Tesla’s work with electric cars makes owning them a bigger reality
Photo via Wikipedia under Creative Commons license
An electric car recharges at a charging station. Tesla’s work with electric cars is revolutionizing the industry, making them more affordable.
February 14, 2018
Today’s concept of transportation is changing. Cars are more accessible than ever before.
With all the benefits cars bring, their effects on the environment cannot be ignored. In fact, automobiles are credited for one third of all U.S. air pollution. For years, many have been asking how these effects can be countered, or at the very last, reduced.
Over the past twenty years, that question has been answered. In 1997, Toyota introduced the the Toyota Prius, a fully electric hybrid automobile, capable of 50 miles to the gallon.
Many companies have followed in Toyota’s footsteps, including Nissan, Honda, and Chevy. However, Tesla Inc., led by Elon Musk, has taken the spotlight.
When Tesla first rolled out their Model S, it came with spectacular features. Compared to Toyota’s Prius, the Model S looked like a luxury car. The car was fully electric, with a range of 315-335 miles on a full charge.
In March of 2016, Tesla unveiled their brand new Model 3, which came with a significantly more affordable price of $35,000.
— Op-ed Editor Mitchell Smith
However, with the Model S’s luxury features, it came with a luxury-caliber price. With a starting rate of $68,000, not many families could access the car.
Tesla, however, was not quite done. In March of 2016, Tesla unveiled their brand new Model 3, which came with a significantly more affordable price of $35,000.
The Model 3 came with the same range capabilities as the Model S, at almost half the price. Tesla’s work in electric cars draws a parallel to Henry Ford’s work with the Model T.
When Henry Ford first perfected the production of the automobile, it wasn’t that they didn’t exist. It was that his way of production allowed automobiles to be affordable for more families.
Much like the automobile in 1908, the electric car is not a new idea. What Elon Musk is doing is taking the idea of an electric car and making the reality of its availability one that more people can have.
The average person drives 15,000 miles a year. With today’s average gas prices of $2.40 a gallon, that is a total cost of $1,200 a year. The average person driving 15,000 miles in a Tesla would cost about $540 dollars a year to recharge.
For years, it seemed like the idea of electric cars becoming a common family vehicle was a wild imagination. Tesla, Inc. is making that dream a reality.
