Drive luxury cars in Florida

By Robert F. Stonerock, Jr., M.D., President of FREA

I have to tell you, I have never stopped being in awe of the many great things about driving an electric car. For sure, there is “another side to the coin, ” but for me the favorable aspects of an electric car greatly outweigh those of a conventional internal combustion vehicle. I’ll elaborate on this shortly.

Paradoxically, even though I do not prefer internal combustion technology, I chose to drive a Chevrolet Volt. However, I do have a well-considered rationale. I am illogically vulnerable to range anxiety, and my pattern of driving includes the possibility of some spontaneity. An on-board generator eliminates the worry about running out of juice in the middle of an off-the-cuff excursion. Also, for years I have liked the concept of an electric car with an on-board back-up generator, so the Volt simply fulfilled my dream. I have to concede to the fact that the Volt’s generator uses gasoline-fired internal combustion, but I consider this an interim step until fuel cells become standard or until biodiesel or renewable hydrogen generators become available. In choosing a Volt, I felt I was enabling the industry to proceed in developing these final solutions for an unlimited range plus a zero carbon footprint. For sure, it’s important to develop less expensive, higher-capacity batteries. When that day comes, there will be a wonderful choice between a pure electric vehicle versus one with a back-up generator that runs on renewable energy. I’ll be loving it when that day comes, and I think we are rapidly heading in that direction.