QOTD: Pleasure Cruise for the Isolated?

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Self-isolation and social distancing — it’s all the rage these days, though your author hopped on that bandwagon long before it was cool. Lonely nights lead to fewer viruses, the thinking went. A strategy that’s panned out over time.

As you digest that completely unnecessary and frankly uncomfortable information, you may as well ponder something that’s crossed my mind repeatedly over the past few days. Perhaps you can come up with an answer.

Governments the world over are telling us to have as little contact with other human beings (and things they’ve touched) as possible. Stay indoors, they say. Only go out for essentials. Okay, so if you’re not infected with COVID-19, the outdoors still holds some promise — and your personal vehicle some purpose.

It’s hard to say how long these measures will be necessary, though we’re clearly in for a decent spell of anxious, lonely moments. But many will still need to go to work, while others will need to leave their home for essentials on occasion. One type of vehicle, however, is capable of eliminating a certain contamination/infection scenario: the electric car.

Simply, electric vehicles can be charged at home, leaving no need to visit a gas station, expose yourself to other drivers and/or the clerk, and punch your debit code into a virus-laden keypad. Just plug in when you arrive home at your well-stocked abode.

On the other hand, gas is ridiculously cheap right now and, even though there’s few fun places to go, an internal combustion car can quickly go whatever distance the driver asks of it, and for whatever reason. They’ll just have to expose themselves to a greater degree.

Right now, with your life and responsibilities, and for the reasons stated above, would you happily drive an electric car until this crisis passes?

[Image: Tesla]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Dan Dan on Mar 18, 2020

    I'd feel more comfortable with 600 miles in the tank than 200 in the battery. I'd feel even more comfortable keeping 600 miles in the tank and using the other car with the battery so long as the lights at my house stay on.

  • Ttacgreg Ttacgreg on Mar 18, 2020

    I have a pair of very used, blackened, yellow leather gloves from work. They are now my "keep my hands germ free" gloves. NO way I'll touch my face with them they are so dirty. So grocery cart handles, gas pumps, no big deal, just grab 'em. They are kind of big and loose so I can get the gloves on and off with out touching the exterior leather. I still thoroughly wash my hands when I get home, but having a barrier around my hands is certainly an extra layer of safety. And yes, I have been just going out for pleasure drives to get out of the house, sometimes stopping at isolated places for a walk too. I do consider and treat the steering wheel as contaminated.

  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
  • ToolGuy Ford is good at drifting all right... 😉
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