The following entry is a favorite from SV Moms contributor Glennia:

My husband is a very practical man. His ancestors were Mennonites. The Mennonites are like the Amish gone electric. They are horse and buggy people who eventually bought cars, but generally eschew worldly possessions and new-fangled gizmos. They are simple, frugal folk and pacifists. They make excellent cheese. My husband normally has every penny accounted for and questions my $1.99 purchases from Target with "Is this something we really needed?"

So, imagine my surprise when he sent me the following e-mail:

Glennia:
Forewarned is forearmed: I have seen a description of a new sports car, and ... I want it! It's the Tesla. An Electric Sports Car. Based on a Lotus, but with batteries developed for use in laptop computers. This isn't yet for sale, but the company has emerged from stealth mode this week, and I have to confess, I'm interested...

So, we would need to weigh the whole financial impact, the potential resale value, and the other things on our wish list. If we went ahead, I'd be replacing the Prius with this; but the Prius is getting old, and it needs to be replaced sometime anyway.

So, I thought I ought to let you know. I'm interested, I've signed up for the mailing list, and when they start actually selling these sometime in 2007, I may want to get in line.

Love,

F.

A sports car? Really? My husband is 6'4" and would need to sit in the trunk in order to drive a Miata.
I became concerned. I replied immediately:

F, Are you having a midlife crisis? Is there a blonde stashed away in Modesto I should be worried about? If so, I'm taking the kid and the Lexus and you can keep the waterbed and the cactus. Please write me a check for the value of half of all your worldly assets and send it to my brother's house in Texas.

In the past year you have promised me a new bed and bedroom remodel/paint job. I'd also like a new house, since this one is getting old and is kinda small.

G.

P.S. The Lexus is much older than the Prius, so if anyone is getting a new car, it's me. And, where would you put the carseat? Answer me that, Batman.

At home that night, he explained to me that "the cool thing about this car is that it runs on laptop batteries." Laptop batteries? This man is definitely suffering from memory loss or early-onset senility. I recall all too clearly a 13-hour flight to Tokyo in which his laptop battery crapped out in the middle of Elmo in Grouchland, causing our then-2 year old to melt-down, sob uncontrollably for the remainder of the flight, and kick the bejesus out of the poor lady sitting in front of him. If a laptop battery can't make it through Elmo, how on earth could it be expected to get you to Fresno?

He then explained that it was not one laptop battery, but a whole daisy-chain of super-charged, high-powered uber-laptop batteries all bound together. So, my question was, if they're all linked together, and one craps out, then does the whole thing fail? Like Christmas tree lights, where you can't figure out which one is the lemon and have to throw the whole thing out? Or would it still work but the radio would go off, or the AC would shut down, or the windows wouldn't roll down anymore? He pondered this for a moment and said, "I'm sure they've figured that out. Laptop batteries are much better than they used to be." The photo of the battery-powered engine made his little geeky heart go flippity-flop, more so than any Maxim bimbo. At least I didn't need to call my lawyer.

Seriously, I'm all for green living, and really liked Valerie's post about the the Electric Car movie and how we all need to take heed. I think for our planet to survive, innovations like this need to be supported. A few years ago, I went to a conference with people from different industries talking about research and development trends. A representative from Ford got up and revealed that they have been doing consumer studies since the '70's on what people want in a car. For 30 years, "Fuel Economy" has ranked about 17th on the list, far behind "more cup holders" and "place to park your change" and "thingie to put your sunglasses in."

According to the Ford representative, the number one thing people wanted was reliability, followed by design. So basically, people want anything that looks good and will start when you crank the key. Consumers evidently didn't care how much it gas it takes, or the fact that fossil fuel resources will be depleted in ten years or that polar bears are drowning from the polar ice caps melting due to global warming. Japanese companies had similar marketing information, and basically came to the conclusion that, "Consumers are stupid" and built hybrid cars anyway. People here in The SV lined up to buy those Japanese hybrid cars. We waited six months for our Prius, and it's been a really fine car.

I guess if my husband really wants a Tesla, I could be talked into it. Doing our part against global warming and all that. Supporting our local economy, since the company is the only auto manufacturer in Menlo Park. Plus, I would look cute in it -- red is my color. I can just imagine myself zipping down 280 with sunglasses, hair flying in the wind, and the radio blaring Il Divo, the middle-aged woman's equivalent to a swoony boy-band...Now who's having a mid-life crisis?

Glennia's blog is The Silent I where she writes about her adventures, both foreign and domestic.