Electric Vehicle Challenges to Wide Adoption

It’s fun to watch a Tesla car glide down the road and know it’s fully electric; still, the industry has a long way to go before electric cars can compete on consumer price, before widespread adoption is fully feasible. Trust me when I say I’m not against EVs, I just see a lot of challenges: cost, weight, subsidies, efficiencies, range, charging infrastructure, etc. And I cringe when I hear people explain how to pave that proverbial ‘road to hell’ with Good Intentions Paving Company LLC. Okay, so let’s talk, okay?

Here are five points about the future of electric vehicles and the real challenges facing the industry:

one). Current battery weight: EV batteries add significantly to the weight of cars; proponents say that’s fine because the new lightweight materials will keep the weight down. True, but if those lightweight materials can do that, they can do it for gasoline, diesel, natural gas, hydrogen, or steam cars, too. Which means more competition, At 100 mpg because due to the low weight it is now a big selling point.

two). End-of-Life Battery Disposal: Where do all these batteries go with chemicals that aren’t so good for the environment? Advocates say; it is not a big thing. Still, if old cell phones are considered hazardous waste in part because of the batteries they contain, then car batteries, which are much larger and contain vast amounts of material, are even more problematic.

3). Slow growth: Currently, electric vehicles represent such a small percentage of the total, that they do not make any real difference in the use of fossil fuels, so if that is the goal, it will take decades to achieve and will need massive government intervention. Hasn’t the government intervened enough in free markets lately (Healthcare, Biofuels, for example) and how has that worked for us?

4). Electric Vehicle Rebates – When the government gives rebates, we all end up paying for them with higher taxes. If electric vehicles cost on average $10,000 more and we give rebates, we are subsidizing one industry over another, picking and choosing winners. It is wise to allow the EV industry to reach out and find ways to lower prices to compete.

5). Electric vehicles are quiet – advocates say that’s a good thing. But tell that to the kid or the cyclist who didn’t hear them coming and got crushed. Some electric vehicles now have “sound” to alert approaching people, and you can choose the sound you want, several options. That’s fine, but it nullifies the concept and/or the benefits of such serenity associated with electric vehicles. Sound also requires power to produce, ask any car sound system audio installer, a second battery or batteries are often added for larger systems.

The electric vehicle industry will have to resolve these challenges before it is fully accepted by consumers or before electric vehicles can supplant the cars we drive today. Please consider this.

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