A Worldwide Automotive Revolution

Dr. Skott Brill, a philosophy professor at Frostburg State University, has shared his experience of buying and owning a solar-powered electric vehicle with the public in his Focus Frostburg presentation, “I’m Driving on Sunshine, Woah-oh!” Dr. Brill opened his presentation with an explanation of how he and his wife have always aimed to be environmentally mindful. “For years we’ve gotten by on one vehicle, and we felt good about it.” However, once they had a daughter to take care of, and Dr. Brill started to take up golf in his free time, they realized that they would need a second car

However, they did not like the idea of having a second car giving off emissions and harming the environment. Dr. Brill discussed his concerns with a friend, who responded by telling him about electric vehicles. This led him to research electric cars on his own time, and having a clean mode of transportation sounded like a great solution. However, there was a problem. Dr. Brill realized that “you plug in to charge the car with electricity. What’s powering that electricity? Coal.” But this did not deter him from pursuing a clean car. Instead, he decided to take his research further and came upon solar power.

About a year ago, Dr. Brill ordered twelve solar panels and installed them onto the roof of his garage. In that process, he also joined a solar co-op that aims to make solar panels more accessible to everyone. Weeks later, he received his electric car, a Chevrolet Bolt. After a year of driving his new car, Dr. Brill has shared his experiences with it. He provided charts to the audience that laid out the cost of buying and owning his solar panels and Chevy Bolt. The panels initially cost a little over $11,000, but thanks to a federal solar tax credit, the price was lowered down to around $7,000. Before installing the panels, Dr. Brill paid roughly $260 for five months of electricity. But with the help of solar panels, his electric bill has been lowered to just $60 for five months. Of course, these panels are not foolproof. He mentioned that solar panel owners cannot always rely on the panels due to the weather. In the case of a Frostburg resident, snow can blanket the panels and block them completely. However, since the panels are rather slick, the snow on them  usually melts off quickly, often before anything else.

The Chevy Bolt was priced at $40,000, but a federal tax credit lowered it to $32,500. Dr. Brill remarked how the Bolt was a quiet yet powerful machine. It is capable of going from 0 to 60 MPH in 6.3 seconds, yet it hardly makes any noise. “The Bolt is quiet, and that pleases me.” Dr. Brill says that he and his wife love their Chevy Bolt so much that they argue over who gets to drive it. “We fight over the Bolt; we don’t want to drive the Subaru.” Additionally, he mentioned that although electric vehicles are expensive to buy, their upkeep is quite cheap. While traditional cars require regular maintenance due to their internal combustion engines, electric vehicles require much less attention to keep them running smoothly.

One of the largest concerns people have with electric vehicles is their practicality for long trips, as gas stations are still much easier to find than charging stations. However, Dr. Brill has pointed out that this is changing. The Sheetz gas station in La Vale has a charging station, though it is specifically for Tesla models. Rocky Gap also has a charging station, it works for cars like the Bolt, and it is free to use. Not only that, but new apps are making electric car ownership easier. For example, ChargePoint maps out electric charging stations across the country to help electric car owners plan and make long trips. Most importantly, the time needed to fully charge and electric car is getting shorter. Today, the maximum time needed to fully charge a car is only thirty minutes.

Finally, Dr. Brill mentioned that in the coming years, electric vehicles will become more common and accessible thanks to the efforts of various governments and automakers. Countries in Europe and Asia will be requiring all new cars to be all electric powered within the next few decades. Meanwhile, automakers around the world are pledging to make several new electric cars, most within the next decade, as they are “afraid” of Tesla, according to Dr. Brill. “I do believe there is a worldwide automotive revolution going on right now,” he states. He also believes that it is possible that car manufactures could start making all-electric models of older, classic vehicles that people love. With all this in mind, it is hoped that others will follow in Dr. Brill’s footsteps and adopt solar-powered electric vehicles. “There’s a lot of doom and gloom these days, and this is the opposite.”

Dr. Brill with his Chevrolet Bolt

Anyone interested in solar power should consider visiting the Mountain Maryland Solar Co-op. Here is a link to their website: http://www.downtownfrostburg.com/mountain-maryland-solar-co-op/