The case for battery electric vehicles.
What I don't get, more than anything else in the climate debate, is the resistance from some to BEVs.
There should be no opposition here. It is fair to say they are expensive and out of reach to many at the moment. So, I understand why not everyone is buying or driving them. That doesn't change the fact that they are the better option for most people. And there is a middle ground in the form of hybrids and PHEVs though, what I'm saying here largely doesn't apply to those.
Supporting internal combustion is tying yourself to a single fuel. The fuel is both the storage and the energy. You're tied to big gas. If hydrogen gets going, you'll be tied to that supply. And these fuels are dangerous and thus regulated. So, you're opting to have your hands tied. You can't just go mine and refine your own oil. It is also similarly complex, expensive and dangerous at the moment to make hydrogen into a fuel source. And you can't just put one in the other type of car.
Batteries are more about storing and releasing energy, not about producing it in the first place. And the way in which electricity has penetrated our civilizations means that the sources for getting that energy into the batteries is much more varied. And, battery is a generic term, we need not even be necessarily constrained to a single chemistry even at the storage level. In fact, a lot of research is currently ongoing to produce better batteries.
In short, BEVs are the option that gives you choice. And control. You like gas? Well you could buy a generator and charge it that way. Would be a bit ridiculous. But it sufficiently makes the point I think. While the fuel is available, and the price acceptable and you wish to continue such a silly endeavour, you can generate your energy for your BEV from fossil fuels. This is not a recommendation. Simply an illustration.
Supporting internal combustion engines is identical to supporting a lack of options.
And this is more my point. It isn't even about climate change. I may accept our role in warming the planet and what we need to do to fix that, but this doesn't require that mindset. Electric cars are of course better than traditional cars in more ways even than that. Better torque. Fewer moving parts. Less maintenance.
But, I think choice is one factor people don't think of often enough. And it is a much more symbolic reason than what most people choose to champion or rally against.
There should be no opposition here. It is fair to say they are expensive and out of reach to many at the moment. So, I understand why not everyone is buying or driving them. That doesn't change the fact that they are the better option for most people. And there is a middle ground in the form of hybrids and PHEVs though, what I'm saying here largely doesn't apply to those.
Supporting internal combustion is tying yourself to a single fuel. The fuel is both the storage and the energy. You're tied to big gas. If hydrogen gets going, you'll be tied to that supply. And these fuels are dangerous and thus regulated. So, you're opting to have your hands tied. You can't just go mine and refine your own oil. It is also similarly complex, expensive and dangerous at the moment to make hydrogen into a fuel source. And you can't just put one in the other type of car.
Batteries are more about storing and releasing energy, not about producing it in the first place. And the way in which electricity has penetrated our civilizations means that the sources for getting that energy into the batteries is much more varied. And, battery is a generic term, we need not even be necessarily constrained to a single chemistry even at the storage level. In fact, a lot of research is currently ongoing to produce better batteries.
In short, BEVs are the option that gives you choice. And control. You like gas? Well you could buy a generator and charge it that way. Would be a bit ridiculous. But it sufficiently makes the point I think. While the fuel is available, and the price acceptable and you wish to continue such a silly endeavour, you can generate your energy for your BEV from fossil fuels. This is not a recommendation. Simply an illustration.
Supporting internal combustion engines is identical to supporting a lack of options.
And this is more my point. It isn't even about climate change. I may accept our role in warming the planet and what we need to do to fix that, but this doesn't require that mindset. Electric cars are of course better than traditional cars in more ways even than that. Better torque. Fewer moving parts. Less maintenance.
But, I think choice is one factor people don't think of often enough. And it is a much more symbolic reason than what most people choose to champion or rally against.
Comments
Post a Comment