I write concerning the commentary “Is Maine’s drive for all-electric vehicles bad climate policy?” (July 16), which is critical of electric vehicles.

I have owned a Tesla Model 3 since March 2020. This commentary, I am afraid, provides “fuel” for those I often encounter who try to convince me that my purchase of an electric car was not a good idea. They tell me, without any basis, that the pollution caused in building the car outweighs any environment benefit that results from not burning fossil fuel. They will often say that my car burns fossil fuel anyway, since the electricity it uses requires burning fossil fuel.

The commentary quotes a U.K. firm that says gas-electric hybrid cars cut emissions 14 times more than battery-only cars over their lifetimes. It also quotes a “1:6:90 rule” in order to criticize the amount and type of resources needed to build electric cars. These “facts” are not intelligible to me or the average reader.

Obviously the path forward in preventing the most severe consequences of climate change is and will be difficult. This article is not helpful in this quest. It provides more “fuel” to those who wish or tend to be negative.

In addition to owning an electric car, investing in heat pumps and solar panels to power our cars will reduce carbon release. I think a commentary like this contributes to a worse outcome for our planet’s future.

Dan Wood
Woolwich

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