PLUG IT IN

Every so often I spot someone around town standing beside their vehicle with a gas can in hand. I can’t remember the last time a car or truck of mine ran out of fuel. I’m thinking it was in my teenage years, and even back then, perhaps only once or twice. I’ve seemingly run on fumes a few times since, but always managed to make it to a service station.

There’ve been several occasions where I helped push stalled cars to gas pumps after they quit running. The drivers were headed that direction but didn’t quite make it. Pushing 4,000 pounds by hand up a slight incline is only for the young at heart.

My dad almost ran out of fuel late one night in Lubbock, Texas, this after our family went to a drive-in movie. The 1957 Ford barely made it to a closed station, where the old man (he was around 29 at the time), showed my brother and me a trick. I believe he’d learned it from a teenage friend when they rode motorcycles.

Before computers controlled the gas pumps like they do now, hoses sometimes still held a small amount of residual fuel after being hung back up. Dad went around and collected enough to fill a pop bottle, in hopes of at least driving us to a still open facility. Turns out he didn’t need to, because a policeman quickly came along with lights flashing. After finding out what was going on, the officer gave my father a gallon from a can in his trunk.

Having worked at a Texaco station while still in school, I helped out many folks that suffered this classic mistake. Some of them brought their own gas can, but a good number needed to borrow the shop’s. I learned early on to get something from them as collateral, so that they’d be inclined to return the container.

One time a guy stole our can after I filled it, with me being lectured soon after to never make that mistake again. A driver’s license worked best as collateral, but in some cases the drivers didn’t have one on them. At that point, a watch or enough cash to cover the cost of the can was asked for. If this person didn’t have anything of value, I sent them away emptyhanded.

Here lately, I’ve been noticing more and more battery powered vehicles on Lake Havasu City streets. If I’m sitting beside one at a stoplight, my window generally goes down so that I can hear how quiet they are. The only sound made when the light turns green is warm rubber tires rolling on freshly laid asphalt.

My wife and I currently don’t own an electric car or truck, with me not being one of those guys saying I won’t purchase one. During the horse and buggy days, some of those folks claimed they’d never have a horseless carriage. Automobiles were called that back then. The majority of those complainers eventually had to eat their words.

What I like most about EV (electric vehicles) is that they’re much quicker in a straight line than gas-powered rigs. I’ve read where the acceleration of some models is like an airplane taking off. All-wheel drive, with absolutely no tire spin, will set you back in the seat like a fighter jet. I’ve never been in a fighter jet, but can imagine the thrill, having ridden a carnival ride or two. Don’t believe me? Check out the Pininfarina Battista EV.

What I don’t like about EV is wondering where I’d recharge on busy weekends. I’ve seen photos of recharge stations with a long line of cars and trucks waiting to plug in. This was generally during holidays and bad weather. Potential power outages seem to be their weakest link besides random fires. For the record, gasoline and diesel fueled vehicles have been self-igniting for years. I recently observed one such inferno on I-40 when a fuel line evidently came loose.

I’m constantly having to remind myself to recharge my electric razor along with various power tools like cordless drills. Over the years, I’ve often found them almost out of juice or totally dead. It seems I might run into the same problem where owning an electric vehicle is concerned. I know they have a gauge telling the charge level of batteries much like a fuel gauge, yet mistakes can still happen.

Unfortunate working stiffs still having to punch-in each morning, will have another lame excuse for being late to work because of EV vehicle ownership. “Hello, Mr. Bruce, my car ran out of juice, again.”

On occasion, my wife asks me, “Does the car need gas?” I try to make sure the tanks always topped off in summer, just in case the power goes out and local gas pumps don’t work. A few extra gallons are kept in a safe place, with me wanting to have enough to make it to the Hualapai’s and back.

For those not knowing what the Hualapai’s are, they’re mountains directly east of Kingman, approximately 70 miles from here. It’s generally 20 degrees cooler at the summit than here in Havasu. If you’ve never been there—a drive up the mountain is well worth it to escape summer heat.

I just read where it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 12 hours to charge an electric car depending on how low the batteries are. According to another article, when the charge is complete, a loud beep is heard. It’s almost as if they do this for us older people with hearing problems.

If and when we invest in an EV rig, Joleen might have to remind me on occasion to keep things plugged in. Should we find our batteries low, the amount of time needed to recharge them will be of no major concern. Having to wait appears to be another senior trait that we’ve become experts at.

EV is here to stay regardless of what the Hot Rod crowd (which includes me), or others have to say. Some classic cars, muscle cars, and even ’32 Fords are already being converted to electric power by several shops throughout the country. Most likely these cars are now faster than they were before the motor swap.

Glade Air Fresheners coined a jingle several years back that went like this, “Plug it in, plug it in.” Like it or not, more and more vehicle owners will be singing that tune as time marches on. Comedian and automobile aficionado, Jay Leno, is an EV advocate going way back. I feel like I’m in good company seeing his expert stamp of approval on things.

EV will help take a good many gas and diesel vehicles off the road but not all. Hopefully, when the infamous ‘flux capacitor’ is finally bug free, that form of energy will make gas and electric vehicles a thing of the past. It’s doubtful I’ll see this happen in my lifetime!