love these features, and I don't want lose them. In fact, my only concession to greener transportation practices, living four miles from my job, is pretty much accidental. In short, I am a bad person, and chances are, so are you.

After all, Automobile emissions are one of the worst forms of pollution, and they are major contributors of global warming, acid rain, and any number of other problems. Cars also represent an economic peril because of the trade imbalance surrounding the international crude oil market. Did I mention the political ramifications? We all know this stuff, but we are still unwilling to get out of our cars to combat the problem. I am in complete awe of those who park their cars in favor of bikes, busses, and other forms of alternative transport. Still, I represent the majority by sticking with my SOV. Given all of this, perhaps the best answer to the car question is to change the cars themselves. Two possible answers are coming soon car dealers near you.

The first is the eminently green, but not very thrilling Honda GX. This little car is not a hybrid like so many of the other eco cars out there. Instead, it runs entirely on natural gas. That's right, the stuff that so many of us have in our houses for heating and cooking is now a car fuel as well. A massive tank in the rear portion of the car (say goodbye to trunk space) holds the gas under pressure. With a few extra purchases, you can even fill your car from your home gas line. Emissions are so low they had to create a new class just for this car. There are only three disadvantages. First, on a home system it takes TWENTY HOURS to fill the tank, and a full tank will only take you about 250 miles. Second, it costs nearly $16k more than a standard Honda. Third, and most damning in my view, it does zero to sixty in a sloth-like 10.8 seconds. Driving this car must be a lot like martyring yourself for the cause.

The second option is a lot more attractive at least in a literal sense. The Tesla (gotta love the name), by Telsa Motors, appears to be the Holy Grail of electric cars. It is beautiful (built on a modified Lotus Elise chassis), and it is fast (zero to sixty in an amazing 4.4 seconds). Not only that, but it is an entirely gas-free car as well. 6800 lithium Ion batteries give it enough juice to go 250 miles before needing another charge. The battery pack is charged on a plug hardwired into your garage, and recharging to full takes only about 3.5 hours. Even if all the energy used in the car is generated by a coal power plant, the pollution per mile cost is still incredibly low compared to gasoline. What is not to love? The price. At more than $100k, this car is out of reach for all but the most dedicated Greenies. Fortunately, Telsa Motors has plans to build a more modest electric car in the near future.

There are, of course, many reasons to think that both of these new cars will not make it. There is always somebody standing around looking for a way to kill an idea that defies the status quo (especially when the status quo makes billions for The Monkey's Butt and his ilk). However, there is going to have to come a time when we get off oil, and it really should be sooner rather than later. When we do, I would just hope that my new car will be something more like the Tesla and less like the GX.