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7 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,S eptem ber 26,2019 theifp.ca LESLEY BARRON WELLINGTON-HALTON HILLS CHOOSE • Benefits for our Children • Increased Old Age Security after 75• Better Housing Choices • Real Climate Action • Better Healthcare For years, I've been a member of the Golden Horseshoe Mustang Asso- ciation (GHMA). The group is comprised of Ford Mustang owners from all walks of life, with Mustangs ranging from vintage 64 1/2 models, right up to present day. They meet monthly at the Ford headquarters in Oakville and have a guest speaker for each meeting. They also organize club ac- tivities like car shows, cruises and a trip to the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit each August. A couple of weeks ago, I heard a most interesting speaker. His name is Tim Burrows, and his presenta- tion is titled Tim Talks Tes- la. (www.TimTalksTes- la.com) Most people know the Tesla is one of the leading electric automobiles on the market today. And Tim talks candidly about being a Tesla driver. OK, I know exactly what you internal combustion engine fans are thinking. "Whoa! A Tesla driver promoting electric auto- mobiles at a Mustang spe- cial interest group gather- ing? Man, that's sacrilege!" Interestingly I found his presentation a perfect fit. Let's face it, electric cars are on the way - it's not a matter of if they're coming, more a matter of when. And Tim's presentation to a classic car group was most appropriate - they're all car junkies. I drive a late model Mus- tang seasonally for fun. And I have a daily driver I drive the rest of the time. I also own a 1967 Mustang project car - something to tinker with when time per- mits. In spite of owning two Mustangs I'm a driver first and like most, I'm interest- ed in saving the environ- ment and saving money at the gas pump to boot. I liken it to someone who owns a horse and hitches him to a buggy once in a while to take the grandkids for a ride. That horse isn't a replacement for the family car, rather a fun diversion - as are the Mustangs, or any other col- lectible car. Switching to an electric car doesn't make one a trai- tor to the internal combus- tion engine - it makes us progressive. Tim used analogies about driving an EV (elec- tronic vehicle). He said when you get up in the morning, and step in- to your EV, the batteries are 100 per cent charged. It's like having a full tank of gas. That's because it's been on the home charger all night. So off you go to work, no worries about stopping for gas on your way. Later, when you return home, you plug your EV in- to your home receptacle and the built-in timer be- gins the charging process in the wee hours of the morning, while you're asleep - and electricity is cheaper. Next morning, another full tank. Tim also compared the performance and range of his EV to a conventional car. His Tesla has a 400- horsepower electric motor and he travels about 450 km on a charge. I found his range inter- esting. My Mustang has a 400-plus horsepower motor and I too can travel about 450 km on a tank. One difference - I'm pay- ing $1.45 a litre for premi- um gas, while he's paying the equivalent of about $0.25 per litre for electrici- ty. And I'm still travelling to a gas pump to fill up. I'm hardly scratching the surface of the EV vs. in- ternal combustion discus- sion, like the reduction in range in cold weather, bat- tery maintenance, etc. But it still makes sense, especially following the re- cent Saudi Arabia oilfields bombing. More and more auto- makers are developing EVs. We'll be driving them sooner than we think. And like those pricey transistor radios we paid exorbitant prices for in the 1950s, later to cost a couple bucks - I'm betting EVs will also become affordable. I'm a few years away from changing vehicles, but I expect my next car will be an EV. But I hope one thing can remain - that I'll still be able to attend a Friday cruise night behind the wheel of a classic. Ted Brown is a free- lance journalist for the IFP. He can be contacted at tedbit@hotmail.com. OPINION EVS - IT'S NOT 'IF' BUT 'WHEN' THEY'RE COMING I EXPECT NEXT CAR WILL BE ONE, WRITES TED BROWN TED BROWN Column This circa 1922 photo shows station employees Ray Coles (left) and George Alcott (second from left) with the crew of the Toronto Suburban electric train standing outside of Georgetown Station. The railway operated from Toronto to Guelph, passing through Georgetown and Acton, from April 1917 until August 1931. This building stood at 29 Main St. South, the present site of Goodfellas Pizza. EHS photo THE WAY WE WERE COMMUNITY