ARE ELECTRIC VEHICLES REALLY BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?

Automakers are investing billions in electric vehicles, and new incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act aim to accelerate the switch to EVs. So, why would you want to drive electric? What’s different about the driving and ownership experience? What are the challenges for range and charging? Most importantly, are EVs really better for the environment? We frequently hear concerns about EVs, such as: mining minerals for the batteries is terrible for the environment, the batteries might wear out and clog our landfills, EVs pollute via the electricity generated to power them, etc. Most of these objections carry a grain of truth. What are the merits, how can we mitigate concerns, and what would a future where we’ve moved to electric vehicles look like? Gary Heaton, president of Drive Electric Cincinnati, will address all this and more! Bring your own questions for a lively discussion.

Gary Heaton is president of Drive Electric Cincinnati, a group of enthusiast volunteers who do electric vehicle education. Affiliated with Drive Electric Ohio, the group has organized Cincinnati’s events for “National Drive Electric Week” and “National Drive Electric Earth Day”, giving hundreds of interested members of the public rides in electric vehicles. Gary graduated with a B.A. in economics in 1984. He later returned to school for an MBA degree with a concentration in IT, before joining P&G. In Gary’s 31-year career at P&G he worked mostly with engineers and PhD scientists developing new products. After retiring in 2019, Gary became a part-time farm worker for his wife’s orchard and garden while also taking up leadership of Drive Electric Cincinnati. Gary and his wife have driven 14,000 miles of electric vehicle road trips in the last few years!