Biden, Newsom’s EV Push Added Another Wrinkle To Californians’ Wildfire Evacuation Plans
Story by DCNF-Newswire • 14h
Power outages amid the ongoing wildfires in California have stoked fears among electric vehicle (EV) owners that they could be unable to power their cars in an evacuation scenario.
Despite President Joe Biden and Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push to increase EV adoption, many Americans have remained reluctant to purchase the vehicles, often citing “range anxiety” — the concern among drivers that they will run out of charge before reaching their destination or a charging station. Now, with more than 100,000 evacuations and widespread power outages due to the ongoing infernos, California EV owners have expressed fears their electric cars could threaten their ability to escape the fires, according to the Los Angeles Times.
A gasoline car “can evacuate in any direction on any road and still get fuel when needed,” Matthew Butterick, a Los Angeles attorney who lives near Griffith Park, told the Times. “The EV stations on evacuation routes would have massive lines and delays, gasoline stations less so. And the electric grid may not be available. Power companies turn off power to avoid sparking a fire and also to avoid legal liability. This is probably the future of all the hillside neighborhoods.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/biden-newsom-s-ev-push-added-another-wrinkle-to-californians-wildfire-evacuation-plans/ar-AA1xgjjA?ocid=widgetonlockscreen&cvid=60db64614aab40e4aea4d3be2db035c0&ei=43
