The Fort Report Column

New Ways of Thinking about Energy and Transportation

What if you owned a car that was exactly like the one you currently drive except that it ran solely on battery power?  New technologies are quickly emerging, making this a viable option.

Last month, I spoke with the executive of a new automobile company that will soon release two new vehicles, a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) and a Small Utility Truck (SUT).  While they look like regular SUVs and SUTs that run on fossil fuels, they are electric vehicles.  With the proper equipment, charging the battery only takes ten minutes, and each vehicle will go up to 120 miles per charge—one that will exceed 200 miles per charge is currently in development.  Both vehicles can carry four passengers, have zero-emissions, can travel at highway speeds, and have five-star safety ratings.  While their purchase prices are higher than their fossil fuel counterparts, savings on gasoline can make up the difference in the course of three years.

Such innovation couldn’t come at a more opportune time.  Hybrid, flex-fuel, and battery-powered vehicles can provide welcome relief to families and small businesses in this time of rising gas prices.

Viable electric vehicles offer other potential benefits.  They may reduce our dependence on foreign oil thereby enhancing our national security.  Since these vehicles have zero-emission, they are also better for the environment.

Of course, increased use of electric vehicles poses new challenges.  We will have to find new ways to generate the electricity needed to power such vehicles.  Expanded alternatives such as wind and solar could help us produce that power with minimal impact on the environment. 

The ingenuity inherent in these electric vehicles represents a new type of thinking regarding energy independence and environmental stewardship.  While such opportunities may not provide immediate relief at the gas pump, they allow Americans the opportunity to begin considering innovative technologies that can over time save money and increase our nation’s energy independence.

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