Sometimes, it’s hard to do the right thing. Doing the right thing could cost you time, money, friends. You may start to resent what you’ve done, even though you know you’ve made a decision that will help others in the long term. And it may be that doing the right thing might be trendy right now, but in a few years you’ll look back and wonder – was that really the best decision?
If it sounds like I’m having an existential crisis, I’m not. What I am having is a hard time convincing myself to get on the electric car bandwagon. Yes, I know electric cars are all the fashion right now – in fact, the Chevy Bolt is reigning supreme after being named MotorTrend’s Car of the Year in 2017. But I can’t help wondering if electric cars are really all they are cracked up to be? And if they truly are the car of the future, why do I feel so on the fence about making the commitment to go fully electric?
Perhaps I’m selfish. I know that switching over to electric is the “green” thing to do. After all, isn’t it amazing that you won’t have to stop and fuel up at the local gas station? The way I see it – yes and no. I might not have to fill up the tank, but I will have to charge the battery… and that is not exactly a quick or easy process at the moment. For starters, there are far, far fewer electric charging stations than gas stations. So even though there are handy sites like PlugShare and ChargePoint to help me locate charging stations, I have to map my trip out in advance. And you might say, well why don’t you just charge the car in your garage? And I would – if I had a garage. But my apartment building doesn’t even coming with regular parking – it certainly doesn’t have a garage where I could access electric charging ports. So that’s a pretty big problem right there.
Additionally, I value my time. Once again, look at the Bolt EV… it takes 30 minutes to charge the car enough to get 90 miles out of it. If I’m on a roadtrip, that means I’m going to have to factor in an additional two hours to fully charge my car every 238 miles. My annual trek to Florida just got much, much longer. And if I’m already running late to work? I can easily explain a five-minute late start because I had to fill up the tank… but I’m not so sure my boss will be okay with waiting half an hour if I’m running on low battery.
The last thing that makes me worry about committing to electric is the resale value. Look, I get how bad that sounds. I should be looking out for the environment, not just for my wallet. But this is reality, and money matters. I’m not made of it, and most likely, you aren’t either. So what happens when I buy this electric car, use it for three years and go to sell it? Most likely, the advancements in technology, specifically regarding battery power, will be such that my car will be the equivalent of a CD player these days… functional, but embarrassingly old-school. Will it be worth even a fraction of what I paid for it? Or will the new batteries be so powerful – with such long range and quick charging ability – that my car will be worth less… or worthless?
By now you’re probably thinking, okay grouch, then just stick with the standard gas-guzzler you’re so clearly attached to. But that’s not the right solution either. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing, I’ve realized. I can buy a car that offers me the best of both worlds: a hybrid.
Take for instance the Hyundai Ioniq. Available as an electric car, a hybrid or a soon-to-be-released plug in hybrid, the regular hybrid relies on both a 1.6-liter engine, a 32-kilowatt electric motor and a lithium-ion polymer battery to generate up to 139 horsepower. Regenerative braking and the engine charge the electric battery while you drive, giving you the best of all worlds. And you’ll get an EPA estimated 54 miles per gallon on the highway – and there’s no debating that’s excellent fuel economy.
The thing I love about the Hyundai Ioniq hybrid is that it allows me to test the electric car waters slowly. I don’t have to instantaneously change my way of life to include always knowing where the nearest charging port is, or have to worry about long lines once I find the charging station. Additionally, if something were to happen to my battery, I don’t have to worry about what that new technology is going to cost me to replace as Hyundai offers a lifetime warranty on the battery, the first in the industry to do so.
Hyundai knows there are a lot of buyers like me out there – wanting to do the right thing but nervous to fully commit. So they have sweetened the deal by loading the Ioniq with great interior features like keyless entry and start, a rearview camera, a seven-inch touchscreen display, a USB port, automatic climate control, satellite and HD radio and Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth integrations. Additionally, it’s a smooth, comfortable ride, so you can feel good physically as well as mentally when you make the commitment to the Hyundai Ioniq. You’ve done something good for you and for the environment! It is easy being green(ish).
Because of the Ioniq’s advanced interior and technological features and the lifetime guarantee battery warranty, I’m also not as concerned about losing resale value if and when the time comes for me to part with my Ioniq. Even if electric cars fade into obscurity like so many other popular fads have over the years, I’ll be confident that I still have a “regular” car to sell… just one with a little extra environmentally-friendly kick to it.
