Living Like Ed - (Page 66) • zero • zero tailpipe emissions evaporative emissions (gasoline can escape from various parts of an internal-combustion-engine vehicle’s fuel system and evaporate into the atmosphere) • zero • zero emissions as the result of the gasoline refining process emissions as the result of the transport and sale of gasoline Plus, an electric car doesn’t even have—or need—an onboard emissions-control system, which can go bad over time and allow further polluting emissions into the atmosphere. So when we’re talking about green cars, an electric car is the greenest of the green. That’s why I’m a longtime believer in this technology. I bought my first electric car in 1970. Of course, electric cars have come a long way since then. RACHELLE’S TURN You know how dependent we are on our cars, especially in L.A.? Well, when Ed and I started dating, he would not get into RACHELLE’S a gasoline-powered vehicle, or only in the most dire of TURN circumstances. He did have an electric vehicle, but back then electric vehicles were not as reliable as they are today—and that’s putting it mildly! I remember going out and then running out of electricity many times. One time, we were going down the hill on Laurel Canyon and the car caught fire! And then there was the time when I was in labor with our daughter, Hayden. Ed wanted to drive me to the hospital in his electric car; I said, “Oh no, we are not taking an electric car today.” It probably would have made it fine, but just the thought of running out of electricity with me in labor—no way was I going to take that risk. Today, things are really different. Now, when we go out we always take Ed’s car. This electric car is great. I love it, especially now that gas is over $3 a gallon, ’cause we have solar power, so it’s like we’re not really paying to fuel the car. house. And that electricity can power your house and it can power your car. Imagine getting free
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