I’m all for electric vehicles. Especially if the electricity can be harnessed in greener & more sustainable ways. Seems like that’s the way things are moving. And I fully embrace the future. But we are not quite there yet.
This is long winded so you may want to read another post or send out for a pizza. . ..
I can't speak for the rest of the world but the U.S. electric grid seriously needs to be upgraded. So that's $$ we will be spending one way or another to provide relief for the ever increasing demand. Also, the power generation systems need to be hydro-electric, solar, wind, ocean wave driven, or whatever else they can come with in order to go in the right direction. Fossil fuel (coal, oil) powered generation plants will just pull more carbon out of the ground and put it back into the air thus increasing the "Greenhouse Effect". Remember "Sinclair" gasoline stations with the big green dinosaur?
The newest nuclear power plant technology is an improvement to the one that existed in the 1960's and '70's and can be considered an alternative also but stowage or recycling of spent fuel is an important issue. Also they will have to be able to build them in locations that won't be susceptible to rising ocean levels or major storms caused by global warming. Definitely not in areas of volatile seismic activity. They will also need a trained reliable workforce to build and operate those plants. . .people who are willing to travel when duty calls.
The computers that monitor and control the grid could be susceptible to hacking so security is going to be an ongoing major $$ expense to fend off the evil doers. Mean people suck!
That being said the autonomy that fossil fueled vehicles provide is hard to beat. Battery powered vehicles that strictly rely on being "plugged in" overnight for example will become a liability when there are local power outages due to thunder and lightening storms or high winds knocking out transmission lines. If it's cold in the winter there won't be the ability to jump in the car to get warm and then drive to a friend or relative's house (or get gas) and ride it out until the utility companies have things restored.
Anyhow, I think the expansion of the market into electric vehicles is not a panacea. However, it's worth giving it a chance and I think that localization of power generation is (solar panels on buildings or in backyards) a key item for it's success. We all know what it's like when the internet service is "down". A real bummer. . .and at the end of the day there is not a lot we can do about it except to wait and wait until the service is restored. It reminds us of the days of pen and paper and books and the postal service and how they could be counted on. . .slow . . . but sure.
