Seen in the Instapundit comments:
And then there's this comment I liked (edited):
The EV "industry" can't even produce a moderate-sized SUV w/4WD that can get me across the state of Ohio in winter w/the heater and lights on... It is strictly a boutique market that, aside from a few deeply Blue coastal enclaves, possesses ZERO infrastructure. The instant most, hell, the overwhelming majority of Americans look at the actual range vs. recharge times... the jig is up. That doesn't even address the fact that battery-manufacturing capacity couldn't begin to handle just doubling the current sub-10% market share EVs currently enjoy. That said... actual reality has never stopped a Democrat before.
EV = electric vehicle
To be fair, I wouldn't mind owning an EV myself, one day, once the cars have a sufficiently impressive range. The tech is constantly evolving, and I imagine there will always be naysayers who grouse that the new changes are never enough. But if EVs do indeed help us stop polluting the sky, then why not buy one? At the same time, I'm not deaf to the criticism that the manufacture of EVs is problematic for the environment. That, too, is something that needs to improve, and I'm optimistic that it will. Will a satisfactory EV that checks all the boxes appear in my lifetime? I hope so, but I don't know.
I happened to be in LA recently, and one of the malls had a "showroom" for Lucid Motors. Started out as a battery manufacturer, started making EV's, and their car claims ~ 500 mile range. Not sure what they are doing differently from others, but limited data in "real world" driving does seem to back up their claimed range. It will be interesting to see if this holds up.
ReplyDeleteUm, how are they going to generate the electricity for all those EVs? California has mandated that no internal combustion engines be sold after 2035, but that can't keep the power on for lights and a/c now. And you recall what happened in Texas last winter. When they start building nuclear power plants again, I'll believe they are serious about the environment.
ReplyDeleteOne idea I saw that looked really cool was an EV car that had a battery charger attached to the rear wheel. So, it self-charged as you drove. Not sure how feasible that really is, but talk about perpetual motion!
John,
ReplyDeleteI guess that goes back to what the commenter said about there being no network. I assume he's talking mostly about "flyover country," i.e., most of the country, not the coasts.
As you know, you can never have true perpetual motion, but you can minimize energy expenditure through greater and greater efficiency.