For this week's column I'd like to share an article from Bill Pierce's website
EVInfo.net, about taking an electric vehicle on a classic American highway...enjoy.
Cheers, JR
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Driving Electric on Route 66
In the public consciousness, Route 66 usually conjures images of days gone by; the open road, vintage motels and service stations, classic restaurants, small-town Americana and nostalgia for simpler times. By contrast, electric vehicles typically occupy an entirely different headspace: big cities, new technology, and the modern ultra-connected world. But these two very different paradigms don’t have to conflict, and I started ElectricRoute66.com to bring them together.
Like almost everyone in America, I grew up surrounded by cars. My family took summer vacations by car, often driving hundreds of miles on a trip, and sometimes thousands of miles. We were never wealthy so the economy of traveling by car was always preferred, and as I became an adult and started a family, my sense of efficiency – getting the most out of our limited time and money – was always spurring me to examine how we lived at home, and how we road-tripped, and how we could get the most enjoyment out of both.
Pixar’s 2006 film ‘Cars’ was a great education for many, and for me it put on film ideas that I had already internalized, about the fun of taking road trips with family. ‘Cars’ got our children interested in visiting the real-world inspirations for what they saw on screen, and our already extensive vacation road-tripping began to focus on Route 66. We discovered a vibrant community of Route 66 ‘roadies’ who visit the route from all over the world, supporting the people and places that keep it alive with exciting attractions and vibrant history. We became a part of that community, and it’s been a joy to share experiences with an amazing roadie family for over 15 years.
