As we all know and see in our daily lives, the automotive world is making a rapid transition from the gasoline powered internal combustion engine powertrain to fully electric and hybrid models. To your average individual, this switch is something positive. Electric and hybrid models have vastly reduced carbon emissions and more practical driving characteristics, making them desirable to the average commuter. But between people who’ve had a passion for automobiles their entire lives, feelings around the transition are mixed and strong.
“I dislike it because most car manufacturers, such as Mercedes, Audi, and Toyota are known for sports cars, supercars and stuff like that. And with engines, turbos and superchargers going away, they don’t provide the same thrill, the same fun factor that you get with the regular internal combustion car. “
— Henry Tian, senior
“I mean, full gas cars are pretty cool, but EV cars are okay. I personally don’t like them, but they’re still great. I mean, it’s a vehicle, so it transports you from point A to point B. It doesn’t really matter if it’s an EV, hybrid or any kind of car. If you don’t care about cars, don’t like driving, and you just want a vehicle, electric cars take you from point A to point B.”
— Yiyang Guo, senior
“Yeah, actually, I do. It’s kind of tough I mean, I grew up around internal combustion but yet it’s nice having never evolved. Personally, I like the hybrids better than the all electric ones, because we can just go wherever. And electric cars, even though they’re getting better and that you can go farther, you still have to stop [to charge]. … But once I think that infrastructure becomes better, it’ll be better to have nice bands of electric cars.”
— Doyle Knight, Auto shop teacher
“I think overall, it’s a step in the right direction, considering the environment, because, we all know that cars are huge contributors to global warming through carbon dioxide emissions, and so even though charging, your car will still take power from power plants that burn fossil fuels, it’s still going towards the right technologies that will help save the planet.”
— Alice Jambon, senior
