With hurricane gas hikes, are electric, hybrids way to go?
Regardless, Ian Adams of the R Street Institute stressed that there are always going to be oil shocks, and there are always going to be fluctuations in the price of fuel.
“That probably should not be the impetus for adopting electric vehicles,” Adams argued. “I think it’s just going to come down to the fact that, in the long term, as [the] infrastructure changes and commuting habits change, electric vehicles—as batteries become larger and more efficient – are just going to be kind of a better dollar-and-cents option.”
There are federal and – depending on your location – state and local tax credits for alternative energy vehicles, but that has not put a dent in the sale of trucks and SUVs.
Even in California – where lawmakers were considering an increase in state financial assistance for alternative energy vehicles – only 315,000 registered automobiles in California are electric or plug-in hybrids. This accounts for only out of 26 million cars and light trucks registered in California.
“But you can see the arc of the technology,” Adams pointed out. “They will – in the next 50 or 60 years – be the better option and the more sustainable option for drivers.”
