WE
WE SENT
WE SENT DAVID SCHECHTER +@ON AN EMIC ROAD TRIP TO FIND OUT.
+@>> A+@RE YOU READY FOR A LONG
DAY?
DAY?
DAY? >>
DAY? >> MAYBE THE LONGEST DAY OF MY
+@
>> MAYBE THE LONGEST DAY OF MY LIFE.
LIFE.
LIFE. >>
LIFE. >> SO WE HAVE 226 MILES, BY A
CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE OF HOW+@
FAR WE CAN GO HERE.
>> Reporter: OUR MISSION
TODAY, A TEXAS ROAD TRIP.
THAT'S NOTHING FLEW FOR US.
WE LOVE ROAD TRIPS.
WHAT+@ IS NEW IS WE'LL BE DOING
20 HOURS IN AN ELECTRIC CAR.
I CHOSE THE CHEVY VOLT FOR THI+
TRIP.
TRIP.
TRIP. IT
TRIP. IT HAS GOOD RANGE AND IS ON THE
AFFORDABLE SIDE AND GM LOAN
INSTEAD CAR.
INSTEAD CAR. I WANTED TO KNOW HOW WELL AN
+@
+@ ELECTRIC VEHICLE HANDLED THE
CHALLENGE.
CHALLENGE. OKAY
OKAY
OKAY >>
OKAY >> OKAY.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. DAVID.
DAVID.
DAVID. +@
DAVID. FIRST DECISION OF THE DAY.
>> IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S ONE
NORTH OF WACO?
>> WE COULD THEORETICALLY MAYBE
GET TO GEORGETOWN.
>> IT THINK WE COULD PROBABLY
GET THERE, BUT +@I DON'T THINK
THAT'S A GOOD I+@DEA.
>> I DON'T EITHER.
>> LET'S STOP AND WACO.
>> OH, THERE IT IS!
>> YOU'RE SO GOOD AT THIS!
>> I CAN'T SEE AN+@YTHING IN
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. >>
THERE. >> AUTHORIZED.
>> AUTHORIZED. >> THERE WERE ALMOST 30,000
ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN TEXAS IN
2019, BUT 2033, EXPERTS PREDICT
3.3 MILLION.
3.3 MILLION. HOW WILL TEXAS MEET THAT
DEMAND?
DEMAND?
DEMAND? >> SO WE SHOW A CHARGER UP HERE
ON THE RIGHT.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. OVER HERE?
OVER HERE? THOSE ARE CLOSED.
>> SO WE DROVE TO OUR
DESTINATION TO CHARGE, AND WE
CAN'T CHARGE HERE.
>> HOW IS YOUR BATTERY LIFE?
>> WE HAVE 36 MILES.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CHARGE
+@
+@ UP
+@ UP SOMEWHERE.
UP SOMEWHERE. >> Reporter: WE'RE IN AUSTIN +@
NOW+@ TO TALK TO THIS GUY.
IT'S TOM SCHMITTY SMITH, AN
ENVIRONMENTALIST, AND THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECT+@OR OF THE +@T
ELECTRIC TRANSPORTATION
ELECTRIC TRANSPORTATION ALLIANCE.
ALLIANCE.
ALLIANCE. HE WANTS TEXAS TO BUILD A
STATEWIDE NETWORK CAPABLE O+@F
CHARGING A HUGE NUMBER +@OF CAR
SEMIS, AND DELIVERY TRUCKS. +@
>> WE HAVE SEVE+@RAL THOUSAND
CHARGERS IN TEXAS NO+@W.
+@ WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE 20
TO 30 TIMES MORE THAN THAT TO
BE ABLE TO REALLY +@BUILD A
NETWORK THAT IS SEAMLESS.
>> TODAY TESLA HAS A NATIONWIDE
NOTE WORK +@OF FAST CHARGERS TH
TAKE ABOUT 25 TO 30 MINUTES,
BUT ONLY TESLA OWNERS CAN USE
THEM.
THEM.
THEM. HERE IS WHAT THE REST OF THE
E.V.
E.V.
E.V. DRIVERS DEALING WITH.
THERE'S ONLY ONE FAST CHARGER
BETWEEN AUSTIN AND THE HOUSTON
SUBURB, AND IT'S NOT WORKING
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. >> MAXIMUM POWER OF THIS
CHARGER HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY
REDUCED IN ORDER TO PERFORM AN
UPDATE.
UPDATE.
UPDATE. >> HOW F+@AR IS KATY?
>> IT'S 48 MILES.
>> WE HAVE MINIMUM OF 68 MILES.
>> SO WE CAN MAKE THAT,
PROBABLY?
PROBABLY?
PROBABLY? >> I THINK WE CAN MAKE IT.
>> Reporter: HE WANTS 56
CHARGES CENTERS, EVERY 50
MILES, BUT WHY NOT WAIT FOR +@
PRIVATE COMPANIES TO DO ALL OF
THIS?
THIS?
THIS? >>
THIS? >> 28 OTHER STATES HAVE GONE
AHEAD OF THIS TERMS OF POLICY
DEVELOPMENT, AND IN ONE WAY OR
ANOTHER BEGUN TO DEVELOP THE
ROAD MAP TO HAVE BOARDER TO
BORDER CHARGING STATIONS, AND
23 WE DON'T ACT SOON, WE'RE
GOING TO BE LEFT BEHIND
ECONOMICALLY.
ECONOMICALLY. >> Reporter: RIGHT NOW
ELECTRIC CARS MAKE UP ABOUT 3%
OF THE MARKET.
THE QUESTION IS, ARE THE REST
OF US REALLY READY FOR THIS?
THIS IS EDDIE, THE FORMER LONG-
TIME EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF CAR+@ A
DRIVER MAGAZINE.
DRIVER MAGAZINE. I'M TELLING HIM THAT I'M
FINDING THE VOLT HAS GREAT ACT
CELEBRATION, BUT WHAT DOES HE
THINK ABOUT IT?
>> NOT SEXY ENOUGH.
PEOPLE WARRANT THE CAR TO
SAYING SOME ABOUT THEMSELVES
AND LOOK COOL+@.
>> Reporter: WHAT IS COOL TO
EDDIE AND LOTS OF CONSUMERS +@I
EDDIE AND LOTS OF CONSUMERS +@I@ A COMING WAY NEXT YEAR OF
ELECTRIC BE SUVs AND TRUCKS.
LIKE THE ELECTRIC FORD F-150,
AND AN ELECTRIC HUMMER.
AND NEW COMPANIES LIKE THE
+@TESLA CYBER TRUCK.
>> I THINK THE E.V.
TRUCK IS TH+@E BOFFS BOTH WORLD
IT SAYS I'M RUGGED AND I DO
THINKS FOR MYSELF, AND I'M NOT
A KNUCKLE-SCRAPER, THAT I'M
ACTUALLY PART OF THIS NEW
FUTURE WAVE OF WHAT'S TO COME.
>> ONCE YOU START PULLING A
TRAILER OR PUTTING BRICKS IN
THE PAY LOAD, WHAT HAPPENS TO
THE BATTERY?
THE BATTERY? IS IT REALLY UP TO THE JOB THAT
A WORKER PERSON WOULD NEED IT
FOR?
FOR?
FOR? >>
FOR? >> YOU KNOW, WE SEE EPA NUMBERS
FOR THESE VEHICLES THAT ARE
REALLY, REALLY HIGH, BUT WHEN
YOU'RE DRIVING IT IN THE REAL
WORLD, THAT NUMBER SHRINKS DOWN
QUITE A BIT.
+@
+@ >>
+@ >> DOES IT INDICATE, LIKE,
WHERE?
WHERE?
WHERE? >>
WHERE? >> OH, RIGHT THERE.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> CAN'T QUITE REACH.
>> DECLINED MY+@ CREDIT CARD
THREE TIMES.
THREE TIMES. GO ON AN ELECTRIC CAR TRIP, HE
SAID!
SAID!
SAID! IT
SAID! IT WILL BE FUN, HE SAID!
I'M ABOUT TO CRY.
>> Reporter: LOTS OF PEOPLE
WHO BUY ELECTRIC CARS BELIEVE
THEY ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE
WHEN IT COMES TO CLIMATE
+@
+@ CHANGE, BUT ARE THEY?
LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT WITH DR.
RAMANAN, WHO OWNS A TESLA
HIMSELF.
HIMSELF.
HIMSELF. >> I CAN +@GO FROM ZERO TO 60 I
THREE SECONDS.
THREE SECONDS. >> AND SHE THE CHIEF+@ ENERGY
OFFICER FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF
HOUSTON.
HOUSTON.
HOUSTON. HE SA+@ID MANUFACTURING AN
ELECTRIC CAR CAN HAVE A VERY
LARGE CARBON FOOTPRINT.
>> THE PART OF MAKING THE
ELECTRIC VEHICLE, THE MOTOR,
THE BATTERY, THAT IS HIGHLY
+@
THE BATTERY, THAT IS HIGHLY ENERGY INTENSIVE PRO+@CESS, AND
TODAY MUCH OF THAT ENERGY COMES
FROM FOSSIL ENERGY.
>> Reporter: TAKE A NEW NISSAN
+@
>> Reporter: TAKE A NEW NISSAN LEACH VERSUS AN AVERAGE
CONVENTIONAL CAR.
CONVENTIONAL CAR. RESEARCH FROM EUROPE FOUND TH+@
ON DAY ONE THE ELECTRIC CAR
ACTUALLY HAS HIGHER GREENHOUSE
GAS EMI+@SSIONS BECAUSE IT TAKE
MORSE ENERGY TO MAKE ONE, BUT
BECA+@USE IT DOESN'T+@ BURN
GASOLINE, THE ELECTRIC CAR,
+@
GASOLINE, THE ELECTRIC CAR, OVER TIME, HAS MUCH LOWER
EMISSIONS, BUT HOW MUCH LOW
DEPENDS ON WHERE THE
+@
DEPENDS ON WHERE THE ELE+@CTRICITY COMES FROM.
>> WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING BE A
ELECTRIC VEHICLE, AREN'T YOU
BURNING COAL IN MANY INSTANCES?
>> I CHARGE UP MY CAR, LIKE
YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
MUCH OF THE ELECTRICITY IS
COMING FROM EITHER COAL OR
NATURAL GAS.
NATURAL GAS. >> Reporter: IN TEXAS, 17% OF
OUR ELECTRICITY COMES FROM
COAL.
COAL.
COAL. 41%
COAL. 41% FROM NATURAL GAS, BUT 23%
OF OUR ELECTRICITY COMES FROM
WIND.
WIND.
WIND. THAT'S FAR MORE THAT AN ANY
OTHER STATE, AND THAT'S THE
ELECTRICITY MIX THAT CHARGES AN
ELECTRIC VEHICLE.
ELECTRIC VEHICLE. AT THE SAME TIME, IMPROVING
BATTERY TECHNOLOGY IF NEW
ELECTRICIAN +@CARS ARE GOING
FARTHE+@R AND FARTHER ON A
CHARGE.
CHARGE.
CHARGE. >> EFFECTIVELY, OVER A PERIOD
OF TIME, I CAN HAVE AN IMPACT
ON CLIMATE CHANGE, OR AT LEAST
SLOW DOWN THE PACE OF CLIMATE
CHANGE.
CHANGE.
CHANGE. >> CAN'T MAKE IT BACK TO DALLAS
WITHOUT ONE MORE CHARGE.
>> 30 MILES.
WE HAVE 30 MILES TO GO.
>> SO ELECTRIC CARS ARE GREAT
IN THE CITY, BUT TRYING TO KEEP
A SCAR CHARGED FOR 20 HOURS WAS
NOT ONE OF MY BRIGHTEST IDEAS.
STILL, WE DID LEARN THAT TEXAS
HAS A LONG WAY TO GO TOWARDS
RELIABLE CHARGING.
RELIABLE CHARGING. THERE'S EXCITING THINGS
HAPPENING WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY
AND VEHICLES, AND WHEN IT COME+
TO CLIMATE CHANGE, E.V.s CAN BE
A MAJOR FACTOR IN CUTTING
+@
A MAJOR FACTOR IN CUTTING GREENHOUSE EMISSION+@S.
GREENHOUSE EMISSION+@S. >>