Having spent a good deal of time reading (and some time
writing!) officially-sounding papers on electric vehicles, it was refreshing to
read a posting by Daily Kos blogger Assaf Oron that provides a somewhat grittier
analysis (here).
Oron’s takeaway point: “EVs are very close now, perhaps a
single year away, from attaining the critical mass and momentum needed to
irreversibly affect the automotive-market economy.”
Oron does a pretty good takedown of some of the “conventional
wisdom” negativity that often emerges from opponents – I use the term advisedly
– of electric vehicles, although I am probably a bit more skeptical than he is about
a quick blossoming of EVs.
The most interesting part of the piece is his argument that
electric vehicles are not really out of reach of average consumers. Leasing an EV, he argues, is actually cheaper
than owning and maintaining a middle-age conventional car.
He also analyzes the market forces affecting EVs,
particularly noting the successes of Tesla.
Oron ranges through a variety of EV issues in his string of
posts on the subject, but, as I said above, the big takeaway is his assertion
that we are rapidly approaching a tipping point at which EVs are no longer “the
future” or a possible technological option but become a permanent part of our
lives. Is he right? I’m not 100% sold on the proposition…but
I’m probably 80% sold!
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