Despite Rep. Frank Cook’s commentary dated June 25, ethanol-based fuel is not actually the best move for Delaware’s economy or climate change efforts. Updating the laws to move the state from E10 to E15, as Rep. Cook proposes, actually only accomplishes one thing: delaying our state’s inevitable transition to electric vehicles.
Rep. Cook is arguing that a 25-cent price drop matters to our travel-based economy. If he steps back and looks at the bigger picture, he would realize the real economic impact comes from people switching straight to electric vehicles. Assuming a 15-gallon tank (the average according to AAA) using mid-grade fuel, it currently costs about $60 to fill up that gas car. Shaving 25 cents per gallon off that number would bring it down by a whopping $3.75 per fillup.
Do you really think less than $4 being diverted from big oil to local shops matters?
On the other hand, electricity is much cheaper than gas across the entire state of Delaware.
According to Kelly Blue Book, the average EV driver in Delaware only spends $11.34 to fill up. That means EV drivers have about $50 to contribute to our local economy compared to a gas car. That could be the difference between having a sandwich in the hotel, or hitting a movie or restaurant.
EVs also have many other advantages over conventional cars: with fewer fluids and a lot fewer moving parts, EVs are cheaper to maintain, overall more efficient, and can beat any internal combustion car in a zero to 60 race. Oh, yeah, and EVs are a lot more fun to drive than conventional cars.
Why invest in infrastructure and laws to allow for more ethanol, if we are only going to then replace those with electric vehicles? Rep. Cook even acknowledges we are in a transition period, and EVs are the future. Let’s do everyone a favor and jump straight to electric.
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