Forget flying, I want an electric car.
When I first moved to Seattle, I lived downtown and commuted to work via bus. That worked out well until the fall when the snowcapped mountains in the east started whispering, 'Snowboarding.' I shopped around until I discovered the then brand new 2000 Nissan Xterra. It was perfect for hauling me and up to 4 friends into the mountains no matter the conditions. I don't do that much any more but I still drive the same vehicle. It's getting up there in years and I anticipate I will have to replace it in the next few years. I dreaded that thought until I read an article on Geekwire comparing electric cars. Now I'm excited, sorta'.
It was this chart in the article that got me excited (click for larger version).
The pure-electric range on most of these vehicles is dismal but the Tesla Motor vehicles are very promising. $50,000+ is well out of my price range for a car but I have a few years to hope for either a) the other vendors’ technology catches up to Tesla’s or b) a used-Tesla market develops as newer Tesla vehicles come out.
I don’t know what you think but the Tesla Model X looks very cool to me. Maybe by 2015 or 2016 an electric car will be a realistic option. For now, I can only hope my beloved 2000 Xterra keeps on running.