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Ultimately EVs are good, but they are too short sighted. If Cali wants to make real impact, they need to bring back light rail. It is completely wasteful to bas
by downrightmike 3y ago
Ultimately EVs are good, but they are too short sighted. If Cali wants to make real impact, they need to bring back light rail. It is completely wasteful to basically require everyone have a car, because there is no real alternative. This whole EV push is just FUD from car companies to give a partial solution that won't really work in the long run, but keeps making them lots of money.
- stetrain 3y agoThe answer is both. Public transit to reduce the number of car miles needed, and EVs to replace the car miles that remain since the basic structure, zoning, and layout of a lot of homes and businesses in the US is not conducive to public transit replacing all or even most car miles driven. EVs are also great for all sorts of vehicles. Delivery vans, buses, garbage trucks, and local/regional trucking aren't easily replaceable with rail but will benefit from EVs. Even if we put huge emphasis on building out public transit, EVs can still be deployed faster. Converting a substantial amount of commuter miles to public transit is a great project but will take many decades.
- trgn 3y agoIt is indeed both, they're not mutually exclusive. electric cars also increase quality of life for everybody having to suffer the cars in their neighborhoods. They're much more quiet and don't pollute the local environment. Charging stations are also not nearly as trashy as a gas station.
- downrightmike 3y agoTire particles are also among the largest known sources of microplastic pollution with research completed in San Francisco Bay identifying nearly 50 percent of microplastic fibers that entered the Bay as vehicle tire wear. Need to get rid of tires.
- trgn 3y agofair enough, EVs pollute less than ICEs, still an improvement imho
- downrightmike 3y agoICEs would be heavy rail
- bombcar 3y agoThe two highest light rail ridership systems in the USA are in California. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_American_light_rail_systems_by_ridership https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_American_light_r... This doesn't count subways.
- downrightmike 3y agoThey obviously need a lot more
- aworks 3y agoInteresting data. Even ignoring SF Muni Metro, the SF cable car system has more riders than San Jose or Sacramento light rail systems. Hills, density and history may matter.
- bombcar 3y agoTourism can also drive rider numbers higher, and may or may not really be "car cancelling trips". After all ridership on rollercoasters is quite high, but they don't really transit you anywhere.
- elzbardico 3y agoWe should have invested more in plug-in hybrids. It would have be more realistic and cheaper.
- jewayne 3y agoTrue, but I think that moment was 20 years ago. Level 3 charging makes most plug-in hybrids obsolete.
- stetrain 3y agoThe plug-in hybrids on the market are currently not really cheaper than EV equivalents. I don't think being cheaper is actually a given as EV batteries continue to scale up in mass production. PHEV will always mean having two drivetrains and all of the necessary accessories for both. PHEV also only really works if you have daily home or work charging. BEV can be filled up once a week more or less like a gas car, but PHEV needs its small battery charged every day you commute to get the benefit. I think there are definitely people and situations that benefit from PHEV. A big one is those who occasionally take long trips to remote areas, or those who tow long distance (See the upcoming Ramcharger truck). But I expect BEV to win out on price and provide enough utility for most people within 5-10 years.