NewWaveCars.com All-Stars ● Individuals Committed to Alternative Energy

Electric Car All-Star, Randy Jackson switches to Telsa Roadster from gasoline driven BMW

NewWaveCars.com brings you this interview with Randy Jackson, a man who took the plunge into the new world of alternate-fuel workable solutions in transportation. We hope this inspires you to take the plunge yourself.

I met Randy Jackson in Palos Verdes, CA one day when I saw him drive up in a brand new fabulous looking red Tesla Roadster. Randy was very cordial and took the time to discuss the features of this car and his experiences with it. I soon learned that Randy was not just some wealthy guy who bought a toy to impress his friends. Randy is genuinely serious about the cause of getting away from the restraints and crippling effects of being dependent on foreign oil.

(Above) Randy Jackson in his Tesla Roadster in front of his home. Solar panels on roof.

Here’s an interview with Randy so that you can read about his adventure into the electric car world from the man himself.

Randy, thank you for sharing your story with visitors to NewWaveCars.com. Please tell us what you do for a living and how you got interested in purchasing and driving an electric car for everyday use.

I am a communications systems engineer. I became concerned about being addicted to oil when President Bush said that we are addicted to oil from unstable countries, which provide funding for terrorist organizations, and when gasoline hit $4.00 a gallon. This was not good for my family, the nation, or the world’s economy. It was then that I decided to figure out a way to break my addiction to oil and I put a lot of thought into it, considering all the options.

I came up with a two step plan: Step 1, install a solar system on the roof of my house and step 2, switch from and internal-combustion-engine vehicle to an electric vehicle (EV). This had the significant advantages of a) not developing a new addiction to a different fuel, which is subject to inflation, b) not sending my money overseas for oil and c) the electric motor is far more efficient than the internal-combustion engine so I pay much less per mile to drive the EV.

Have you owned an electric car before?

I have never owned an electric car before this.

What other types of cars did you consider before deciding to buy the one you did? And what kind of car were you driving before the Tesla Roadster?

I test drove the Honda CNG (compressed natural gas) car and considered two other electric cars, the Aptera and the Tesla sedan both of which were not in production yet. The Honda CNG car lacked performance, and would just switch me from one hydrocarbon fuel to another hydrocarbon fuel using the same inefficient internal-combustion engine. One other option I considered was having my current car converted to electric, but the performance of the Tesla Roadster convinced me not to do the conversion.

My car before this was a 1985 BMW 325e, which has 314,000 miles on it and still runs great. The 325e was the most efficient engine BMW made at the time and this car got 21 MPG. 21 MPG was over the 18 MGP limit for cash for clunkers, so it did not qualify for the cash for clunkers program.

In general, how is it going with your car? Do you use it exclusively every day?

It’s going great! I love taking Sunday drives with no worries about the cost of gasoline or for the matter the cost of electricity. I drive the car everyday to work and I am saving about $250 per month on gasoline plus $160 per month on electricity. This amounts to about $5,000 dollar a year which will more than cover the cost of a new battery for the car when I need it and pay for the cost of the solar system. Tesla advertises the life of the battery to be 100,000 miles and the solar system has a life of 25 year. Also I am saving the cost of all the tune-ups, oil changes, and new belts. I just spent $1,500 for a new timing belt for my wife’s car. My first schedule maintenance for the Tesla is at 12,000 miles or 12 months, which ever comes first.

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