Oil lobby must note electric cars are fine

Oil lobby must note electric cars are fine

A reader asserts that more input from the conventional automotive or petroleum energy industry is needed for consumers to decide what they want to drive [“Market should decide what cars we want,” Letters, Aug. 21]. Why?

The oil industry has lobbied against clean energy technology for more than 50 years. In 2005, lobbyists fought a bill to support electric cars with the argument that they were not developed enough — but now they are.

The lobby pivoted to the argument that the ranges are insufficient and the charging problematic. This is the last gasp from a dying industry trying to manipulate public opinion.

In 2021, we purchased a Ford Mustang Mach-E and absolutely love it. We live in a garden apartment complex that has level two charging stations, and we have driven to Ohio more than a dozen times, as well as upstate New York, Florida, and Washington, D.C.

Fewer charging stations existed four years ago and there were fewer options to buy electric vehicles. Now the choices are plentiful, and the charging infrastructure is more abundant.

Hydrocarbon fuels may have given us cheap, reliable energy for 150 years, but they have also caused catastrophic climate change. EVs are cleaner than gas cars, quieter and require almost no maintenance.

 — Monica Weiss, Jamaica

Column on life’s awe is inspirational

Michael Dobie’s column “It is important, and healthy, to feel awe in life” [Opinion, Aug. 25] is a beautifully written, inspirational piece. It was a joy to read as he reminds us of how important it is to keep awe alive in this glorious life we are blessed with.

When the world is so filled with hate and divisiveness, it was a breath of fresh air to take a step back and realize what is most important to focus on. Yes, there is specialness and uniqueness all around us, and when we are lucky enough to share it with others, wow!

 — Barbara Gilman, Old Bethpage