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The infrastructure cost for EVs still way too high when the US haven't even fix the current crumbling infrastructure system. You can't have a democratic govt implement a technology chosen for public consumption without debate and that usually kills any new tech adoption.
In socialist countries, far few debates are necessary to push an agenda. In 50 years from now, the rest of 1st world countries even 2nd and 3rd world will have newer infrastructure than us because we have a see-saw govt. In 3 years from now, once Tesla and others lose their Fed rebates that will put EVs at luxury level that most people wouldn't pay full price for.
I think ICE car is here to stay for another 80 years because it's simply cheap and gas supply is too high and too many powerful companies behind big oil and ICE from going away.
Oh don't get me wrong, it's going to take awhile. 80 years? I don't know. I think it will be sooner than that. The speed of technology advancing keeps increasing.
"The “dynamic charging” — as opposed to the use of roadside charging posts — means the vehicle’s batteries can be smaller, along with their manufacturing costs."
Republicans wont allow it LOL. They ll need ICE to survive.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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That may happen in a few downtown areas of big cities, but that's about it. Here in Seattle, with the cobblestone roads, countless potholes, railroad, light rail and streetcar tracks I can't imagine how that would work. Seattle still has only 1% electric vehicles, and most of them that you see around are Teslas. Based on my daily observation, the lager SUVs and Pickups are still the majority here, even with the lack of parking and cost of parking.
Personally, I see ICE cars becoming more of a luxury item that only the rich or upper class will want.
Eventually, everyone will have electric cars because gas will be taxed higher and higher and the cost will prohibit most people from wanting an ICE car. When we get to the days of $10-$20 per gallon of gas, most people will say goodbye to their gas powered cars and only diehard auto enthusiasts or rich people will continue driving them.
I can see gas taxes and prices going way up. To reduce ICE cars further, I can see a "pollution" tax being added, that you have to pay every year at registration time, etc.
Not sure where my limit is. I'm not opposed to electric vehicles, so long as they provide performance that can best what I can have with an ICE vehicle. They're not quite there, but they are getting closer all the time.
Porsche (and to a lesser extent McLaren and Ferrari) already took the first step with their hybrid 918, when they decide to do an all electric hypercar, it probably won't be long before that tech trickles down to their mainstream cars.
(Can't wait to see what the purists say to that, they better keep the batteries in the rear, by god, or it won't be a true Porsche... LOL)
The problem will be when the raw materials like lithium and cobalt that are required for BEVs become harder to come by. Anybody now can say they want their entire country to run on electricity, but when the entire world is doing it, there's only so much cobalt in the world to sustain giant 300 mile range batteries for every car on earth. Especially when there's still plenty of cheap oil in the ground. Then of course you would have to produce a lot more electricity to charge all those cars who will be drawing a lot all at once. Its not realistic to assume a bunch of solar panels and windmills will be able to handle the load as they would need batteries themselves.
Right now the global economy is doing well and politicians can entertain such fantasies. But when it comes to economics vs the environment, the economy always comes first if a country wants to be able to sustain itself.
Yes, but the owner buys the batteries and politicians can cut their surface road infrastructure funding and save money for the rest of the tax payers. Which do you think is more likely to survive in a democracy?
A drone won't need as big of a battery because the travel is more steady state and direct. No need to idle in traffic and you'll be able to drive like the crow flies saving miles.
Electric cars sell in big city areas. They don't sell in our part of the country. Reasons.
1: When it gets cold here, they are impractical. They lose 60% of their range in cold weather. They lose range, going up a mountain etc. To go shopping it is a 100 mile trip one way, and a 180 mile trip the other direction. Example: According to the DMV, there is not one registered in Montana. Wyoming has one registered, owned by a Movie Star, that keeps it at his ranch to use as a go to town (local town) car, in the summer time only.
2: Electrified roads, are not being put where it is 100 miles between towns, and hundreds of miles to a city.
I don't see any of that being a deal killer. Batteries already get up to 430 miles per charge. That is more than enough for a 180 mile trip. As for mountains, charging stations at the base of the mountain would solve that problem. Cold weather would just involve an extra stop to recharge. Stopping to charge will not be as big a deal as some make it out to be. On long trips drivers will pull into a restaurant, plug in their car, go eat lunch, come back and their car will be fully charged and ready to go up a mountain. Or they will just pull into a charging station, plug their car in, go online and work for an hour, until the charge is complete. Very few people drive non-stop without taking breaks, anyway.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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True, but even on a 10 hour road trip our stops are not long enough to charge a car with the current technology. Which EV can pull a 30’ travel trailer or 5th wheel? Even when there is one, it will really suck up the battery.
Assuming that all government meddling, subsidies and penalties were eradicated, there would be a massive shift back to electric traction rail.
The laws of Physics recommend steel wheel on steel rail, as the most efficient form of land transport. Rail has a 20:1 advantage over rubber tire on pavement. And electric locomotives have a 2.4 : 1 advantage over diesel-electric locomotives. A single track can have the carrying capacity of 9 lanes of superhighway.
With the proliferation of catenary overhead power, it may be feasible for urban vehicles to tap into that source of power. Since they require two conductors, it may be more cost effective for the rail systems to use 3-phase power (with the tracks as one conductor), while the other vehicles use only 1-phase.
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