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That's one thing I really don't like about this country. We don't really push ahead aggressively with tech, it takes decades. When we know something could be
by eternityforest 5y ago
That's one thing I really don't like about this country. We don't really push ahead aggressively with tech, it takes decades.
When we know something could be done, but currently isn't practical, instead of saying "Nope, we are building this charging network and we will have better batteries within 5 years", we say "Maybe someday, but right now we need gas".
We judge technology based on whether it works and is economical right now, even when there's a clear road map to making it work.
People still talk about whether the electric grid can handle the electric cars, and how windmills and solar are forcing coal offline, like as if we don't know how to upgrade things and build natural gas plants.
For a given individual, waiting a few generations makes sense, but it would be cool if big companies were just a little less obsessed with slow iterative development and rollout of tech that we pretty much already know how to do.
Everyone says batteries aren't sustainable and Lithium mining is bad, but the point isn't to make a billion lithium cars, everything now is just a prototype.
Building these missing technologies like energy storage should be as big of a deal as the moon landing was. The kind of "Make it work even if it costs 100 billion because our future depends on it" thing we just don't see anymore.
- rnk 5y agoThe grid has held up just fine. We are hardly even taking advantage of the easy things like charging cars mostly at night when there is excess power. Ignore texas' failing network, that's their own fault for not requiring cold and hot weather power requirements.
- LinuxBender 5y agoI believe the concern is about growth. If a majority of people switched to EV the grid would be overwhelmed. [1] It is estimated that by 2030 about $125 billion would be required to upgrade the power infrastructure. That is based on just one study there are probably better ones. [1] - https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/10/13/electric-vehicles-grid-upgrade/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/10/13/electric-...
- toomuchtodo 5y agoYou left out some context from the cited study [1]. > Total annual fuel savings of $12 billion/year relative to Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles translates to an estimated societal payback of 8.6 years to cover the costs of electric sector investments (7.2 years if GHG benefits are included) That's quite the ROI, and arguably the spending must take place regardless to decarbonize electrical generation and transmission. [1] https://www.brattle.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/19421_brattle_-_opportunities_for_the_electricity_industry_in_ev_transition_-_final.pdf https://www.brattle.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/19421_bra... (Slide 4, Key Findings)
- LinuxBender 5y agoAgreed. It will have to be done one way or another I just meant that we couldn't all just switch to EV's today without an overhaul of the system.
- legerdemain 5y agoAmerican culture and popular political sentiment is rarely about supporting the next generation and fostering new opportunities. It's almost always about shoring up the last of your resources as you live out the end of your life. Think about it: financial support for elderly homeowners, overspending on end-of-life healthcare, political influence wielded by dead or dying industries, NIMBYism... People in the US firmly believe that government is for the old, holding back global changes so that old people can live the lives they are used to.
- jiveturkey42 5y agoThis was certainly evident with some covid restrictions. Hamper the education and mental development of healthy children to protect the elderly at all costs
- tracker1 5y agoWell, not everyone has or can afford to spend $100k on something that doesn't really work for them but might in 5 years. In the end, even if using the power of government there are finite people, time and resources. You have to choose what to spend on and what not to. I know it's horrible that we don't live in a utopian society.
- eternityforest 5y agoYeah it totally makes sense from an average individual standpoint, that's currently an insane amount of money in a world where lots can't afford any car at all. But it seems like it took a long time for even the big companies to fully trust that they would even be possible, and even the rich people looking for expensive toys didn't want them all that much till recently.