5 ms·

so in 20 years when everyone is driving an EV and the government decides to limit your electricity: this is how they will stifle protests etc...

Oxidation 4y ago
Restricting ICE use in a fuel crisis could happen just as easily. In fact, the IEA made such suggestions in March. Actually it's very often easier to charge an EV from your own solar, wind or microhydro than it is to prepare your own petrochemicals.
- AustinDev 4y ago
  The difference is there are all these gas stations all over the country full of gasoline. People also have boats with 100's of gallons of gasoline and other storage. I've been through several hurricanes and finding gasoline even without power for 2 weeks was never an issue. The government would have to block refueling of gas stations for weeks before they could shut off movement then they'd have to wait weeks for people to run out of any stored fuel. I remember one hurricane from high school where we were out of power for 2 weeks. We were siphoning gas from anywhere we could get it and storing it in a boat with a 1,000-gallon tank which started about half full. We had enough fuel to drive across the country and back if we had wanted to without any issues. I was driving around like everything was normal during that period. Seeing friends and family daily picking up water from the national guard, etc. With EV's all you have to do is flip off the power and they'll all be dead in days at most with a couple hundred-mile range maximum. I'll take petrochemicals in a disaster any day of the week. Now if we're talking no power for months that's a whole different situation and solar panels are the least of your concern. You're moving more into the realm of how many bullets do you have at that point.
  - jtsiskin 4y ago
    With a generator, you can convert gasoline into electricity.
  - petre 4y ago
    Flipping off the power also flips off ATMs and credit card transactions, ICU life support units etc. It's something out of the terrorist playbook. The restrictions are in place precisely because of that, avoiding rolling blackouts and ultimately an uncontrolled blackout. The Swiss are just planning ahead, like they always do.
    - AustinDev 4y ago
      I agree, I love the Swiss I have a home and citizenship there. I'm half Swiss by birth.
iso1631 4y ago
I remember really struggling to travel just a year ago when the UK ran out of fuel and the EV owners were laughing. I used one-way car hires from airports. No doubt that was to block protests In the real world though protesters don't use cars - they instead block roads to prevent cars from driving on them.
somedude895 4y ago
They'd have to pinpoint ration electricity to households to keep people from using wall outlets to charge their cars. Any oppressive government could also just shut down gas stations or set up roadblocks.
- josephcsible 4y ago
  > They'd have to pinpoint ration electricity to households to keep people from using wall outlets to charge their cars. No they wouldn't. Basically every EV is Internet-connected, so they just need to tell the manufacturers to remotely disable the cars.

Oxidation 4y ago

Restricting ICE use in a fuel crisis could happen just as easily. In fact, the IEA made such suggestions in March. Actually it's very often easier to charge an EV from your own solar, wind or microhydro than it is to prepare your own petrochemicals.

AustinDev 4y ago
The difference is there are all these gas stations all over the country full of gasoline. People also have boats with 100's of gallons of gasoline and other storage. I've been through several hurricanes and finding gasoline even without power for 2 weeks was never an issue. The government would have to block refueling of gas stations for weeks before they could shut off movement then they'd have to wait weeks for people to run out of any stored fuel. I remember one hurricane from high school where we were out of power for 2 weeks. We were siphoning gas from anywhere we could get it and storing it in a boat with a 1,000-gallon tank which started about half full. We had enough fuel to drive across the country and back if we had wanted to without any issues. I was driving around like everything was normal during that period. Seeing friends and family daily picking up water from the national guard, etc. With EV's all you have to do is flip off the power and they'll all be dead in days at most with a couple hundred-mile range maximum. I'll take petrochemicals in a disaster any day of the week. Now if we're talking no power for months that's a whole different situation and solar panels are the least of your concern. You're moving more into the realm of how many bullets do you have at that point.
- jtsiskin 4y ago
  With a generator, you can convert gasoline into electricity.
- petre 4y ago
  Flipping off the power also flips off ATMs and credit card transactions, ICU life support units etc. It's something out of the terrorist playbook. The restrictions are in place precisely because of that, avoiding rolling blackouts and ultimately an uncontrolled blackout. The Swiss are just planning ahead, like they always do.
  - AustinDev 4y ago
    I agree, I love the Swiss I have a home and citizenship there. I'm half Swiss by birth.

iso1631 4y ago

I remember really struggling to travel just a year ago when the UK ran out of fuel and the EV owners were laughing. I used one-way car hires from airports. No doubt that was to block protests In the real world though protesters don't use cars - they instead block roads to prevent cars from driving on them.

somedude895 4y ago

They'd have to pinpoint ration electricity to households to keep people from using wall outlets to charge their cars. Any oppressive government could also just shut down gas stations or set up roadblocks.

josephcsible 4y ago
> They'd have to pinpoint ration electricity to households to keep people from using wall outlets to charge their cars. No they wouldn't. Basically every EV is Internet-connected, so they just need to tell the manufacturers to remotely disable the cars.