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I normally like Adam, but this is a dumbass take for a number of reasons. Let me name the ones just on the top of my head:
- EVs can operate anywhere in the world, and skip the energy dependent bonds of neighboring countries (politics)
- You can have a solar install on your home and offset the costs of charging, so it’s essentially free, AND better for the environment (sustainability)
- China literally stole all the designs from existing manufacturing processes and use those for their BYD cars. This has already been admitted to, and is a fact. They aren’t “doing better”, they are “making cheaper”
- expounding on 3, they only make cheaper cars because of SLAVE LABOR. Unless other countries want to get back into the slavery business, you’re not going to beat that price point.
- “Western” car makers carry warranties with their product. China does not. AT.ALL. You buy it, you bought it. Read the fine print and realize that whatever BYD is claiming as a warranty only extends to cars within a certain radius of one of their dealerships, and not outside of China.
I can go on and on about this, but on headline alone, Adam fucked up her. What a stupid take.
I must say that I didn’t expect him not mention this when talking about BYD. BBC: Brazil shuts BYD factory site over ‘slavery’ conditions
Wow, what an arrogant twat. Let’s tackle these stupid criticisms 1 by 1:
- Yes, They cost more. The cost is offset by the lower cost of ownership over time. If you finance the car, you never even feel that cost because you just pay the difference to the bank instead of the oil companies, and pocket the remainder. And you get a nicer car in the process.
- Longer to refuel. On long trips, yes. The other 99% of the time you actually save a fuckton of time not going to the gas station. Not to mention improved safety and lower risk of ID theft as your CC is stolen (which has happened to me several times).
- Battery degrades. Yeah, I mean, so does your engine and transmission and everything else about your ICE car. Batteries will likely outlast your ICE powertrain, and they’ll slowly degrade over time, and when they’re done you can sell them to a recycler and get some of your money back.
- Trains/Buses/Bikes. Yeah, these are great if you have them, or the infrastructure that supports them. We don’t have them. If I try to ride my bike to the grocery store 2 miles away there is a very high probability of death, because I have to cross a 70MPH highway, and there’s no other way to get there. This has nothing to do with the discussion of ICE cars vs. electric cars. I both drive an electric and and actively advocate for improved non-car infrastructure but I’m 1 person.
- I don’t know what this whole tangent about Chinese cars is about. Those are electric too?
unless you live someplace, ya know, not designed for bikes in absolutely any capacity… say, 95% of the united states.
whoever made this is living in a fantasy world
Man, imagine if people in the Netherlands in the 70s had this much of a defeatist mindset, they may never have managed to improve whatsoever that way.
easy to say when you have one millionth of the landmass and a culture not appropriated by corporate profits.
Maybe start to build and improve bicycle and public transportation infrastructure?
im not sure if youve heard of the unites states, but shit doesnt work like that here.
Why is that?
because we have literally a million times the landmass, 25 Times the population in that landmass and a culture thats 100% appropriated by corporate profits over even healthcare.
its not even kind of the same environment.
Population density in cities isn’t much different. Car infrastructure needs to be maintained and built too. So might as well build different kind of infra instead. But about the culture, yeah you have a point. The country chose for more money to the rich, take away rights and money from the rest. When the country is in support of corporate greed, I agree it will be hard to change when those empowered corporates decide everything.
He lives in Hungary, and lived in Prague for several years… Not a fantasy world but at least public transit is very competitive in cities
I think there’s a lot of great arguments about why someone living in a city of most sizes doesn’t need a car and can use a bicycle for most of their needs.
I don’t think it applies to vast swaths of America.
Edit: And, yeah, that’s an issue.
also, just because you would never need to own an ev because you live in a city doesnt mean you would never benefit from one. your deliveries arent made by bike and never would be. your emergency services, bulk transport like buses…
its just silly and short-sighted to tell people to ignore electric vehicles
Actually my deliveries are often done by bike.
How did your package arrive at the local delivery hub, though?
I mean the last few kms of course. But food delivery is usually by bike.
exactly. I would LOVE to not have to spend thousands of dollars on a car, insurance, fuel, etc. but that’s not realistic.
Not with the current mindset and infrastructure completely focused on cars. But here in the Netherlands we changed our car focused cities to bike and public transportation focused infra, and continue to do so. You don’t have a choice if there are no sidewalks, bike lanes and reliable and regular busses, trams, subways and trains. So maybe fix that instead of continuing a dystopian cartopia. Over 80% in the US lives in urbanized area, they should be able to live without a car. I understand car use in rural areas but in cities it’s just dumb. As well as intercity travel. Instead of saying “it’s just not possible”, why not look at the Netherlands where they already did it with great success. Other countries follow too, like Denmark for example. It’s not that you can’t, it’s just that you won’t.
It only works if there is good public transit, which there isn’t. I personally see it as an argument in favor of investing more in public transit.
