I would very much like to debate the points that Phillip Wasserman makes in his response to my letter letters, May 18), but Mr. Wasserman leaves little to be debated, and it’s due to the fact that some of his points are based on personal preference while others are simply false.
For example, China’s Waymo is utilized solely as a taxi service and is not available to the general public, while Amazon’s Zoox is not only still being tested, their main model looks like an ugly box with wheels.
Tesla’s autonomous technology is ahead of both brands. in short, Waymo and Zoox are not leading the way.
As for electric vehicle technology in general, Tesla is still leaps and bounds ahead of any of its competitors. Waymo’s terrific charging speed is negated by its battery’s relatively short life span, and those batteries aren’t cheap to replace. Tesla, in my opinion, is still the “gold standard” in EV technologies, and will continue to be so for years to come.
As for choosing a hybrid over full-electric, well that’s about the only point on which I can agree with Mr. Wasserman as I will never purchase a fully electric vehicle.
That’s because, being a mechanical engineer, I want as much flexibility in my energy source as possible, and fully electric puts me at risk of running out too soon. Gasoline, to me, is as precious as blood and has an aroma that puts a smile on my face.
Arthur Saginian
Santa Clarita
