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Send yourself back in time to when less than 1% of the populace is using petrol cars to get around. In that timeframe of the early 1900's, it would've been incr
by WhompingWindows 8y ago
Send yourself back in time to when less than 1% of the populace is using petrol cars to get around. In that timeframe of the early 1900's, it would've been incredibly hard to get around the rural areas as well, since they'd still be dominated by horse, foot, and perhaps bicycle traffic. Now, send yourself forward 100 years: it will be nearly impossible to use petrol-powered transport, and EV will be the standard.
Saying the current infrastructure is inadequate for a new mode of transport is a truism. Infrastructure takes decades to build out, of course EV's will not be expected to have huge charging infrastructures while less than 1% of cars are EV.
Long term, It'll be just as easy, if not easier, to get around in the future. Consider all the new transport tech that's emerging: electric bikes, scooters, fully self-driving vehicles, drones which can carry people, VTOL aircraft, hyperloop, etc. They are all more interesting and promising than the current noxious fume spewing transport. I'm excited for even 1/3 of those options to come to fruition :)
- eanzenberg 8y agoThat's cool, I'd like to avoid 1900 era death-rates lul.
- cptaj 8y agoI absolutely agree with you about infrastructure. Its definitely coming and will cover most use cases. But I do wonder how we're gonna cover that last mile. Adding hundreds of miles of range to an ICE car is hilariously simple, just a couple of plastic containers in the trunk and you're good to go. Can't add extra batteries like that. Energy density is not a truism. Maybe portable ICE generators, sort of like hybrid addons for full EVs. I really liked the hybrid tech. I don't know why its not dominating.
- bluGill 8y agoThere are power lines to most places already. The utility replaces/upgrades them on a schedule (IIRC the expected lifespan for overhead lines last for 17 years, underground for 15). Which is to say the infrastructure is mostly there, and just needs updates that would happen anyway.
- pedrocr 8y agoThis seems so clear and yet we get the "how are we going to build this huge charging network" all over the place. If the situation was reversed we'd consider it preposterous to think we could build a network of gas stations that get their fuel driven in by trucks. The current network is far crazier than just adding a bunch of outlets that use the existing and extremely robust electricity grid that's already in place.
- kwhitefoot 8y ago> the hybrid tech. I don't know why its not dominating. Because it isn't especially efficient.
- walshemj 8y agoAnd people (peasants) lived and died in the same village there are good sides to increased mobility increased social mobility for one.