Gas is still king
By Christian Rodarte, May 5, 2026
As the auto industry shifts toward zero-emission electric vehicles, something is being lost: vehicle personality. The quirks, sounds and mechanical machinery that once defined driving are starting to disappear.
Electric motors and batteries are replacing car engines, and with them, the sounds are disappearing from the streets. What was once a bustling town is now filled with nothing but crickets.
Cars used to mean something to people. The color they chose signaled personality style, transmissions from autos to manuals meant driver vs. non-driver. Now, EV owners think they run the streets with quickness and dull colors.
California is pushing that transition heavily. The state plans to require all new cars and trucks sold to be zero-emission by 2035, according to the California Air Resources Board.
I have been driving since I was 15. Now, at 26, not a day goes by that a gas-powered car doesn’t put a smile on my face.
I thoroughly enjoy electric vehicles. I drove a Tesla Model S for three years and sold it in 2023 when gas hit $6 a gallon. The car performed well, but the problem came from longer trips, exposing the car’s failing points. The battery drains quickly in heat, and recharging it is time-consuming and inconvenient.
With a gas car, I can stop at nearly any station, refuel, grab a snack and be back on the road in minutes, which takes far less time than it takes many EVs to charge even partially.
Gas-powered vehicles also still dominate car enthusiast culture. From Sunday morning meets to track days and even professional racing, internal combustion engines remain at the center of performance and community. You don’t see people gathered around Tesla at a car show; they are boring and lack curiosity.
Manufacturers like Chevrolet have made history with the debut of the C8 Corvette-ZR1, coming with a 5.5L twin-turbocharged flat-plane crank V8 that pushes 1,064 horsepower with 828 pound-feet of torque. To put that in perspective, it can do 0-60 mph in sub 2.3 seconds, according to Car and Driver.
There is no denying that EVs’ performance numbers are amazing, and they are better for the environment in some ways by improving air quality. But that doesn’t mean they are completely clean. Battery production still carries a significant environmental footprint, creating carbon pollution that is equal to a gas car. The only difference is that EVs have no tailpipe emissions, according to CARB.
Technology is advancing rapidly, especially in the EV space. Electric cars are starting to follow the logic of smartphones. Newer models arrive every year, faster and more efficient than the last. But cars aren’t phones. Engines are built to last decades, not to be replaced every upgrade cycle.
Hybrids offer a middle ground, combining efficiency with the reliability and familiarity of gasoline engines. This middle ground is important because one technology won’t replace another. While they do provide best of both worlds, they still lack sound and don’t carry the style or personality of a gas car.
While keeping gasoline engines in cars, we can continue to allow people like me to keep all the characteristics of a gas car, but enjoy the gas savings from an EV. Don’t get me wrong, gas is expensive in 2026, but I will drive gas even if it drains my wallet.
To fill up a ten-gallon tank, it will cost you $60-$80 in California, and to charge an EV to 90%, it will cost you 30-60 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is around $16 according to Recharged.
When I drive a gas sports car, there’s a rawness — the sound, the vibration, the connection — that makes me feel part of the machine. For many drivers, the appeal of gas cars goes beyond being practical. The sound, the vibration and the connection to the machine create an experience electric vehicles struggle to replicate.
Driving a V8 produces this loud, aggressive sound that lets you be heard from down the road allowing, people to hear you coming, giving them time to take safety measures. EVs make a sound like you are being abducted and are a lot quicker from a stop, so you will never see them coming.
Replacing a battery costs from $5,000 to $20,000, depending on whether you replace the entire unit, according to Recharged. EVs come with a deeper understanding of components such as computers, electronic boards, modules and batteries. Alternatively, maintaining a gas engine is often simpler and more accessible. For drivers who value control and mechanical understanding, the difference is night and day.
Electric vehicles may be the future, but in our rush to get there, we shouldn’t ignore what made driving meaningful in the first place. Having the sound of a gas-powered car means we can listen to combustion and power, which to many brings a thrill that is unreplaceable.
Gas is what started urbanization and industrialization. Once that connection is gone, it won’t be easy to rebuild, and it will be as if we were abducted by silence.
Let’s keep gas cars on the road until they can’t run no mo’.
Feature image courtesy of Christian Rodarte
