On Monday, the Arlington County Board voted down what would
have been the country’s first all-electric taxi fleet, EV Taxicabs. The operator
certificates necessary to operate in Arlington were voted against 3-2.
According to the Arlington
Patch, board members had concerns about battery life and the viability of
electric vehicle technology.[1]
Some of the board member concerns reflect previous public testimony that addressed
these issues.
Vice Chairman of the board, Walter Tejada, commented that “If
we’re going to do it, we’re going to have to get it right.”[2]
But just how the county is going “to get it right” remains unclear.
Given the novelty of an all-electric taxi fleet and the
problems stated above, it isn’t difficult to see that the endeavor assumes a
number of risks. But with great risks come great rewards, and what better
reward than to finally move one significant step closer to making electric
vehicles a reality in the U.S.?
But there is, of course, the lingering issue of what is
going to power these electric vehicles. Coal, natural gas, nuclear power? In a
way, electric vehicles would only move us back to square one when it comes to
resolving the energy portfolio dilemma.
Perhaps however, the greatest significance of electric
vehicles is the symbolic shift away from gasoline powered automobiles. Often enough,
it seems like gasoline powered automobiles are an unshakable part of U.S.
culture, an aspect superimposed over the dreams and aspirations of Virginians
and Americans who hope to see the day when we’re no longer moving 65 MPH down
the highway on a form of power that is slowly turning our planet into an wildly
unpredictable oven.
For Virginia in particular, it marks an opportunity to
finally be at the front of history in a big way instead of lagging behind it,
as it has done so often in the past. Here in particular slavery and Jim Crow
segregation come to mind.
There is nothing inherently wrong with being cautious,
especially in the face of uncharted business and technological pathways. But sometimes
caution can become the problem that needs to be overcome, not the risky venture
itself.
The Arlington County Board should rethink its vote against EV
Taxicabs because some risks are worth taking.
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