Wishful thinking
Steve Parsons’ “pie in the sky” article about the joys, benefits and affordability of converting Kaua‘i to an all-electric vehicle fleet is shallow, shortsighted and misleading.
He implies that changing over to EVs will be quick and easy, and everyone will get a free gift from Uncle Sam. Electricians will all be getting jobs and all will be sunshine and roses on Kaua‘i.
Parsons, however, fails to address many concerns with a shift to an all-electric fleet on the island.
For example, what will happen to electricity rates when thousands of new EVs start plugging into the already capacity-taxed Kaua‘i grid? Islanders are already facing a potential 10 percent increase in power costs this year alone. How high will rates go once thousands of EVs begin plugging in?
Also, how will the local co-op meet the additional demand? How will that additional capacity be produced, and who pays for the expansion of electricity production on the island? Can the additional demand be produced cleanly?
And how about infrastructure? How many charging stations are there currently on the island? A few dozen? Maybe 100? An all-electric fleet, many of which will be tourists, will require literally thousands of new charging stations across the island. Who pays for those, and how will they be installed? Where will the army of hundreds of needed electricians come from? Most certainly won’t be locals, for sure.
And what about the wear and tear on Kaua‘i’s already poorly maintained highways? EVs typically weigh as much as 1,000 to 1,500 pounds more than traditional gasoline vehicles.
This additional weight means much more stress on the system, meaning more frequent and more costly repairs will be required. Once again, who pays for this?
Finally, as to the tax break on EVs, not all electric cars qualify for the break, while still others qualify for only a partial tax credit. Not exactly the windfall Parsons promises.
In the end, the conversion to an all-electric fleet will be incredibly expensive for all Kauaians. It will be particularly painful for the poorest residents of the island. Who will ease their pain?
Come on, folks. We need to think this through.
Sincerely,
Mike Gallien, Tomball, Texas
