My approach to the driving question is mostly utilitarian but also a personal choice. No plans to ever drive anything other than a small, fuel efficient gas powered car. 25 mpg in town easily, and 40-42 on the highway. I don't tell others what to do, I simply will never buy anything related to Musk and so far, other electric options aren't practical/too expensive anyway. Ethical and practical concerns with those batteries too. If bad weather is forecast the first thing I do is top off the car, basically for peace of mind. Working from home more than half the time, most days my car doesn't leave the garage. It isn't automatic to need the car to run errands, either, as I use buses or walk whenever feasible. This includes getting to the airport or train station. And I tend to keep cars a long time, at least 10 years. This winter has been worse than usual as there were times recently, no choice to go out in some really messy weather, and have some lingering concerns about undercarriage corrosion as a result. Something for the mechanics to look at for next visit. It's definitely a fact of driving life in Michigan, along with potholes. Interestingly, I notice a major shift among young people today, while my generation was weaned from an early age that driving and getting a vehicle were major milestones of adulthood, hearing more now that the availability of public transportation is a higher priority for this demographic. I don't recall a single conversation from the 70s that included a desire for more bus service! My adult kids don't own cars yet, although I would like them to in the future. Perhaps by that time one of the hybrid models will be a more appealing option, we will see. It may depend on where their careers end up taking them.
