I'm making a firm commitment to get my own vehicle as soon as humanly possible. Unfortunately, this decision comes at a time when I have few economic resources. It also comes at a time when our society is filled with insane internal combustion engines and few commercially available electric vehicles. Therefore, in order to strengthen my resolve and raise consciousness about renewable energy, I've decided to track my progress towards owning my own electric vehicle.

This page, treesong.org/electric, will be updated on a regular basis to reflect my progress. The Piggy Bank shows how much I've saved up so far, and the two bars beneath each vehicle's title show how close I am to raising the full price and a 10% down payment.

One way or the other, I will find a way. And to those of you out there who make more than $11,000 a year... if I can do it, then so can you. In fact, if you sell your current vehicle, you can probably buy Option 1 today! Option 1.5 would have likely been the EV1, but all of those were visciously abducted and destroyed by GM. [See whokilledtheelectriccar.com for more info.] NAUGHTY GM!

Piggy Bank

OPTION 1: Electric GPR-S

TOP SPEED: 70 m.p.h. RANGE: 35 miles (Power Mode) to 60 miles (Economy Mode) The Electric GPR-S is a fully electric street-legal motorcycle. I've read good reviews of this distributor from fellow electric motorcycle enthusiasts, and the price tag beats anything I've been able to find with similar performance (speed and range). And since this company makes their own bikes, I've heard that I may be able to ask them to maximize the range. I will primarily use this for local travel, but when I want to hit the road, I can just make charging stops at whatever frequency I need to. This will give me the opportunity to see more places and talk to more people about the benefits of electric vehicles (and the social-ecological crises motivating me to support electrics).

OPTION 2: TESLA ROADSTER

TOP SPEED: Over 130 m.p.h. MAX RANGE: 250 miles 0 to 60 in 4 seconds Dare to dream, eh? I never thought that I'd want to own a vehicle, much less a sports car. But in my opinion, the Tesla Roadster is the single most important vehicle in automotive history. Between the high speed, high range, and impressive style, this is the vehicle that will get the public truly excited about electric vehicles. And once the Roadster has had a few years of success, Tesla Motors will be coming out with more economical models, making electric vehicles available to the masses. And for better or worse, it'll probably be just in time for the collapse of the entire oil economy!

I know that it may seem silly for someone who currently makes about $11,000 a year to aspire to owning a vehicle that costs about $100,000 when fully featured. But the older I get, the more focused and determined I'm becoming in pursuing my visions for a better world. If I write a best-selling book, and if I do a few good speaking tours, I'll be able to afford this vehicle. And once I have a Tesla Roadster, I will dedicate my life to traveling the continental U.S. speaking about renewable energy, peak oil, permaculture, and many of the other ecological and social issues facing us today.