Cost comparisons need adjustment

An article in Tuesday’s Herald, “Everett adds 3 electric cars to motor pool,” incorrectly compares the costs of operating vehicles (not “cars,” really, since the electric vehicles are more like glorified golf carts).

Quoting the article, “Bill DeRousse, the manager in charge of the city’s 600 cars, buses, vans, fire engines and dump trucks, says he expects the new cars can operate for less than 2 cents a mile.

The cost of driving a passenger vehicle in the United States this year averages 54.1 cents per mile, according to AAA.”

This compares the operating cost of the electric vehicle with the total cost of a conventional sedan. A valid comparison would use the operating cost of the conventional sedan, figured by the AAA to be about 18 cents per mile. Yes, that is still considerably more than the electric vehicle, but the sedan can do considerably more. Also, its owner pays a considerable gasoline tax to support its use, which the electric vehicle owner does not. It’s fine to be “green,” but let’s be objective, complete and fair in comparisons.

Denis Hayner