The Answer To Our Problems, EV's

The average commute is about 25 km. Average commute time is about half an hour. A one horse electric vehicle would be enough to satisfy that and would only need recharging once a day, though of course it would fully recharge from the morning trip to work while on the job if desired.
Not everyone hauls 7 people, a load of hay and tows a spare home everywhere.

 

give it time, the technology is new, lot of new battery technology on the horizon

no one is asking you to be an early adopter, I know I won't be, but glad we have them, or we would still be driving the horse and buggy

 

Ya, the 'solution' to climate change does always seem to boil down to: just be rich.

 

True. But most people can only afford 1 vehicle so it has to be used for more than commuting. If you're rich enough and probably live in a city with short commutes and you don't really travel much, an EV might be perfect. But most people don't.

 

The point is that enormous numbers of people would be more than adequately served by such a vehicle. That vehicle could cost less than $2000 new. Pollution and consumption would be reduced so much that the egoists who insist on too much would be less of a problem for the rest of us.
It is unlikely that just one element will be the solution to all our transportation problems. We already made the mistake of trying to make petroleum do that.

 

Like I said earlier, great! Now design it and sell it.

But trust me, you won't get anywhere close to $2000 and still meet all the standards for an American (or any other First World country) vehicle.

It's easy to bloviate on the internet about how much modern technology sucks, particularly for a full on progressive. But bloviating never changes the real world.

 

As a matter of fact, I have and use one.

 

I have one too. Cost actually under $2000 second hand. It's a blast

 

What kind of vehicle, a bicycle? That's got to be rough in the winter.

 

The Law of Unintended Consequences applies.
E-Car Drivers' Privacy Faces a Jolt From Mileage Taxes

Eric Felten, RCInvestigations

The environmental impact of electric cars may still be unknown, but leaders are growing concerned about the threat they pose to the financing of the nation’s highway system. Because freeways and bridges are funded, in large part, through federal and state taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel, the battery-powered future will test whether roads can just be paved with good intentions.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are trying to devise new ways to raise that fuel tax revenue, which in fiscal year 2020 delivered $35 billion to the federal government and an additional $51 billion to state and local governments. But experts say that proposed fixes to the anticipated highway funding shortfall – involving charging drivers for the miles they travel by tracking their movement – pose a significant threat to personal privacy and liberty. . . .

 

Built my own and all-new it was under $1000.

 

Winter comes every year and one gets used to it.
As mentioned previously, no single solution is right everywhere for everyone every time. The 'good' is not the enemy of the 'best', the vice-versa is not the same.

 

It's a pity Musk hates bicycles.

 

Right. And an electric bicycle is not going to help you on your 60 or 70 mile commute into DC, particularly in February.

The reality of electric vehicles is that they're currently at a 4-5% market share even with all the Federal lard heaped on to make them cheaper. King Tesla has only recently been able to turn a profit in it's 17 or 18 year existence. And that's only because they've got boatloads of Federal credits to sell to other traditional manufacturers. And now with WV v. EPA and EPA having to step out of the CO2 regulatory game, all that could very soon crash on the shoals of common sense.

That doesn't mean EVs will cease to exist, it simply means that their advantages to the majority of consumers will be obliterated and they'll have to compete on merit. Which is essentially that they're a great second or third car dedicated to commuting or getting around in relatively undemanding and probably urban environments.

 

I thought his problem was with motorcycles. Anyway, he isn't needed for this level of tech and participation. Let him keep reaching for Mars.

 

You forgot safety. Seat belts, impact crush zones, safety glass, safety bars. The govt will have their say and your simple vehicle will be turned into a monster.

And the greenies will never be satisfied. Once all the gas cars are gone they will turn on the EVs - battery production is very very messy, battery disposal is a problem, recharging EVs is a problem. Greenies want people living in caves.

 

You can't get there from here.
A Common Situation Where EVs Fail Miserably
Ross Pomeroy, RealClearScience

 

If you go back to 1925 you have about the same situation with gasoline power. And EVs are improving at about the same rate or faster.

If conservatives had their way we'd still be heating our homes with coal or wood and lighting them with whale oil. Things change as time goes on no matter how much you don't like it.

 

Fossil fueled: probably. Hydrogen fueled ICE might still be a solution. Its pretty inefficient, but its not reliant upon the rare earth metals that seem to only be found where slaves and child labor can mine them... Good old iron and copper still suffice to turn water into fuel, and swapping a vehicle from gasoline to hydrogen is relatively easier than swapping it to electric, cheaper than buying a Tesla. The infrastructure (hydrogen stations?) is a problem, but so was electric stations, now they're pretty common.

Plus hydrogen ICE still provides that rumble that so many car enthusiasts love.

 

You're correct. Bike= motorcycle. Thanks.

 

It would be nice to have an alternative to Battery EV domination.

 

Jeebus, we can record that, and you can play it right along with the rap or country that's always blasting. You don't get droughts, wildfires, tornadoes, and inland hurricanes that way either

 

Rail or Cable power has been suggested. It would be no more obtrusive than the "telephone" (actually power) poles we have everywhere now.

An oncoming consequence of modern life is that our next big mineral industry will likely be the Rare Earth Extraction concerns

 

Except that the EV is a step backward in terms of capability. ICE vehicles progressed because they were a step forward.

 

Wood stoves are now considered a 'carbon neutral' option by the EPA for heating homes, and are being promoted over much cleaner heat sources like natural gas. Not by 'conservatives' though...