To the editor: Your article on the problems with evacuating during a fire in an electric vehicle had a obtrusive omission: With out energy, fuel stations can not pump.
We realized this the onerous manner through the Woolsey fireplace in November 2018. The gasoline gauge on our automobile was beneath 1 / 4 tank for a visit that often takes 20 minutes — however once we evacuated, it lasted 5 hours.
Each fuel station we handed had misplaced energy. Since even hybrids like ours proceed to burn fuel throughout stop-and-go site visitors, our gasoline gauge was steadily dropping. As soon as we noticed flames crest the ridgeline and creep down towards Pacific Coast Freeway, our already tense scenario grew to become much more annoying.
Our expertise evacuating in our new EV was fully completely different. The proprietor’s guide instructed us to make use of our dwelling charger when electrical charges are lowest and to maintain the battery at 20% to 80% of capability. We additionally realized that, even in gradual site visitors, battery utilization is negligible: In contrast to gas-powered autos, EV vary isn’t impacted by stop-and-go driving.
Additional, those that have solar energy can simply recharge their autos even when the electrical grid is down. And if they’ve a battery backup, their EVs can proceed charging at evening.
We’ve now been via a number of evacuations. With our gas-powered hybrid, our stress degree went up with each passing minute. With our EV, our stress degree dropped to zero.
Scott Tallal, Malibu
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To the editor: Implying that you just can not evacuate safely driving an EV stokes unwarranted concern.
Typical trendy EVs have 300 miles of vary, greater than sufficient to flee any catastrophe zone. Residing with local weather change means you all the time ought to maintain sufficient gasoline in a fuel automobile or cost in an EV battery to reply to an evacuation order.
By way of refueling considerations, a long-term energy outage is dangerous for both car. Gasoline pumps require electrical energy to perform. Moreover, fuel vehicles emit the carbon that has supercharged the acute climate patterns that produced the L.A fires.
That is our new actuality. It’s devastating.
Fearmongering endangers the general public as a result of the extra carbon we emit, the extra destruction happens in neighborhood after neighborhood. Pretending gas-powered vehicles will maintain us secure does a grave disservice to everybody. It means persevering with to impress an offended Mom Nature. We now have to cease.
With the present political surroundings, I’m not shocked to see extra EV bashing. However The Occasions ought to know higher.
Susannah Saunders, San Anselmo, Calif.
