Consider a hybrid
It is disappointing that your Feb. 14 article on electric vehicles made no mention of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles or PHEVs.
PHEVs are legally considered electric vehicles and qualify for federal tax credits and parking perks in Hawaii.
PHEVs come with a 110-volt charger that can be plugged into any regular outlet. A dedicated charging station is not necessary. The all-electric range is typically enough (20 to 40 miles) for daily errands and commutes. For longer trips, the gas-powered engine kicks in, so these vehicles effectively have no range limitations.
Combining short trips on battery only with longer trips burning some fuel, drivers can expect average fuel use of 80-200 miles per gallon. They are typically $10,000 to $20,000 cheaper than comparable EVs, and competitive in price with gas-only vehicles, even before the federal tax credit is considered.
I dispute the claim that charging at home is not cost-effective without solar. I calculate that the cost of charging an EV or PHEV with grid power and driving electric on the Big Island is approximately the same as driving the same distance burning gasoline at current rates for grid power and gas.
As our electric utility converts to cheap renewable energy, we can expect electric rates to go down while gas prices continue to rise, making driving electric even more attractive financially.
When considering whether to purchase a gas-only car, a hybrid, a PHEV or an EV, I hope that your readers will consider that burning gasoline not only releases greenhouse gases that drive climate change. It also releases numerous pollutants that harm human health, including increasing miscarriages and cancer.
Every bit of reduction of fossil fuel use benefits all of us who live here, or anywhere in the world, and we don’t have to sacrifice to be part of the healthy change.
Doug Perrine
Kailua-Kona
Stiglich cartoon
Wow, I can only imagine that the Tribune-Herald is running low on letters to the editor and thus ran the horrible cartoon in the (Feb. 16) opinion section. I’m sure it generated plenty of comments.
The audacity of comparing mask-wearing children to actual victims of child abuse is appalling and disgusting. I can’t wait to hear what parents and guardians of so many real and tragically abused kids have to say about this repulsive illustration.
Such an outrageous comparison is even more idiotic than hiding behind “my freedom”/“dangerous”/“ineffective” arguments because they don’t like the inconvenience of masking.
No sane person would play the victim of a crime that claims so many innocent, all-too-real ones.
Mary Serion
Ainaloa