I'm beginning to wonder if we aren't collectively getting over our car fancy juuuusst a little bit. I'm old, I grew up in the Midwest, I like my vroom-vroom V8s and the like. But, man, I'm beginning to get so done with cars, ICEs at least. Part of the reason is because viable options are becoming available. We've had a Leaf for almost eight years, for example. Because of our ownership, I foresee the end of our owning things that run on tiny fuel explosions. Attrition will replace the ICEs we own now. If we need to drive any distance, we'll more than likely be driving the RV (which unfortunately will probably be ICE for quite a while).
Electric or not, I'm also getting kind of done with a 3500 lb. steel cage to get my scrawny ass the short drive to work. I've tried to use alternatives (and usually do), but the alternatives are kind of a pain, too. Motorcycle saves time (HOV lanes) if I go Redmond->Seattle, but I work in Bellevue now (next door to Redmond) and the motorcycle takes longer than the car with all the gearing up. Motorcycle isn't that much more ecologically-friendly than a car, either. Bicycle is nice, but I have a non-trivial hill both ways. A lot of days I don't mind, a lot of days I do. I get exercise, but it pretty much triples my otherwise 20 minute commute. But I still do it, it's fun and healthy and not bad.
I do my exercise when I'm home, so most days what I really want is an ecologically-friendly way to get to work that isn't a pain in the ass and doesn't take forever. I think my solution is an electric scooter. I bought a Xiaomi M365 and have ridden it the seven miles to work each day. It adds 15 minutes to a 20 minute commute, but instead of dealing with shitacular WA drivers, I cruise next to a river. I've enjoyed it enough in the past week, and it has proven itself to be practical enough, that I put a deposit down on one of Boosted's considerably better-built and more expensive scooters coming out soon. We'll see how it goes come Seattle winter.
My long-winded point isn't for everyone to go buy scooters, but rather (as the article points out), there are tons more options lately than just plopping your ass in a car seat. Not just pain-in-the-ass options, practical options. "Practical" being the key word. Lithium batteries might be the single greatest thing to get us out of our cars.
> Motorcycle saves time (HOV lanes) if I go Redmond->Seattle, but I work in Bellevue now (next door to Redmond) and the motorcycle takes longer than the car with all the gearing up. Motorcycle isn't that much more ecologically-friendly than a car, either.
I've switched to a motorcycle, but in my case it's different. I commute around the east bay, 42 miles each way along the 680 corridor which can be pretty bad. I can take a company bus, but it's 25 minutes to get to the bus stop, and then a minimum of another hour to get in, usually 1:15. So that's an hour and forty minute commute just to get into work. Evenings are worse, typically taking over 2 hours.
But on the bike, gearing up and checking the bike takes 2 minutes, gassing up takes another minute, and the drive into work takes 52 minutes (thanks to HOV lanes and lane splitting, which you don't have in WA). Door to door is never over an hour. The ride home is usually 1:15.
So on the bike it's a total of 2:10 spent commuting, vs. at least 3:40, probably more. Except on rainy days. Then I take the bus, because I don't like getting wet.
But like you, my major impetus behind the switch is that I'm tired of driving a giant lumbering beast around. The ~60mpg on the bike certainly doesn't hurt.
Once those financial penalties start to hit carmakers, they'll probably have to offer deep discounts on electric cars to get a high percentage of their consumer base to buy electric rather than ICE, or simply stop offering ICE altogether
I doubt that will save them right away, regardless. I've bought used vehicles for years.
Example: Bought a 2004 Navigator for $500. It needed new struts to replace the airbags, new CV shafts on the front, new front and back windshields and some engine work. Spent about $3000 total for a $6k bluebook value luxury car.
I watch Craigslist for really good deals and pounce on them. With my shed business, I wear out a 3/4 ton pickup every year pulling buildings. Cheaper to spend 3-4k a year on that than to buy a new one and have it in the shop for warranty work all the time.
Electric or not, I'm also getting kind of done with a 3500 lb. steel cage to get my scrawny ass the short drive to work. I've tried to use alternatives (and usually do), but the alternatives are kind of a pain, too. Motorcycle saves time (HOV lanes) if I go Redmond->Seattle, but I work in Bellevue now (next door to Redmond) and the motorcycle takes longer than the car with all the gearing up. Motorcycle isn't that much more ecologically-friendly than a car, either. Bicycle is nice, but I have a non-trivial hill both ways. A lot of days I don't mind, a lot of days I do. I get exercise, but it pretty much triples my otherwise 20 minute commute. But I still do it, it's fun and healthy and not bad.
I do my exercise when I'm home, so most days what I really want is an ecologically-friendly way to get to work that isn't a pain in the ass and doesn't take forever. I think my solution is an electric scooter. I bought a Xiaomi M365 and have ridden it the seven miles to work each day. It adds 15 minutes to a 20 minute commute, but instead of dealing with shitacular WA drivers, I cruise next to a river. I've enjoyed it enough in the past week, and it has proven itself to be practical enough, that I put a deposit down on one of Boosted's considerably better-built and more expensive scooters coming out soon. We'll see how it goes come Seattle winter.
My long-winded point isn't for everyone to go buy scooters, but rather (as the article points out), there are tons more options lately than just plopping your ass in a car seat. Not just pain-in-the-ass options, practical options. "Practical" being the key word. Lithium batteries might be the single greatest thing to get us out of our cars.