The Case Against Electric Vehicles

[Van]

What I wrote, I wrote.

Here is what was written:
Considering that it is the well off who are the vast majority of folks driving electric vehicles(and they are heavily subsidized by the American taxpayers), I will stand up for those who don't have the resources to buy expensive electric vehicles, but who are still in favor of women giving birth and apple pie.

And what I said:
Do you not realize you are subscribing to the "class warfare" propaganda of the godless left?

 

[KenH]

And what I said:
Do you not realize you are subscribing to the "class warfare" propaganda of the godless left?

What I wrote, I wrote.

 

[Van]

What is the case against EV's?
1) They will help create American independence from foreign oil.
2) They will lower transportation costs.
3) They will lower air pollution in the LA basin.
4) People who drive them are also for "motherhood and apple pie."

 

[Van]

Here is what was written:
Considering that it is the well off who are the vast majority of folks driving electric vehicles(and they are heavily subsidized by the American taxpayers), I will stand up for those who don't have the resources to buy expensive electric vehicles, but who are still in favor of women giving birth and apple pie.

And what I said:
Do you not realize you are subscribing to the "class warfare" propaganda of the godless left?

 

[Baptist Believer]

Electric vehicles are expensive. The average price of an electric vehicle is about $18,000 more than the average price of a gas vehicle…

Sure, those are “average” prices, but lower end electric vehicles are price competitive. Tricked out top end Tesla models are well over $10,000, but the Model 3s are affordable and are of high quality.

Electric vehicles are not “zero” emissions—they create more emissions than internal combustion engine vehicles when they are produced…

Yes, but if one clicks the provided link they cite, you will find that the net carbon emissions over the life of the vehicle (when the vehicle is actually used) is lower than internal combustion engines. They know their target audience doesn’t usually do any fact checking.

…and they also cause emissions when they are charged, usually by burning fossil fuels.

The electrical grids across the U.S. are upgrading due to economic forces. Natural gas is cheaper than coal (with vastly fewer environmental problems), so coal is rapidly getting phased out. In Texas, wind and solar power is among the most reliable part of the grid and provides a large percentage of the total power grid capacity. So electrical grids nationwide are becoming more environmentally-friendly, so the electric vehicle will only become more environmentally-friendly for the foreseeable future.

Not only will electric vehicle mandates cost us more at the dealership, but they will also destroy American jobs.

The carbon paper and buggy whip industries went away, but American workers know how to learn new skills and move to new fields. As jobs go away, new jobs will emerge. The REAL danger to employment is actually AUTOMATION, not merely changes to the marketplace, but it seems our political pundits (including the Heritage Foundation) and corporate leaders don’t want to have that conversation.

Auto mechanics, masters at prolonging the life of the internal combustion engine, will also be impacted.

This opinion piece imagines that internal combustion engines will disappear all at once. Not true. There will be lots of legacy internal combustion engines on the roads, in the air, on the rails, and on the water, throughout the next generation. The skills will change, but there will be a need. Moreover, electrical vehicles still require mechanics, although not as frequently since they are of simpler and more reliable design.

Something they conveniently forgot to mention is that electric vehicles need MUCH less maintenance. No oil changes, tune-ups, etc. That is a huge positive for electric vehicle owners.

America’s farmers would be devastated since more than a third of the corn crop ultimately goes to biofuels.

The farmers would not be “devastated.” Instead of burning up a massive amount of our agricultural production in gasoline engines, we could actually grow more food for human and animal consumption, bringing down food prices for everyone.

And America’s oil and refining workers would face a heavy blow. That is a huge issue in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey, since all three have major oil refineries and form the epicenter of the refining industry on the East Coast. Manufacturing jobs like those found at auto plants and refineries support dozens of other jobs and are the foundation on which an economy can be built. The oil and natural gas industry supports over 700,000 jobs in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Why destroy those jobs?

I live in Texas and am the descendant of two generations of oil refining workers. My grandfather and his brothers joined the ranks of oil refining workers in 1912 and helped built one of the largest early refineries; and my father, my uncles, and a massive number of extended family and friends (more than 75% growing up) worked in refineries. I lived in the town surrounded on almost every side by large refineries and heavy industry, so I know a little bit about it.

The dirty little secret of this argument about workers losing their jobs is that most of those jobs have already been lost. Refineries are mostly automated at this point, with an operator running a console who takes the place of hundred of persons that used to run cracking units, pipeline systems, and other various essential functions. Moreover, refineries produce a lot more than just gasoline. They produce aviation fuels, various lubricating oils, and heavier oil-based products often used in construction. Beyond all of that, the oil industry is a international industry, so they will need to produce gasoline for customers around the world, especially for areas that do not yet have the infrastructure to support the clear transportation options.

Refinery jobs are largely gone, and the rest are not going anywhere.

Internal combustion engine vehicles offer superior range, convenience, and durability at an affordable price. The median internal combustion engine vehicle has a range of 403 miles compared with the median electric vehicle at 234 miles.

I drove a Tesla Model 3 Long Range car for about three months earlier this year. I usually charged it to have about a 300-mile range (about an 80% charge), although I could charge it higher when I planned on driving long distance. I thought I would have a lot of range anxiety, but I got over it within the first couple of weeks.

That means more frequent stops for electric vehicles to charge, and they take much longer than filling up at the pump.

I am only familiar with the Tesla experience, but I did not find charging at a Tesla supercharger station (strategically placed along almost all major highways) to take significantly longer than filling up at the pump. I traveled between Fort Worth and Houston on a few occasions and would usually stop at a Buc-ee’s to charge. I would plug in the Tesla, go inside the store use the restroom, buy a drink and snack, and then walk about to the car. By the time I returned, the car was nearly 80% charged again (I usually had about a 20% charge when I pulled in), and I departed shortly after. Since you don’t have to manually monitor the charging process (like a gas pump), you can get in and out of a “fueling stop” in about the same length of time as with a conventional gasoline engine. (And given how crowded Buc-ee’s pumps usually are, I suspect I was there for less time, since I didn’t have to both wait for a pump and then find a parking place before I went in to use the restrooms.)

--
If I were the Heritage Foundation, I would be embarrassed to publish such a hatchet-job of an opinion piece. There are advantages and disadvantages to electric vehicles, but the Heritage Foundation doesn’t seem to respect its readers enough to deal in reality.

 

[Baptist Believer]

No, but you sure are sounding Green with your questioning of the fossil fuel industry.

What is wrong with "sounding Green" and questioning the fossil fuel industry?

Is caring about the environment (like we are instructed to do so in the scriptures) somehow evil?

Does the fossil fuel industry deserve our unquestioned support for everything it does?

 

[Baptist Believer]

I am, too. I am glad that air pollution from internal combustion vehicles has been DRASTICALLY reduced over the past 50 years.

But that's not the only way fossil fuels pollute the air. I lived near oil refineries for nearly half my life and know the "smells" intimately. Many of my family and friends have died from cancers related to exposure to pollution and carcinogens related to fossil fuels. Don't be deceived.

 

[Baptist Believer]

I remember when they got rid of leaded gasoline. It was a pain (I had to buy additives to add each time I filled the tank).

But it was a very good and sane thing to do.

 

[Van]

I am, too. I am glad that air pollution from internal combustion vehicles has been DRASTICALLY reduced over the past 50 years. I have read that it has been reduced by 99%.

Ask yourself this. How many gallons of gas were burned in car engines in say 1970. How many today? Did those products go out the tail pipe.

Say you were in a garage with the door closed. If a 1970 car's exhaust would cause you harm in say 40 minutes, do you really think you would be fine for 90 times that duration with say a 2023 Toyota 4 banger?

 

[Van]

Here is what was written:
Considering that it is the well off who are the vast majority of folks driving electric vehicles(and they are heavily subsidized by the American taxpayers), I will stand up for those who don't have the resources to buy expensive electric vehicles, but who are still in favor of women giving birth and apple pie.

And what I said:
Do you not realize you are subscribing to the "class warfare" propaganda of the godless left?

 

[Van]

But it was a very good and sane thing to do.

I think we all have held mistaken beliefs. I did not like forcing lead out of gasoline, as I believed the stories of how it would harm the engines. Looking back, we might quibble over the method used, but the result saves lives in the LA basin.

As a former smoker, I told myself, I really need that cigarette. But I have been off them now for 40 years. So another mistaken belief.

When they mandated replacement of incandescent bulb, again I saw wrongdoing. And sure enough the first replacement, florescent, was a bust. But now I use less electricity for lighting and spend less time changing bulbs. Who knew?

So when we oppose the new because we are used to the old, realize that we might be missing a good bet.

EV's are not yet ready for their close-up, but keep the camera ready. Baptist Believer and I want to provide relief from "gas pains!"

 

[KenH]

Here is what was written:
Considering that it is the well off who are the vast majority of folks driving electric vehicles(and they are heavily subsidized by the American taxpayers), I will stand up for those who don't have the resources to buy expensive electric vehicles, but who are still in favor of women giving birth and apple pie.

And what I said:
Do you not realize you are subscribing to the "class warfare" propaganda of the godless left?

What I wrote, I wrote.

 

[KenH]

But that's not the only way fossil fuels pollute the air. I lived near oil refineries for nearly half my life and know the "smells" intimately. Many of my family and friends have died from cancers related to exposure to pollution and carcinogens related to fossil fuels. Don't be deceived.

My dad worked for an oil company in a refinery and then a gas plant for around 32 years. I spent three summers during college working for an oil company(one in the gas plant and two in the oil field), and I then got inside work as an accountant for almost 39 years for an oil company.

 

[KenH]

What is wrong with "sounding Green" and questioning the fossil fuel industry?

Is'nt that what the "godless left" that Van keeps mentioning does?

 

[Van]

What I wrote, I wrote.

Here is what was written:
Considering that it is the well off who are the vast majority of folks driving electric vehicles(and they are heavily subsidized by the American taxpayers), I will stand up for those who don't have the resources to buy expensive electric vehicles, but who are still in favor of women giving birth and apple pie.

And what I said:
Do you not realize you are subscribing to the "class warfare" propaganda of the godless left?

 

[KenH]

Here is what was written:
Considering that it is the well off who are the vast majority of folks driving electric vehicles(and they are heavily subsidized by the American taxpayers), I will stand up for those who don't have the resources to buy expensive electric vehicles, but who are still in favor of women giving birth and apple pie.

And what I said:
Do you not realize you are subscribing to the "class warfare" propaganda of the godless left?

What I wrote, I wrote.