UNIT 10: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
My name‿ is Sofia. I have driven‿ an‿ electric car for‿ a year,│ and‿ I have learned that the technology is solved‿ an(d) the infrastructure‿ is not.
The car‿ itself‿ is‿ excellent:│ quiet,│ cheap to run,│ an(d) cheaper to maintain,│ because there‿ is no engine│ an(d) no oil. The battery gives me 350 kilometres‿ in summer│ and‿ about 280 in winterwin-der,│ which‿ is fine for daily life‿ an(d) requires planning for‿ a holiday. That‿ is what range‿ anxiety really is:│ not‿ a fear‿ of the car,│ but‿ a rational calculation‿ about charging points. In my cityci-dy there‿ are chargers‿ on‿ almost‿ every street;│ an‿ hour‿ outside‿ it,│ there‿ are‿ almos(t) none,│ an(d) last‿ Augus(t) we waited fiftyfif-dy minutes behind‿ a family with two children.
The environmental‿ argumen(t) needs care‿ as well. The lifecycle‿ emissions‿ of‿ an‿ electric car‿ are lower than‿ a petrol car's,│ but‿ only│ if the electricity that charges‿ it‿ is clean,│ which‿ in my country it partly is. Total cost‿ of‿ ownership‿ is‿ already betterbe-der for‿ a high-mileage‿ urban driver‿ an(d) worse for somebody│ who drives twice‿ a week. The transition‿ is happening,│ an(d) the incentive should be directed‿ at the infrastructure rather than‿ at the buyers,│ because‿ I did not need‿ a subsidy. I needed‿ a charger.