My neighbor told me to skip the electric car and just keep my old truck

He said fixing my 2008 Ford was better for the planet than making a new battery. So I spent $2,500 on repairs last year. Now my mechanic says the engine is shot and I need a new vehicle anyway. Has anyone else gotten bad advice that delayed a real switch to something greener?

3 comments

3 Comments

amy_lewis23d ago

Ugh, that's rough. I feel like keeping an old gas car running forever isn't the real win. Getting into an efficient vehicle, even used, cuts your ongoing pollution way down.

henry_murray23d ago

Yeah, that's a tough spot. Amy_Lewis has a point about ongoing pollution. Sometimes the greener choice is just getting into a more efficient vehicle, even if it's used.

hannahcraig23d ago

Actually, the math on that gets tricky. Henry_Murray, a used Prius with a new battery might be cleaner in the long run, sure. But building a new car, even an electric one, makes a huge mess right at the start. Crushing a perfectly good Corolla that still gets 30 miles per gallon to build a brand new Tesla creates tons of mining waste and factory pollution. Sometimes the greenest car is the one already in your driveway.