5. Riding on Sunlight

New Year’s resolutions are easy to make, but often not kept, especially when the price tag is $45,000. In January 2002, Michael Mora convinced his wife that they should buy a Toyota RAV4 electric vehicle for $45,000. Michael had to practically beg the dealer to sell his last one. Because this popular electric-vehicle is no longer sold, Michael could sell his RAV4 EV as a used-vehicle for more than he paid for it.

Michael is not selling. His commute energy is provided by ‘free-range’ electrons from the solar power system installed on the roof of his employer, a California solar PV system integrator. The daily cost to drive the vehicle is zero. He can drive freeway speeds with a 100 mile range.

I talked with Michael while he was volunteering his day to educate others during a solar home tour. Michael talked with enthusiasm about solar power, energy efficiency, and his electric car. His smiles were as constant as the sunlight. Michael could no more hide is happiness than a dog can disguise a wagging tail. Michael is living true to his beliefs; standing tall as the trees that lined the green street. Michael is traveling on sunlight.

For a growing number of people, “riding on sunlight” is their daily reality. For others, it is a metaphor for their future use of zero-emission vehicles powered by renewable energy. More regions are generating electricity from renewable sources such as wind, solar, bioenergy, geothermal, and hydro power. Scientific studies repeatedly document that we have enough renewable energy to meet all our needs for electricity and transportation.

Learn about the future of transportation in John Addison’s new book - Save Gas, Save the Planet.

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