Premiering on Jan. 10 and continuing through Jan. 20, the Detroit Auto Show at the Huntington Center was not only bustling with visitors from all over the country and many interactive displays but it also showcased brand new vehicle models, especially electric vehicles, thanks to the growing national interest in EVs and the environmental benefits that they can provide.
As one of the largest automakers in the country, Ford is also one of the biggest EV manufacturers in the nation, offering a variety of EV and hybrid options for their customers such as the Ford F-150 Lightning. As a transmission engineer for Ford, Harley Wilson acknowledges that range anxiety is a common issue of consumer confidence regarding EVs’ ability to travel far enough on a single charge. Despite EVs facing criticism, EVs can work great for communities like the Grosse Pointes where the commuting range is short, according to Wilson.
“Range anxiety is a big thing,” Wilson said. “If you talk to anyone they are afraid that they can’t make it to work or can’t go up north with it. So you know that the technology is in its infancy. And we just started at Ford building these a couple of years ago. Just like gas vehicles each year we learn more and more. We make them lighter, more durable, more efficient. So it’s going to be a learning curve.”
However, for science teacher and Mustang Mach-E driver Liz Michaels, range anxiety is nothing to fear, especially as her lifestyle allows for her to charge her EV minimally, although the threat of a stall out is ever-present.
“If you run out of charge, your car stalls and you have to get it towed,” Michaels said. “So it’s a much more expensive process. So, to get used to planning ahead so that never happens, and then in the summer, we do go Up North and so that takes just a little bit more planning. Both my husband and I live pretty close to work, so we’re not driving huge miles to get to and from work. So neither of us has to charge our car very often.”
Likewise, as an owner of an EV, the Tesla Y, senior Sofia Evola advocates for sustainable living and highlights the personal and environmental benefits of making the switch to an electric lifestyle.
“I would recommend the average Grosse Pointer to get an EV because it’s great for the environment–it’s truly worth it in the long run,” Evola said. “In the summer, you have remote pre-cooling, and in the winter you have remote heating, defrosting and you can put on heat seaters just by the click of your phone.”
In order to continue supporting these new vehicles and even combatting range anxiety in the process, Michaels has noticed that Grosse Pointe is adapting to the times and installing new charging ports for EVs. For Michaels, this inclusion lets not only herself but other drivers charge their car in a pinch.
“In the last handful of years, I’ve noticed, really like the last two years, all these rapid chargers showing up in convenient spots in Grosse Pointe,” Michaels said. “On Kerchaval there’s a couple of those little downtowns that have rapid chargers, and then Beyond Juicery has two put in — there are just more places to charge. And those are nice because if you forget to plan ahead, you can charge your car in like a half hour.”
While some Grosse Pointers have adapted to the EV lifestyle, there are still hurdles that car companies have to overcome to perfect their models. According to Wilson, however, the sky’s the limit for these EVs and their integration into more of the mainstream.
“There are also other extraneous factors like the grid and can it handle these things such as a bunch of these EV’s being plugged in,” Wilson said. “So I think a time like 2032 may be a little aggressive but it can be achievable. We put a man on the moon so we can do anything.”
