Plug In

 

I'm on my first road trip with an EV. And I'm having flashbacks.

I was born in 1960 so I have seen many 'firsts'. I remember getting a Color TV when that was a big deal. I remember having one of the first radio controlled garage doors when living in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. That was magic. My dad loved new stuff, we called them 'gadgets' back then.

In 1960, one in five American households didn’t have a car. 2025: There were 20.5 million EV cars sold, world-wide. 

Think about all the TV antennas on the rooftops across the USA. We had channels 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 when I was growing up. And then came Cable TV. And then Satellite TV. And then the Internet. 

The only constant in life is change. 

I learned to drive during the 'Gas Crisis' in the 70s. I watched as President Carter spoke to the nation on TV, as he made the National Speed Limit 55 across the USA. I felt so cheated! Just in time for me get my driver's license, we had gas rationing. I also remember when President Carter placed Solar Panels on the White house. 

And I remember when President Reagan promptly took them down. 

When I drove to and from PURDUE from my home in New Jersey in the 70s gas was around $0.85 a gallon. There was talk that gas might cost more than $1 per gallon one day soon. Many said that would never happen. There were many 'muscle cars' on campus, no one really cared about MPG back then. During my days at PURDUE we had Americans being held hostage in Iran. Now in 2026 our cars and trucks are being held hostage. We really don't seem to learn, do we?

I can charge my EV at home, during off peak hours. It takes around 5 to 7 hours to get a full charge from home. From the road, it takes 10 to 20 minutes to top off to 80% of a charge, which can get me 250 to 350 miles. The app in the car (and in my phone) will find a charger for road trips. My son has an EV so when we visit him in Connecticut I charge up in his driveway. 

Solar (and wind) technology has changed a lot since the 70s. I wonder where we would be as a country if we kept the solar panels on the White House. If we made the alternative energy industry cool. If we changed from 'muscle cars' to electric. The 'gas crisis of the 70s should have been a lesson for all of us, right? 

We were warned. Big money wanted to keep the game the same. And climate change was a hoax, right?

I remember making that college drive from New Jersey to Indiana, and looking at all the land. The open spaces. Farmland, and cornfields. Farms, farms, farms as far as the eye can see. Why not Wind Farms and Solar Farms? 

Dozens of countries operate electrified or battery-electric (EV) trains, with widespread adoption across Europe, Asia, and expanding rapidly in Australia and the Americas. The majority utilize traditional electrified overhead wires or third rails, while others are pioneering battery-electric or hydrogen-powered train technologies for cleaner transit.

Leading countries utilizing electrified (EV) and battery-electric trains include:

Switzerland: Operates a 100% electrified national railway network, featuring heavily utilized electric passenger and freight trains.

The Netherlands: The first country to run its entire national railway on 100% wind-powered electricity.

Japan: Operates one of the world's most extensive electrified networks (roughly 75% electrified), famous for its high-speed electric Shinkansen bullet trains.

India: Aiming for full network electrification, with nearly 90% of its rail routes electrified using heavy electric locomotives for both freight and passenger travel.

China: Boasts the world's largest high-speed rail network and one of the largest overall electrified networks in the world.

Spain: Leads Europe in high-speed rail and is pioneering zero-emission electric and hydrogen-powered high-speed trains.

Australia: Expanding commercial battery-electric freight locomotives, using massive onboard battery banks and regenerative braking to haul heavy mining loads without overhead lines.

My grandchildren will never know a world without EV trains, cars, trucks. Probably EV ships and aircraft, too. Fossil fuels will be like having thousands of horses in the city, pulling wagons and buggies. 

That must have really been something, manure as far as the eye can see on city streets. Here's to hoping that we have sunny (and windy) times ahead. Like the rest of the civilized world.