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| I hope the paint job on the right is not for production; I assume this has something to do with obscuring some design details. |
As we think about this Chicago-to-LA journey, a key question is the choice of vehicle.
Perhaps the route could have been traversed by public bus at some point in the past, and perhaps much of it could be today. But if ever a journey was meant to be completed in a car, it is this one.
In 2016 we purchased a 2008 Mercedes E350 wagon, which we call Gretel, especially when her GPS talks to us. Even though we got it for a good price, we could only justify the extravagance of such a vehicle because of its potential to last for many years. At 13 years and 210,000 miles, signs of wear are few (though occasional repairs can be shockingly expensive).
We can fully expect to still have Gretel when we take this journey in 2029. And a 2,000-mile drive stretched over several weeks might not warrant a new car purchase.
Still, it is not too soon to be thinking about using this trip as an opportunity to make a break with the internal combustion engine. Mercedes-Benz is doing so as a company, recently announcing that it will have all-electric models in every major category by 2025, with an entirely electric fleet by 2030.
The company's plans are not limited to the production side: it is developing a network of charging stations that hopes will provide a "seamless" experience. That geographic aspect of the planning will be key to customer acceptance.
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| This photo of Gretel was really about showing off the kayak. |
