As Gas Prices Rise, Some Drivers Consider “Going Electric”

by Yehudit Garmaise

Instead of complaining about rising gas prices, some drivers are considering “going electric,” by inquiring online about electric and hybrid cars and visiting dealerships to check them out.

While in December 2021, 4.5% of all car sales in America were electric vehicles, Hudson Valley News12 reported, that number may soon go up as drivers would rather spend time than money to fuel up their cars.

While the gas that is necessary to drive 250 miles could cost at least $75, an e-vehicle, such as a Volkswagen ID4, would cost only $15 to $23 for the same distance, said Jeffrey Hindla, of IAG Automotive Group.

Although fuel costs less, electric vehicles can cost thousands more upfront than gas-powered cars.

Consumers, however, should consider the long-term savings e-cars can bring, explained Chris Harto, a policy analyst at Consumer Reports, the nonprofit consumer-advocacy organization.

“The biggest cost savings for electric cars are more over a car’s entire 15-year lifespan: not immediately,” Harto told the Wall Street Journal.

People who are serious about going electric also have to be willing to be put on three-month waiting lists because supply chain issues have limited the supply of e-cars, dealership managers say. 

Another roadblock to the e-car craze is that charging stations are hardly as plentiful as gas stations, AAA Northeast spokesperson Robert Sinclair Jr. pointed out.

"There's a distinct lack of charging infrastructure to make electric vehicles viable to the point where they would be an alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles," Sinclair says.

President Joe Biden sought to solve that problem by providing $5 billion for states to build more e-vehicle charging stations when he signed his $1 trillion infrastructure bill into law in November 2021.

Photo by: Lensky Photo