I was disappointed in reading Ken Girdley’s letter to the editor in the Feb. 16 edition of the Town Crier (“Don’t reward privileged EV drivers”), as it contains several misconceptions regarding the city’s intent about the electric-vehicle parking spaces at the Los Altos Community Center.
The city is providing these parking spaces not to benefit the wealthy EV owners, but to promote clean air and the elimination of greenhouse gases emitted by gasoline-powered cars. EVs are clean-air vehicles. They emit no particulate matter or gases harmful to lungs or the environment.
We all saw how clear the air was during the pandemic, when most of us were not driving but sheltering at home. The air was so clear because no gasoline vehicles were on the roads. Breathe California and other health organizations support the adoption of EVs.
Most people who drive electric are not “privileged EV owners.” In addition to the Teslas parked downtown, there are also Nissan Leafs and Chevy Bolts – two of the lower-priced EVs that are within the reach of most Los Altans’ wallets.
In fact, there are more than 70 electric vehicles on the market this year – 31 of which are less expensive than the least expensive Tesla. You can see by visiting electricforall.org and clicking “Explore EVs,” which lists EVs starting at the least expensive: the Nissan Leaf. In fact, walking by the community center the other evening, I saw a Leaf plugged in at the community center charging station, which must have been owned by a young family as there was a child car seat inside.
Senior citizens are also among the ranks of EV owners. I know 10 seniors who own EVs in my own circle of friends, one of whom purchased a used Leaf for $11,000 at a dealership.
There is no disservice or disrespect by the city putting EV parking spaces in a very visible place – no one has to buy an expensive EV. Almost every citizen can afford a less-expensive new or used EV. The website greenlightautowholesale.com shows many used EVs. In addition, Carvana, auto dealerships and others list used EVs for sale.
I wholeheartedly urge readers to go to one of the EV display days during Earth Week in April to see EVs and speak with their owners to hear accurate information on EV prices, charging and more.
The value in driving clean and green in Los Altos cannot be overestimated. We all want clean air in Los Altos. We all want to contribute to eliminating the terrible consequences of emitting carbon dioxide into the air. Recently, I spoke to an honors class at Los Altos High School about the value of community service. In the process, a student asked about environmental community service projects. I asked how many of them were concerned about climate change, and 90% of the students raised their hands!
Instead of talking down EV owners, let’s do all we can to promote EV adoption in Los Altos – not because it gives EVs preferred parking spots, but because we owe the next generation a cleaner, healthier planet than we have today.
Sybil Cramer is a Los Altos resident.
