Let’s make no mistake about two things. Global warming is happening, and electric vehicles are part of the decarbonized solution. However, many North Americans are as unenthusiastic about this as that horse in the water. With electric vehicles losing steam in terms of demand, should governments, could governments enforce them? Probably not.
Are the Public Blowing Off Steam for Electric Vehicles?
In the olden days of coal-fired locomotives, drivers blew off steam to slow down, because this released pressure from the boiler. By contrast, the current U.S. Administration is insisting on more battery-powered vehicles:
- They want to see 66% of all new car sales to be electric by the year 2032.
- That may be a noble goal, but many U.S. citizens fret over driving range.
The Heritage Foundation website believes America would require 2.8 million charging stations to achieve this goal. By its own estimate, the current station count is 170,000. We can’t vouch for their figures, but they do appear to have a point.
Are Electric Vehicle Makers Losing Steam Too?
The Heritage Foundation website believes the U.S. vehicle industry is taking its foot off the gas somewhat. Meanwhile, events in the centrally-controlled Chinese economy paint a different picture, even during their slow down.
The following issues appear to be impediments to a greater roll-out of electric vehicles in North America:
- A lack of universal commitment to accept, and respond to global warming meaningfully.
- Understandable concern over battery range, and the lack of charging stations.
- Concerns over cost, and practicality for families with more than two children.
- Reliance on foreign materials, compared to gasoline which is available locally.
From where we watch the battery world go by, we have to agree electric vehicles appear to be losing steam compared to the initial enthusiasm. Some of us will purchase electric vehicles while others will not. You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink.
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