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And the wars haven't started yet. Soon though. Driving your electric car straight to hell on a road paved with feelings.

CalRobert 3y ago
If only we knew how to build things so you didn't need a 2000kg metal box to go buy a packet of crisps.
- isoprophlex 3y ago
  Sorry, VanMoof folded, now the only other option for me to travel like a citizen of the 21st century is gone. Back into my electrified F150 I guess...
wsc981 3y ago
Ukraine certainly is rich in minerals (and food production): https://ukraineinvest.gov.ua/en/industries/mining/#:~:text=Ukraine%20has%20extremely%20rich%20and,magnesium%2C%20timber%2C%20and%20mercury https://ukraineinvest.gov.ua/en/industries/mining/#:~:text=U....
jillesvangurp 3y ago
Several counter points: - singling out electrical vehicles is a bit disingenuous; there are lots of other consumers of rare earths. E.g. combustion engines have lots of exotic things on board and cobalt is used in oil refining. Lots of other industries use exotic minerals. - A lot of this stuff can be recycled and already is. Especially valuable commodities used in batteries. - There are alternate battery chemistries already being used in electric cars that have a lot less exotic materials. LFP batteries use no cobalt. Sodium ion batteries use no cobalt or lithium. Likewise, Tesla announced new engines that don't depend on rare earths a few montsh ago.
- bee_rider 3y ago
  - Minerals aside, petrochemicals seem to have caused/enabled an awful lot of bad behavior
bee_rider 3y ago
While it would be nice if everyone could use a bicycle instead, unfortunately people are really stubborn about hanging on to their cars.
- AnimalMuppet 3y ago
  My mother is 95. She's not walking anywhere. My wife has a bone spur in her heel. She can walk, but not far. So, yeah, a world without cars sounds great if you're young and healthy, and there's good public transportation and bike paths and such. But for some people, it's cars or being a shut-in, and so, yeah, they are really stubborn about hanging on to their cars. They're not the majority of car users. But you can't ignore them when you design your utopian future.
  - bee_rider 3y ago
    Since it is a utopia, we’ll make sure that people like your mother and your wife get places near the center of town so they can walk to shops and restaurants. It might be hard to fit everybody, but it beats climate change or mineral wars, right?
werdnapk 3y ago
You should see all the wars that have occurred due to oil. You may be surprised.
- costanzaDynasty 3y ago
  No, I wouldn't be surprised. I'm very well aware. That's why I so negative of the Pollyanna greenwashing of electric cars.

CalRobert 3y ago

If only we knew how to build things so you didn't need a 2000kg metal box to go buy a packet of crisps.

isoprophlex 3y ago
Sorry, VanMoof folded, now the only other option for me to travel like a citizen of the 21st century is gone. Back into my electrified F150 I guess...

wsc981 3y ago

Ukraine certainly is rich in minerals (and food production): https://ukraineinvest.gov.ua/en/industries/mining/#:~:text=Ukraine%20has%20extremely%20rich%20and,magnesium%2C%20timber%2C%20and%20mercury https://ukraineinvest.gov.ua/en/industries/mining/#:~:text=U....

jillesvangurp 3y ago

Several counter points: - singling out electrical vehicles is a bit disingenuous; there are lots of other consumers of rare earths. E.g. combustion engines have lots of exotic things on board and cobalt is used in oil refining. Lots of other industries use exotic minerals. - A lot of this stuff can be recycled and already is. Especially valuable commodities used in batteries. - There are alternate battery chemistries already being used in electric cars that have a lot less exotic materials. LFP batteries use no cobalt. Sodium ion batteries use no cobalt or lithium. Likewise, Tesla announced new engines that don't depend on rare earths a few montsh ago.

bee_rider 3y ago
- Minerals aside, petrochemicals seem to have caused/enabled an awful lot of bad behavior

bee_rider 3y ago

While it would be nice if everyone could use a bicycle instead, unfortunately people are really stubborn about hanging on to their cars.

AnimalMuppet 3y ago
My mother is 95. She's not walking anywhere. My wife has a bone spur in her heel. She can walk, but not far. So, yeah, a world without cars sounds great if you're young and healthy, and there's good public transportation and bike paths and such. But for some people, it's cars or being a shut-in, and so, yeah, they are really stubborn about hanging on to their cars. They're not the majority of car users. But you can't ignore them when you design your utopian future.
- bee_rider 3y ago
  Since it is a utopia, we’ll make sure that people like your mother and your wife get places near the center of town so they can walk to shops and restaurants. It might be hard to fit everybody, but it beats climate change or mineral wars, right?

werdnapk 3y ago

You should see all the wars that have occurred due to oil. You may be surprised.

costanzaDynasty 3y ago
No, I wouldn't be surprised. I'm very well aware. That's why I so negative of the Pollyanna greenwashing of electric cars.