By Pamela Sweetwood
My electric car experiment is over. It went really well. It fit my lifestyle, needs, and priorities. I loved lots of things about it – no gas & no maintenance tops the list. I loved the size, that I could park where others couldn’t, and I could do u-turns anywhere. Everything about the features of the car and the sales experience were great. My only complaint was the windshield in winter.
I did a lease, which I never thought I would do, because I wasn’t sure all-electric would work for me. I returned the car last week. I would have bought it originally, in purple I may add, if I was a 2-car household. Having it as my sole car was the only hesitation.
In the two years, I rented cars probably 6-8 times for necessary appointments out of town. I could not take road trips, even to Peoria or Champaign. I nearly didn’t make it home once after going to Eureka. Many asked about charging – I used public chargers some but mostly charged at home – without a noticeable increase in my electric bills.
Since my experiment was ending, I needed to find a car. It has been an adjustment – buying gas, thinking about service, hearing engine noise again and more. An electric car was simpler. As a person not into cars, I relished that. As a non-car person, I did not enjoy looking for a car either. It may be fun for others, but I procrastinated and then spent every day for weeks on the task of looking for a used, compact, gas-efficient, and hopefully headache free vehicle within my budget.
An all–electric car was too restrictive for me to be an only car. I would love to have an electric car again if the range significantly increases or I am in a position to share another car. I wholeheartedly encourage others to go electric. I am glad I did.
Pamela Sweetwood was an ISU student, like many, who never left town. She works in higher education and has a history with many community non-profits organizations.
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