Taking the Politics Out of EVs

[The Weatherman]

Tom (State of Charge) discussing the EV situation with prominent individuals.

Its balanced and supports EVs.

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[Scorpio3d]

Wow, that is a good video!
Very interesting and I learned something new today! Nice to see some others that don’t have their heads certain places to put it nicely!

 

[HaroldCal]

A lot of the politics around EVs comes from not reaching out to different audiences and speaking to what moves them. Basic sales 101.

If the only talking point is environmentalism, then it will only appeal to people that hold that as an important issue to them.

But if you bring things like independence from foreign energy, national security, power and performance, low maintenance, etc. ...you reach a whole different audience.

Nuclear energy suffers similar challenges.

 

[davehu]

I researched the @#$@ out of EV's before I purchased my Lightning. (I had a 18 months) to do so! After 10,000 miles I feel vindicated as with one exception nothing has happened I did not anticipate. However that one thing is the reaction I get from casual friends who aren't familiar with my politics. I live in a predominantly conservative part of the country and when I tell casual friend I own an EV, they automatically assume I'm a liberal . I know this because of the silence I encounter. There is no follow up questions about my experience, no questions I why I made my choice. Most likely the subject is changed as if I just confessed to like Nazi's.

I spend an inordinate time explaining to friends/family debunking all the BS that conservative politicians and media keep putting out. The belief in climate change is the overarching issue, but our government has exasperated the problem with "green energy" subsidies. Eliminate them and let the people choose! I believe that over time people will see the simplicity, reduced maintenance, ower costs, and a much better driving experience will win out.

 

[Pioneer74]

they automatically assume I'm a liberal .

Same here. Between my 2 EV's and my Gadsden flag flying under my American flag, my neighbors don't know what to think of me.

 

[RickLightning]

I researched the @#$@ out of EV's before I purchased my Lightning. (I had a 18 months) to do so! After 10,000 miles I feel vindicated as with one exception nothing has happened I did not anticipate. However that one thing is the reaction I get from casual friends who aren't familiar with my politics. I live in a predominantly conservative part of the country and when I tell casual friend I own an EV, they automatically assume I'm a liberal . I know this because of the silence I encounter. There is no follow up questions about my experience, no questions I why I made my choice. Most likely the subject is changed as if I just confessed to like Nazi's.

I spend an inordinate time explaining to friends/family debunking all the BS that conservative politicians and media keep putting out. The belief in climate change is the overarching issue, but our government has exasperated the problem with "green energy" subsidies. Eliminate them and let the people choose! I believe that over time people will see the simplicity, reduced maintenance, ower costs, and a much better driving experience will win out.

When you eliminate green energy subsidies, you also have to eliminate the oil subsidies. Wait, wut? Oil companies don't want that? You don't say!

 

[FloridaMan655321]

Nuclear energy suffers similar challenges.

I live next to a nuke plant, so I'm hoping that I'm being powered by nukes

The main reason this all got political is because the government is trying to force people to use EV's. Nobody likes to be forced to do something, and they will find roadblocks why it won't work for them. Be a project manager for a day and you'll see this human trait.
If you just allow it to happen naturally then it wouldn't get political. While I took advantage of the $7500 gov rebate, I don't necessarily agree with it.

 

[WilliamRobert]

In the near future, we will call people that don’t accept EVs, pedestrians!

 

[TaxmanHog]

I follow Tom's Youtube channel, watched this early today, enjoyed it.

 

[Newton]

Climate change is not particularly liberal or conservative issue, it is an engineering problem that we have to solve.

What is happening with many industries is related to the “tobacco wars” where industry learned how to promote and defend an indefensible product. An entire industry was created to defend tobacco, they sort of lost and it cost them a lot of money and influence. The other industries are determined not to let that happen to them - and we happen to be in the largest Oil producing country in the world and a good portion of our politics is devoted to defending that. (Look at how most of the countries that we sanction or go to war with just happen by some strange coincidence to be oil producing competitors.)

What is sad for me is that I remember when leaded gas was banned. It was not political (although the companies did really nasty stuff for years to fight the ban), it was just part of improvements or dare I use the word, “progress.” I wasn’t particularly mad that I had to get rid of my Oldsmobile Delta-88, I understood the dangers of lead and that was that.

 

[RickKeen]

... but our government has exasperated the problem with "green energy" subsidies. Eliminate them and let the people choose! ...

But you still took the $7500, right?

 

[sotek2345]

I will say I am all in on the climate side of things, but for most audiences I don't use that to convince them to go EV. I use cost, ease of use, performance, features, etc. I also reference personal experiences when they bring up the FUD that is out there about electrification. That has been more successful.

 

[davehu]

But you still took the $7500, right?

yep. but I would have bought the truck even without it.

 

[Rocket808]

But you still took the $7500, right?

I didnt.
I should have leased and would have.

 

[Firn]

If you just allow it to happen naturally then it wouldn't get political. While I took advantage of the $7500 gov rebate, I don't necessarily agree with it.

It's important to understand that the $7500 isn't a rebate to convince someone to "go green", it's primary purpose is to fund the manufacture for a product that is currently more expensive to manufacture.

Remember, traditional vehicles have had 100 years to build a global supply chain and to drive costs down within that supply chain. EVs have not had anywhere near that amount of time so their was not a global supply chain built, let alone one that competes amongst itself to drive down costs.

The issue is current players can drive out new competitors simply from time available to optimize. At its simplest the rebate is like giving a "small business" a leg up getting started when they compete against the like of Walmart and Amazon.

As for the EV mandates, that certainly is a different discussion.

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