Electric Car Swap

Feeling tethered by your short range electric car? You can borrow my car for a long trip.

It struck me today that one shortcoming of owning an all-electric car is that the range isn't infinite. 99% of the cars in the world today run on gasoline, which is available along every road, at intervals of 80 miles or less. They are literally all over the place.

Due to this extraordinary availability, car owners can plan a trip anywhere in the country without figuring out where they are going to get fuel. The gas will be there. It is everywhere. You put the hose into your car, wait five minutes, and your car is full of gas.

All-electric cars can't do this. Their range is limited by a rarity of electric charging stations and by the amount of time required to recharge them.

Electric Car Range

Nissan Leaf (100 miles)

Tesla Roadster (220 miles)

Now, this is a serious problem for electric car sales. People like me don't want to buy or lease a $36,000 electric car that can't go cross-country or get their family to Disneyland. Sure, 99% of my driving is short distances, commuting to work, driving my kids to school, grocery shopping. But I don't want to think about that. I'm buying a car to fulfill my dreams of freedom!

Am I really going to buy a car that is restricted to an 50-mile radius? Do I have to have a spare, gas-powered car if I buy one of these?

Solution #1

Here's my first thought: With every electric car purchase, instead of a $7,500 federal tax credit, you get six coupons for long-distance trips. Either you get a gas-powered car rental for one week, or two round-trip tickets anywhere in the continental U.S.A.

People don't drive their car more than 100 miles very often, but it's hard to give up that freedom. These coupons would be the antidote to the inevitable wanderlust... or the threat of wanderlust. The coupons would soothe the nervous car buyer, assuring them that whenever a long-distance trip was needed, an alternative could be cheaply obtained.

Solution #2

Here's my second thought: If you bought an electric car, and you want to go on a long-distance trip, you can borrow my car.

I'd love to go a week or two without buying any gas for my stupid Honda Pilot. You take the Pilot to Disneyland. I'll keep your Nissan Leaf/Tesla Roadster here and drive it to work.

I bet there are thousands of people like me who would like to borrow your awesome electric car for a week! It's like $50 in free gas!

I've got insurance. You've got insurance. Let's make this happen.

I live in Sacramento, so if I'm outside your little electric radius, you are going to have to find another willing partner. But that's no problem. I'll make a list!

Sign up Sheet for people willing to swap their gas car for someone's electric car for a week.

Name: Location:

Car: Cleverly obscured email address:



What is 10 minus 2?

No golf carts please.



Rob Cockerham | Hyundai Elantra | Sacramento, CA | 0000cockeyed@000pacbell.net000

John Taggart | Honda Civic | Fort Collins, CO | john-cockeyed@lackof.org

Shareen | Corvette | Clovis, CA | whatamidoing@gmail.com

Megan W. | Scion xA | Lawrence, KS | mezzanayne_nospam@gmail.com

Sean F. Kennedy | Chevy Prizm | Decatur, GA | cockeyed_car@somethingsaur.us

Luke V. | 1993 Chrysler LeBaron | Eugene, OR | LukeTheRunner@gmail

Dan | 07 Altima | Ellicott City, MD | danf878plus1@gmail.com

Ken Erstad | 2006 Hyundai Accent | National City, California‎ 91950 | SSgt_Erstad@Yahoo.com

Kristian L. | BMW 318i | Velke Ulany, Slovakia | chch @ chch . sk

Matt Brooks | 2012 VW GTI | Tampabay Florida | 000mbrooks@000gmail.com000nozeros

Sharon N | Chevy Beretta | Miami, FL | sharonmolly@aol.com

stephan.com | 1997 Cadillac Deville | Los Angeles, CA | stephan at stephan dot com

Matt P | Toyota Tundra | Honolulu | matt@mattpablo.com

Emily | Hyundai Accent | Wichita, KS | emily.lucille1@gmail.com

Joseph P | 1977 Mustang | Sebring, Florida | pjoseph@swe1111.com

Matt M | 2009 VW Jetta | San Diego, CA | #matt#masters#@geeeemail.com

Craig Young | 2004 Chevy Silverado | Bountiful, UT | young@centurylink.net

Adam Thompson | 2013 Ford Focus ST | Alexandria, VA | adamet@vt.edu

Gregg Fuller | Civic Si | West Hills, CA | greggfuller@gmail.com

