Electric car manufacturers are expanding their offerings and consumers are increasingly interested. Will the combined climate crisis and pandemic falloutintensify these trends?
Just this spring, Tesla chose Austin as the site for its second U.S. vehicle assembly plant, and Volvo is finding ways to make its eletric cars more compatible with conventional expectations. Chevy, Nissan, Volkswagon, BMW, Audi, Porsche and others are in on the action, as well.
A survey last summer showed 63% of prospective U.S. car buyers across the economic spectrum had some level of interest in electric vehicles and 31% would consider one for their next purchase.
How have electric cars changed the auto industry? How are EV technologies and costs evolving? Will the pandemic spur more EV sales?
What are the pros and cons of different types of hybrid and electric vehicles? How do they work and are there enough charging stations to accomodate increasing demand? How is EV range calculated?
How do gas-powered cars contribute to climate change? Are EVs 100% environmentally friendly?
What is the potential environmental and economic impact of ramped-up EV adoption by individuals and businesses?
Guests:
- Sarah Ryan, manager of research and analytics for the Environmental Defense Fund and board member for CleanTX
- Tom Smith, executive director of the Texas Electric Transportation Resources Alliance (TxETRA) and national board member of Plug-In America
- Doug Melnick, Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of San Antonio
"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show, call 833-877-8255, email thesource@tpr.org or tweet @TPRSource.
*This interview was recorded on Wednesday, August 19.
