I don't know if you did, but I do notice that you forgot "about a million years ago" in your original claim. It seems that you are now only talking about the centuries immediately before the 1850s.
I should get you down to my local park because the goalposts are getting in the way of my R/C model aircraft and I'd really like to have them moved.
I was talking about the use of wood for energy (and other things), which humans have been doing for over a million years. In Europe this resource started running out in the 1500's. The transition to coal and steam power in the 1850s was a result of this, so naturally it followed.
You assume that most EV owners live in one-family houses with a garage because you do so yourself, apparently. That is a very limited market.
I'm not just assuming, it's a fact.
UK: over 75% of households have off-street parking
NZ: over 85% of homes have offstreet parking
AU: There are more car spaces in apartments in Sydney and Melbourne than cars.
However I appreciate that some people don't have that option, which I why I advocate for EV charging in public parking spaces. A standard mains socket is all that's needed for overnight charging or topping up while shopping or at work. The cost is very low. If I was running a business today I would do that for my staff and customers.
In my street, they don't, and I doubt that our local authorities would let me charge an electric vehicle with a cable out of the window from my apartment.
Not the ideal solution, but I bet they wouldn't mind you having an approved external power socket installed. EV charging cables have RCDs installed so they are safe for outdoor use.
Besides, it's not just a question of visibility or psychology. People tend to notice and tell each other what's available in the neighborhood. It's a question of convenience.
Yes, that
inconvenient truth keeps cropping up.
Your
"only (!) 1.5km away" says it all. Once again,
Smallegade, for comparison.
You never consider the obvious truth you present when you are trying to come up with an argument for your delusion: You are right! It
is actually about
helping oil companies, not the consumers! That is what
slows down the transition! The oil industry
and the politicians that they bribe want to make sure that their investments don't become worthless, which is why they are doing their utmost to make sure that the transition doesn't happen too fast
Bribery is bad. But it's not just oil companies that don't want to transition too fast - the whole world doesn't. People don't want to buy an EV or install solar just to reduce their carbon footprint. People don't want to pay double for gas to pay for rolling out renewables. People won't elect politicians who push for a fast transition that disrupts their lives. We have seen this happen and it isn't just (or even) due to Big Oil misinforming the public or bribing officials.
Some governments have pushed pretty hard for EV and solar adoption, resulting in significant pushback from certain sections of the community. These are the same people who pushed back against LED light bulbs and whine about their taxes going to promoting renewables etc. They didn't need to be convinced to do this - it's in their nature.
No, it's an example of how Big Oil doesn't want to make fast chargers available too soon because it would ruin their business selling petrol!
It's the same for any business, diversifying has a cost that makes it hard to justify. It's a big problem for legacy auto because selling EVs cannibalizes their gas car sales. Due to economy of scale unit costs go down as sales go up. That means EVs are hard to make at a competitive price. So you make a loss and hope sales pick up. Meanwhile your gas car sales are declining which makes them more expensive too!
What breaks this dilemma? Demand. Diversifying works when demand for the old product falls off as people want something different. Sometimes a company can create demand by offering a new product which has advantages over the old one. But that's risky.
Oil companies have all their infrastructure and expertise tied up in oil. Eventually they will have to transition to renewables as the demand shifts, but If they try to do it too early they simply lose market share as other oil companies fill the demand. It would be a lot easier for them if
consumers changed their desires, but trying to force it on them is unlikely to help. So they go with the flow, changing as demand changes and hoping they don't get left behind.
Expecting businesses to unilaterally decide to change the world is not going to work. Their sole reason for existing is to make money for their owners. This applies to your local shop owner or tradesman just as much as it does Big Oil. They are just trying to live in a society that is driven by money, and you won't change that by bleating about it. There are three things you can do though:-
1. Stop buying fossil fuels.
2. Make your demand visible.
3. Support politicians who have the balls to make needed policy changes.
I don't use fast chargers because my old Leaf can't handle it, but I do go the gas station to pump my tires up. Then I go into the store and get some food, telling them 'No petrol I have an EV'. It's a subtle hint but it gets the message across.
And it's obvious that they don't! You just said so yourself!
Why do you think so few electric vehicles are sold in NZ in comparison to DK – in spite of cheap imports from Japan?
Not charging. The main reason is simply that people don't like change. Life is hard enough already without having to rearrange it to suit a new technology. The vast majority of Kiwis don't buy new cars because they can't afford them. The majority of used EVs are early models with poor range that make them a serious challenge for people who would rather just stick with what they know. Kiwis are also very budget conscious. If EVs were cheaper they might consider them. In many cases they
are cheaper, but only when fuel, maintenance and loan repayments are considered. Dealers don't tend to push these advantages for several reasons:-
1. EVs are different so customers are more likely to have 'buyer's remorse'. This makes selling them risky.
2. Dealers make money on maintenance that they get less of with EVs.
3. EVs tend to depreciate faster which makes trading up more expensive, and second-hand EVs are harder to sell.
Things are changing though. With the price of petrol now over NZ$3.60/l it's easier to pitch the lower operating cost of an EV. Cheap Chinese EVs have now reached price parity with gas cars, and they aren't depreciating as badly. The choice in EV models is now much broader too, so customers are more likely to find something they like. Finally there are enough EVs out there now that people are starting to become more comfortable with them. Seeing EV chargers at your local gas station is a part of that.
Bottom line is it takes time for the market to change. Right now EVs are quite rare in New Zealand, but demand is increasing. It took a big hit when the government changed and killed the 'clean car discount', but high fuel prices have arrived just in time to boost demand again. In a few years EVs will start to become common here, and then demand will skyrocket as they go 'mainstream'. People are far more likely to buy something if their friends have one. And when the demand is there the chargers will come (actually they are already coming).
And yet, you still believe and propagate Big Oil's (and Stout's) fairy tale about fossil-fuel companies doing their utmost to satisfy the consumers' insatiable thirst for energy.
It's not a fairy tale. If it was the price of petrol wouldn't have risen by nearly 50%.
The fact is that until recently an EV wasn't on most people's RADAR. Kiwis were quite happy paying $2/l for petrol and saw no reason to change. EV owners were considered a bit weird, either having more money than sense or being radical 'tree huggers'. Nobody took them seriously. We have a gas car culture that started in the 40's and won't go away until the people from that era are gone. Young people are more open minded and will quickly embrace EVs.
Old people are also warming to EVs as their needs change. When you aren't driving much an EV with low range is more acceptable, and being able to charge at home is more convenient. Pensioners have plenty of time so fast charging isn't needed. EVs are more relaxing to drive too. In the future
autonomous EVs will be a big hit with old people whose faculties are declining. Right now a lot of them are driving mobility scooters because they can't get a driver's license. And to be fair, mobility scooters are also a type of EV!
