The news around here

We had an awful week weather-wise and missed our walks in the great outdoors. Treadmill life doesn’t agree with me. The weather was mild though, including high winds and rain, taking the snow. Then, the temperatures dropped again and the snow came back.

Meanwhile, the ice in the harbour blew off-shore again, and when we could finally ventured forth, the bay was blue…for a day. 

Sunday morning, the on-shore wind overnight had blown ice back in the bay. It isn’t as thick now though so it may not survive temperatures above zero for very long.

Meanwhile, we have had our new vehicle for over two months now. In that time we have driven over 900 kilometres but haven’t used a tank of gas. The plug-in hybrid vehicle works well for us. 

This time of year, unless an emergency arises, we don’t venture far from home. We drive around town on errands, to the boardwalk or to our family in the neighbouring community. We can drive another 600 plus kilometres on the gas remaining in the tank. We started with a full tank when we brought the car home.

The vehicle is slow to charge due to the trickle charger we use at home, which can take 15 hours if the battery is fully discharged. However, we don’t see any difference to our electric bill. The electric battery is good for over 50 kilometres and when it is depleted while we are driving, it switches seamlessly to the gas engine. It charges without a sound as well. It is a different experience to drive a silent car. We know it is on by “Ready” on the screen. 

We have yet to try one of the charge-point stations on the island but a visit to Cavendish in the near future will give us an opportunity to try one. These high speed chargers won’t be in demand in the park this time of year.

This vehicle has far more features than I will ever use. I only use the radio and heater. When the weather is warm, I will open the windows rather than use air conditioning most of the time. I understand why cars today have all the “bells and whistles” but I suspect there would be a market for basic vehicles with reduced costs. Wouldn’t such vehicles be easier on the electric batteries too?

The infrastructure for charging vehicles on the island is limited. The same is true all over the country. In addition, the life of an electric rechargeable battery is limited and they are costly to replace. Charging takes time. If one could turn in a battery and drop in a new one at a charging station, it might be a solution. However, the batteries have their own environmental issues. Electric is not a perfect fix to the pollution of fossil fuels. Besides, could the electric grid supply enough electricity for a world of such vehicles?

While we are happy with our rechargeable hybrid, we can’t see a future with just electric vehicles. Is hydrogen the answer? I cannot imagine we will live to see the fix, whatever it is. Meanwhile, as with everything else in life, we endeavour to make the most of what is.

Cars then and now

We had taken the car for a test drive and knew the basics needed to drive it. Now, after settling the account, we were taking it home. We sat in the car as the salesman answered some questions. While I listened, my mind wondered as it often does when I have to deal with technology. This was technology at a whole new level for us, enough to challenge our old brains for years.

The vehicle is a plug-in hybrid, with a screen across the dash which requires input. I have an aversion to technology I will have to get over. As the salesman answered some questions however, my mind drifted back to 1971.

My husband had spent a year working in Labrador City working on a surveying crew which planned the way for a rail line to move iron ore to market. He made enough to buy a new Volkswagen Beetle. In September, he drove from his home in Corner Brook to university in St. John’s where we started dating. The rest is our history and the Volkswagen was an early part of that history. 

Winter in Newfoundland is an experience and when the little car faced that winter, it made life interesting. The Beetle, commonly called a bug, was air cooled, not water cooled, with the result that the heat from the engine at the back of the car was blown into the foot of the passenger compartment at the front. This system was inefficient, and one had to continually scape the interior windshield of the heavy frost. That car was cold, icy even. One was glad when temperatures warmed up. My husband, then boyfriend, was pleased with his car in spite of the heater.

Back to the reality of this new vehicle…we’ve driven it for a week around town in the electric mode, recharging it periodically on a schedule meant to extend the life of the electric battery. We can turn on the heater and the radio but we can’t change stations yet. Over time, with the manual and both of us in the car, we hope to figure out how to change stations among the myriad of other things we don’t know how to do yet with that vehicle. Oh for the days of the Beetle!

Somehow I cannot see a world of electric vehicles. The infrastructure certainly isn’t available yet and will require a great deal of work to be available. The car’s batteries last 5-8 years and are expensive to replace. Much has to be solved to replace gas/diesel engines.

Meanwhile, 2023 was the hottest year on record. High winds are challenging our homes. How much more will the wind speeds increase? And what about the fires, floods, heat waves and the freezing?

There are more questions than answers.

And between the storms which include the high winds, we walk the boardwalk and watch the drama of the sky in the January light. With the ice in the bay and the sky, there is always a reason to stop and take in a scene. Being in the moment keeps us going!