Will Los Angeles Drivers Ever Switch to Electric Cars?

Electric cars have been driving L.A. roads in large numbers since 2003. The Toyota Prius is a type of electric vehicle (EV), a “hybrid.” Despite a price tag of about $36,000, Toyota says that by December 2009, it had sold over 800,000 Priuses in the U.S. Its engine is powered by both electricity from a battery and by burning gas in its internal combustion engine. The battery is charged whenever the driver puts a foot on the brake. Braking triggers a mechanism that generates electricity and stores it in the car’s battery. In 2009, the Toyota Prius was rated by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the most fuel-efficient car on the road, averaging 50 miles per gallon.

The Big Leap Forward – Plug-in Electric VehiclesA plug-in EV can be plugged into a regular electrical outlet or special charger to charge the battery. It is currently not possible for drivers of a Prius to charge the battery by plugging into anything, only by stepping on the brakes. There is a big change coming this year when the new plug-in electric cars, the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt, are fully launched.

The Nissan Leaf, at about $33,000, began deliveries in L.A. in December 2010. The Chevy Volt at about $40,000, will begin deliveries in L.A. early in 2010. While these prices may seem high, they’re effectively lowered by government tax and rebate incentives.

President Obama, in his 2011 State of the Union speech, set an objective of one million EVs on the road in the U.S. by 2015, four years from now. The Administration’s goals, of course, are to reduce our dependence on oil, deal with air pollution and climate change, and create new, green jobs. The federal government gives a tax credit of up to $7,500 to buyers of the Leaf and Volt. The State of California, on a first-come-first-served basis has limited funds available to give EV buyers up to an additional $5,000 as a rebate on purchase. These incentives can lower the effective price of EVs so that they’re competitive with similar gas-burning cars, especially when considering the savings on fuel year in and year out.

The Leaf had a waiting list of 40,000 buyers when it started delivery in L.A. in late December 2010. The Chevy Volt is expected to start delivering vehicles to L.A. buyers early in 2011. Several other car companies are developing EV models. By 2012, there will likely be a dozen different EVs for sale in L.A. including a plug-in version of the Prius.

The actual number of electric vehicles that will be sold in L.A. is hard to predict. A 2009 University of California study determined that even if gas prices rise only slightly, by 2030 about 75% of new car sales will be electric. If gas prices jump, we’ll start hitting 75% of new car sales a lot sooner. The safest thing one can say about plug-in EV sales in Los Angeles is that they’re starting now in a big way and they will be increasing over the years.

We at The Electric Connection install chargers for electric vehicles. Click here for more information on installation of EV chargers. 

Rolling power outages can be a royal pain. It seems like they strike just when you have put dinner in the oven or sat down to watch your favorite television show. Typically, the blackout is over within a few hours and life goes back to normal. However, those few hours without power will require you to do a few things in order to ensure everything powers back on normally when the electricity is back on provided by your electrician. Santa Monica residents should consider writing this list down and keeping it handy. You can always call The Electric Connection if you would like a more detailed explanation about anything on the list.

First and foremost, ensure your family is safe. If anybody is in darkened rooms, calmly guide everybody into one area to wait out the power outage. This will help keep you occupied and hey, it can actually make for some excellent family time. No lights, no electronics means no distractions!

1-Unplug all of your small appliances and electronics. This will prevent damage from happening when the power does come back on. When electricity is restored, power surges through the lines and can damage to things like computers, game consoles and even televisions.

2-Tell everybody to stay out of the refrigerator and freezer. Leaving the doors closed will preserve the cool temperatures inside the spaces and keep your food safe. You can expect your refrigerated foods to stay fresh for 4 hours without electricity and up to 24 hours in the freezer.

3-Open the doors and windows to allow airflow through the home says your electrician. Santa Monica residents will appreciate a cool breeze to help keep the air from becoming stagnant during a power outage.

If you would like more information about what you should do when the power goes out, give The Electric Connection a call today.

MOM.  Can you even think of another word that has the power to invoke more emotion, passion, respect and admiration?  Moms seem to have a special power – a superwoman power of sort.  Who else can do the job of a CEO, housekeeper, cook, psychologist, janitor and taxi driver all in one day? Maya Angelou said in her 1969 memoir, “To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power.” A hurricane.  Now that’s some power.  Forbes.com ( compiled a list of the powerful moms from around the globe. It’s an interesting read, but if you think about it there are also a few moms from pop culture that have helped blaze the trail to empower women as well.

There you have it - 5 TV moms with their own style of superwoman powers.  Admittedly, some may be a bit unconventional.  Nonetheless, these moms get the job done and they have empowered our tomorrows.