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I have nothing in principle against ED vehicles (besides the unfortunate designation “ED”), but I am completely against them in practice. Especially in the US,

I have nothing in principle against ED vehicles (besides the unfortunate designation “ED”), but I am completely against them in practice. Especially in the US, we have no infrastructure for it. Americans, myself included, love to hit the road for vacations. Electric cars simply cannot handle the rigors of long-distance travel with the engine load of air conditioning or heat, a car full of kids and luggage, and a few amps of accessories (chargers, PSUs for devices, etc.). No one has even proposed anything close to a reasonable solution for these things. The ICE vehicle works so well and has catapulted our economy over the past century because the fuel is so readily available and very quick to fill, and we have built an entire nation on a huge network of gas stations. Sorry, no matter how many futurists want to believe in the Church of ED, the electic car revolution can’t and won’t happen until we completely revamp our infrastructure. And the country isn’t just the idyllic land of California where everyone drinks at juice bars and has solar-paneled houses, and commutes 22.7 miles per day with a hybrid or EV, there is Alaska and West Virginia, where it’s as rural as you can imagine where the ICE is the most reliable source of transportation. VW, and Europe in general are delusional at best.

paulddraper 8y ago
This summer my wife and I and our three kids and my mother and sister took our Expedition and camping trailer from Utah to Glacier National Park for a family vacation. The summer before, my wife and I and our two kids and four of my in-law took it to Idaho for the solar eclipse. Long range cars (and trailers) make for cost effective outdoor family travel options and I don't see that changing to ED soon (though I wouldn't mind if it did).
marcell 8y ago
Can’t you just stop for a 30 minute lunch break at a super charger station? This seems like a solved problem at this point.
yosito 8y ago
Changing our infrastructure is a bit of a chicken and egg problem. But our infrastructure is rapidly changing. Charging stations are everywhere. Even in West Virginia. And we're just seeing the tip of the iceberg as far as changes to our infrastructure go. Yeah, our infrastructure is based on oil. But we're definitely not incapable of building out new infrastructure as needed. And when electric cars become more economical than gas cars over the next decade, the (debatable) fact that they're bad for family road trips and other specific applications won't matter. You can always rent a gas-powered vehicle if you need one, but owning one is going to become less and less efficient.
- temporallobe 8y ago
  It’s not just specific applications, it’s more than that. For example, I happen to have a long commute in a very congrsted area, which kills range. My office does not have charging stations. I personally don’t have a charging station in my garage, so I would have to charge my EV overnight. Not a huge problem, but these kinds of issues make me and most people pause when considering an EV. That’s not a specific application, that’s a very common one. And yes, I have seen maybe one or two charging stations in my area of WV, but that’s it. You’re right, it is indeed a chicken and egg problem, but I disagree with the notion that our infrastructure is changing rapidly. If it’s happening at all, it’s very slow and sporadic. Nobody in my area has EVs nor would they want one not only because of all the things I’ve already mentioned, but also for many things I haven’t. Tbe pickup truck is king here, for example. The EV is a superb idea and I will welcome it with open arms when governments mandate, subsidize, build, and generally support it, and when car companies solve the problems inherent to the EV. Until then, it is a fantasy that most people will simply not adopt for pragmatic reasons. And yes, absolutely we are capable of building that infrastructure, but we are simply not willing. And let’s be real - car makes are not even making EVs (and I don’t mean hybrids), nor are they interested in making them because there is very little market for them. Again, yes, a chiken/egg problem, but a very real one.

paulddraper 8y ago

This summer my wife and I and our three kids and my mother and sister took our Expedition and camping trailer from Utah to Glacier National Park for a family vacation. The summer before, my wife and I and our two kids and four of my in-law took it to Idaho for the solar eclipse. Long range cars (and trailers) make for cost effective outdoor family travel options and I don't see that changing to ED soon (though I wouldn't mind if it did).

marcell 8y ago

Can’t you just stop for a 30 minute lunch break at a super charger station? This seems like a solved problem at this point.

yosito 8y ago

Changing our infrastructure is a bit of a chicken and egg problem. But our infrastructure is rapidly changing. Charging stations are everywhere. Even in West Virginia. And we're just seeing the tip of the iceberg as far as changes to our infrastructure go. Yeah, our infrastructure is based on oil. But we're definitely not incapable of building out new infrastructure as needed. And when electric cars become more economical than gas cars over the next decade, the (debatable) fact that they're bad for family road trips and other specific applications won't matter. You can always rent a gas-powered vehicle if you need one, but owning one is going to become less and less efficient.

temporallobe 8y ago
It’s not just specific applications, it’s more than that. For example, I happen to have a long commute in a very congrsted area, which kills range. My office does not have charging stations. I personally don’t have a charging station in my garage, so I would have to charge my EV overnight. Not a huge problem, but these kinds of issues make me and most people pause when considering an EV. That’s not a specific application, that’s a very common one. And yes, I have seen maybe one or two charging stations in my area of WV, but that’s it. You’re right, it is indeed a chicken and egg problem, but I disagree with the notion that our infrastructure is changing rapidly. If it’s happening at all, it’s very slow and sporadic. Nobody in my area has EVs nor would they want one not only because of all the things I’ve already mentioned, but also for many things I haven’t. Tbe pickup truck is king here, for example. The EV is a superb idea and I will welcome it with open arms when governments mandate, subsidize, build, and generally support it, and when car companies solve the problems inherent to the EV. Until then, it is a fantasy that most people will simply not adopt for pragmatic reasons. And yes, absolutely we are capable of building that infrastructure, but we are simply not willing. And let’s be real - car makes are not even making EVs (and I don’t mean hybrids), nor are they interested in making them because there is very little market for them. Again, yes, a chiken/egg problem, but a very real one.