by Gabrielle DeSantis

Will rising gas prices in America be the final straw for gas-powered vehicle lovers? It’s no secret that there are many advantages to owning an electric vehicle. EVs are cheaper to own than gas-powered vehicles when it comes to refueling. They may soon be cheaper to purchase, thanks to federal tax credits and local incentives. Gas prices are pushing drivers out of gas-powered vehicles and into new EVs.

Kiss high gas prices goodbye with EVs

For decades Americans have found common ground complaining over gas prices. Gas prices are one topic that we can all agree on in these divisive times. Folks will frequent certain gas stations that are further away just to save a few cents per gallon. Why? Because those cents add up to major dollars at the pump annually.

Electric vehicle charging eliminates gas pricing issues. The fueling process may be much slower at times, but ultimately EVs save money, and gas-powered vehicles burn it. Owning a big pickup truck with poor fuel economy often feels like throwing your paycheck into a paper shredder when at the pump.

Gas prices in America don’t seem to be falling anytime soon. Thanks to the economic crisis created by the pandemic, America is primed for inflation. Everything from a gallon of milk to a gallon of gas can and will increase in price. According to Road Show by CNET, more Americans are choosing EVs over gas vehicles than ever before.

Electric vehicle ownership offers a life raft that can be deployed from this sinking economic ship. The stigma about EVs being boring and impractical is now dead, thanks to models like the Ford Mustang Mach-E. Frankly, there has never been a better time to purchase a new EV because of low prices and tax incentives. If saving the world wasn’t enough of a sales pitch for you, maybe saving yourself from burning cash at the pump will make you a believer.

Why are gas prices so high now?

In 2020 gas prices in America dropped to historic lows because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Today they have reached record highs because of the Colonial Pipeline cyber attack, surging demand, and inflation. The cyber attack may have been months ago, but the country saw how vulnerable our gas supplies were. The imagery of $7 gallons won’t leave the minds of consumers anytime soon.

The pandemic created an economic rollercoaster, and while we may have averted a jobs crisis for the time being, the cost of goods has increased. Emission, drilling, and production restrictions have also made gas more of a rarity in states like California, driving the prices further up. The conditions for gas prices in America to stay at a steady incline are set perfectly.

Where are gas prices highest in the U.S.?

States like Utah, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington have high gas prices, all coming in at 40 cents above average per gallon in America. California has the nastiest gas prices averaging over $4.00 recently. As emission restrictions become more common and gas prices in America rise, the idea of EV ownership will only become more appealing. Will you be making the switch to electric?

RELATED: The Country With the Most Expensive Gas Prices Is Not the U.S.

The post Rising Gas Prices Are Forcing More Americans into New EVs appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Ford F-150 Lightning and electric Chevy Silverado are making waves in the work truck segment. But this isn’t the first time Ford or Chevy has dipped into the market. Way back in 1996, GM debuted their production electric vehicle, the EV1. With increased awareness for EVs, the other two American automakers swapped the engines in their light trucks, the Ford Ranger and Chevy S-10, for electric powertrains. But which of the two was better? And where are they now?

Chevy pioneered the electric work truck effort with the Chevy S-10

The electric Chevy S-10 was never destined for a large-scale market, as only 492 were made from 1997 to 1998. Instead, the light work truck was geared towards the utility companies and even the Air Force to be used as electric fleet vehicles. Though, because of the new technology, they didn’t manage a very cheap price point. The truck was sold for $33,000 when new, and for that amount of money, you weren’t getting excellent performace.

For context, the lead-acid battery packs used in these early electric cars were incredibly heavy. The pack alone weight 1,400 lbs, and when put in the modified chassis, the truck ended up being 4,200 lbs. In comparison, a gas-powered S-10 from the same year was only 3,000 lbs. And while that extra weight certainly doesn’t help the performance figures, lead-acid batteries weren’t ideal in the first place.

The electric managed 114 horsepower, lower than that of the gasoline models. It could get up to a 70 mph top speed, but it took 13.5 seconds to accelerate to 50 mph. And the range Chevy claimed the car had was around 60 miles. But after testing, the EPA found that, at a constant 60 mph speed, the truck only had 39 miles of juice. Not to mention it took five hours and 15 minutes to charge.

The lead-acid batteries were swapped with lighter and more efficient nickel-metal batteries in 1998. The range jumped to 88 miles, and the 0-50 sprint now took 10 seconds. Regardless of model year and powertrain, however, the electric S-10 could carry 950 lbs of stuff in the six-foot bed. And while it pales in comparison to today’s EVs, for the first-ever electric work truck, the S-10 performed well.

Ford outlasted Chevy with the Ranger EV

Then along came Ford in 1998, ready to one-up Chevy be electrifying one of their most popular trucks: the Ford Ranger. While the S-10 was produced from 1997 to 1998, the Ranger’s production run lasted from 1998 to 2002. And because of the long production run, Ford built 1,400 of them in comparison to Chevy’s sub-500. So the Ranger was more abundant and lasted longer, but was it any better?

Let’s start with the price. While the $33,000 price tag on the S-10 sounds like a lot for a truck that can’t go 100 miles, the Ranger makes it look like a bargain. Priced at $52,000 back in the 90s, the Ford Ranger electric pickup was more expensive than the base model Ford F-150 Lightning available today. And that lofty price tag is supplemented by lackluster performance.

With just 90 horsepower, the Ranger EV could get 60 miles per charge with the lead-acid batteries (and 80 miles once the nickel-metal hydride batteries were introduced). It, like the S-10, could accelerate to 60 in 10 seconds, but couldn’t go much faster. The one area the Ranger excelled in was the maximum payload. With the nickel-metal hydride batteries, it was capable of hauling 1,250 lbs of cargo. But neither truck would see long-term success, regardless of their strengths and weaknesses. And they both met an unfortunate fate.

What happened to the electric vehicles of the late 90s

The EV1, Ford Ranger, and Chevy S-10 all met the same fate. While the paid-off vehicles could remain in the customer’s possession, every leased vehicle was to be recalled and scrapped. That makes these late 90s electric cars exceedingly rare, with an assumed 200 Rangers left on public roads, and even fewer S-10s and EV1s.

There are legitimate reasons these vehicles were recalled, the main point being that they were dangerous to maintain. GM, Chevy, and Ford didn’t know how many mechanics would be able to work on the cars, and doing work at home would’ve put the customer at risk, which could lead to expensive lawsuits. Still, it’s unfortunate that they were erased so abruptly, as sticking with it could’ve given us vehicles like the Chevy Volt even sooner. But we’re moving forward, bringing electric work trucks back to the world stage, while reminiscing on the past.

RELATED: Every Upcoming Electric Truck You Need to know About

The post Chevy S-10 vs. Ford Ranger: The Original Electric Trucks appeared first on MotorBiscuit.