I write a blog on sustainability and you would think I would be driving some kind of an electric or hybrid vehicle but I don’t.  Continuing from my previous post, in 2019 when my beloved ’02 Subaru needed to be replaced we looked into that option but ultimately chose a 2013 VW Jetta with 35,000 miles that had been retooled to comply with emissions standards. It came with a 4 year/50,000-mile warranty on the engine and drive train.    This car was the right size for our needs, fit our budget, very comfortable with a respectable everyday 34 MPG.

During our search, we wanted to get a greener vehicle but they were way out of our price range for a new one so we were in the used market.  Here were some of our concerns that came up…

• How long would the battery last on this vehicle? We tend to hang onto cars for a long time.  In the spring of 2020, the cost of a Nissan Leaf battery was $5,500 plus labor.  A Prius battery will cost approximately $1500 for a refurbished one or new from about $2500 new plus labor.
• What about resale value with a used battery?
• Since we shared the car if it was electric would it have enough range to fit all our needs like trips farther afield for pleasure?
• The electrics and hybrids that were from relatively recent years too expensive for our budget.
• As we are both retired we put on relatively few miles to offset the extra cost.

This week GMC just announced that they have a goal of producing all-electric vehicles by 2035 and eliminating gas-powered vehicles from their lineup- an impressive goal, especially for a US automaker. Technology is improving quickly in this market and prices are going down. In the years to come, there should be greener vehicles for the rest of us.

In the realm of sustainable living just do what you can do and live joyfully!