Why An Electric Car? (Part 2 - Epiphany)

The convenience store across the street from my office recently erected a towering sign to display their gas prices - I guess because they are so proud of them. At one of the workstations I inhabit, I can gaze out the window and behold the wonderful sign.

One dark day recently, crude futures shot up $11 and it was all over the news. That afternoon, the massive numbers on the giant sign began to move. When they stopped, the gas price was 12 cents higher. I immediately attributed this price increase to the news that the futures had risen big that day. It was so obvious. I became furious. You mean to tell me that because the future price of crude oil would be higher, that gave them the right to make an extra profit on the gasoline they already had in the ground? I guess for me, this was the straw that broke the camel's back.

I am sick and tired of being robbed. I am tired of that store, the gasoline distributors, the refineries, the futures traders, the government, foreign countries I care little or nothing about, and who knows who else, stealing my money. We, the people are continually being "prepped" by the media, and then systematically robbed of every last cent that can be squeezed out of us. And for what? Greed and nefarious purposes!

That very moment, I began to research what I could do to begin eliminating this evil petroleum from my life. I studied all available alternatives, present and future. I researched converting my current vehicle to ethanol, natural gas, or propane. I researched bio-diesel fuels. I researched purchasing a hybrid vehicle. I read all about hydrogen fuel cells. I researched growing and distilling my own ethanol. I researched the prospect of producing my own hydrogen. There was no reasonable transportation alternative that even came close to presenting me a financial advantage. Not even close! Yes, I could reduce my use of petroleum, but it would cost dearly. The only financially sensible thing to do was to keep purchasing gasoline at whatever price I was told to.

It was about this time that a coworker told me about the Tesla electric vehicle and the Chevy Volt concept car. Wow, I had no idea that electric vehicles had progressed that far since the demise (crushing) of the GM EV-1 many years ago. Why had this technology so secretly evolved? After watching the video "Who Killed The Electric Car", I came across the book pictured above. Within an hour of opening that book, I knew that I could - that I would - build my own damned electric car.