In April, the President Joe Biden administration announced a fifth round of Alternative Fuel Corridor designations, which recognize highway segments with infrastructure plans to allow travel on alternative fuels, such as electricity for electric vehicles.
With potential changes coming to the nation’s electric vehicle infrastructure, the Banner News asked Columbia County residents for their opinions on electric vehicles with a survey.
“I have definitely considered it. I drive to El Dorado for work and the gas for that adds up week after week. Right now though, the price of a base model electric vehicle is just too high,” wrote Allen Bradshaw.
Bradshaw stated his only concern with electric vehicles is that the rural nature of Columbia County might cause charging to be an issue.
“What will happen when those lithium batteries start to go bad? All batteries have a life,” wrote William Young.
Young wrote that he has not considered purchasing an electric vehicle, stating that EVs are not a practical means of transportation.
“I hate going to the gas station, and I’m the type that will say ‘Oh, I’ll get gas tomorrow’ then run out of gas on the way to work because I forgot to get gas like I said I would. It would be awfully convenient to just plug in at home,” wrote Bonnie Keith.
Keith wrote that she had concerns about electric bills potentially costing more than her gas consumption, and being unable to travel if the electricity at her home is out for an extended period.
“(It’s) not worth the price for what you get. It still requires an electrical source produced by hydroelectricity or fossil fuel,” wrote Jerry Williams.
Williams wrote that he had concerns about the extra load the vehicles could put on the electrical grid and pollution caused by mining materials for the batteries and their disposal.
Twelve local residents responded to the survey, with the majority of respondents sharing similar views.
Asked if they would purchase gas vehicles, even if the cost became significantly higher than EVs, five respondents elected to switch to electric while seven chose to remain with gas vehicles. When it came to the type of vehicle, respondents preferred SUVs over other styles, with half choosing SUVs over sedans, trucks and other vehicles.
Only three respondents stated that they have considered purchasing an EV.