Where Do We Go From Here, Part 2

This is a personal essay, not a piece of upgrade news, so there is no program, rebate, or deadline to weigh here. The writer, an energy advocate from western North Carolina, is on a six-week, 5,000-mile road trip in his electric vehicle, driving from home to Newfoundland, Canada, to test how well an EV holds up on a long trip through areas with sparse charging. He describes stopping to fast-charge along the way, sometimes getting a battery from 10% to 70% in about twelve minutes, and other times plugging into a regular wall outlet overnight at places he stays.

Along the drive he passes through areas still scarred by Hurricane Helene and reflects on climate change, the limits of individual choices like driving an EV or growing a garden, and the bigger role of utilities, automakers, and elected officials in shifting away from fossil fuels. He notes that EVs can produce up to 80% less lifetime climate pollution than gas cars, and that in Newfoundland, where he's headed, 97% of electricity comes from hydropower.

For homeowners, there's no rebate news or deadline here. It's simply one long-time EV owner's account of testing an electric vehicle over a long, remote road trip, paired with his thoughts on climate change and personal versus systemic responsibility. A third part of the series is still to come.