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China’s Electric Vehicles Are Going to Hit Detroit Like a Wrecking Ball (www.nytimes.com)

submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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This upcoming competition means that it's incredibly important for US makers to figure out how to profitably make inexpensive electric vehicles, instead of merely focusing on the biggest most expensive trucks and SUVs

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[–] [email protected] 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I disagree. If we were serious about climate change, we'd be rolling out mass transit improvements to reduce the number of cars on the road instead of doubling down on personal vehicles. EVs just move the pollution to battery manufacturing and electricity generation. It's a way for people to pat themselves on the back without actually changing behavior.

I'm not saying EVs are bad, they're probably better on net than gas cars, but they're not the transformative change we need. My recommendation:

more hybrids, less EVs - requires minimal infrastructure changes
invest heavily in high speed rail - goal should be increasing percentage of population that doesn't need a car
break up roads that go through cities, pushing cars to the outside - makes car travel less convenient and mass transit more attractive
invest heavily in pedestrian and cycling infrastructure - promote ebikes

But no, we're investing a ton in EV infrastructure because that sustains the current model.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 8 months ago

A lot of your recommendations are very misinformed. Hybrids are not good for the environment. The fuel in a hybrid evaporates a lot more than a traditional ICE, it's not the stopgap people think it is.

My EV runs on primarily renewable energy bcz my house runs on renewable energy sources. Batteries are dirty to mine, yes, but the carbon footprint is way say lower than a traditional ICE. There's no debate there.

I agree, high speed rail, and cultural changes to how we drive are necessary. But I can't make cities do that, hence I buy an EV and ride my bike when I can.