ELECTRIC VEHICLES- WHY?

I don’t believe there was much interest in electric vehicles (EV’S) until the government and the green movement started pushing them down our throats.

I have questions about why these two groups would do that.

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY?

One of the big plusses for EV’s, according to proponents, is that they are greener than gasoline powered vehicles. I ask, “Has this hypothesis been proven?” Shouldn’t we all ask that?

How can these products be deemed ecologically friendly when they are made with lithium-ion batteries which are hard to find, prone to fires, very expensive and dangerous to dispose of. In addition to the actual battery, is the problem of charging them. When the electric cars are being touted as using little or no gas the proponents are not asked what procedures are in place to refuel them. How long does it take to completely charge an electric car? Is our supply of electricity strong enough to accept a large influx of electric cars into an overburdened system that is already asking, at times, for brownouts to prevent blackouts.

I could not tie down a specific time to completely charge an EV from empty. Microsoft Bing gives a window of 30 minutes to 10-12 hours for a battery charge on an EV, then, the article adds, it could take 2 to 3 days for a complete charge from empty. So there ya’ go, clear as mud.

I can accept any change from the normal if it is well thought out and a change for the better. I’m concerned about this change though. It does not appear, to me, to be beneficial or well thought out. Why don’t we have answers to basic questions?

If you recall universal health care initiated a complete overhaul of our health care in much the same way this revolution is occurring. They passed that overhaul with lies such as “You can keep your doctor” and the grandaddy of all lies, “It will be affordable.” Neither was true- but we still live with it. I do not want a reprise. Nobody in my circle of friends is raving about how great it turned out to be. The core of our conversation, Obama care related, is always how we are in worse shape.

Outlandish lies went unquestioned. Everyone will receive better health care and it will bring down the costs! Wow! What a great concept! Why didn’t we do this before?- Probably because it, on its face, is impossible! This concept, of course, was conceived and pushed by the same politicians who have supported enough unfunded spending that our national debt has raced up to over 31 trillion dollars!

ARE GAS CARS EVIL?

What logical questions come to mind reference elimination of gas fueled cars? Have the accusations against gas guzzlers been proven? Or just repeated enough that nobody questions them anymore?

It is unprecedented that the federal government goes against an entire industry. Have we seen proof of the allegations that fossil fuel is destroying the environment? I mean other than the elite rich and government officials flying into a resort town to say, “The end is near!” And then flying out on those same gas guzzling private jets. I wonder who the first to buy an electric private jet will be?

HOW WILL EV’s PERFORM IN COLD WEATHER?

According to a Consumer Report article (Feb 13, 2019) entitled, BUYING AN ELECTRIC CAR FOR A COLD CLIMATE? DOUBLE DOWN ON THE RANGE, any consumer expecting to drive an electric vehicle in a cold climate area should make sure to purchase one that is rated for twice the mileage they expect to need to prevent the possibility of being stranded on the colder days. The article documents that CR tested a fully charged Tesla Model 3 with an EPA estimated 310 mile range. At the end of a 64 mile test drive the remaining range was 189 miles, showing that the 64 mile drive had taken 121 miles of projected battery life instead of 64. The article documented similar results with another EV.

Consumer Reports was in line with every source I checked regarding problems with lithium batteries in cold weather. Li3, a lithium battery source, noted that, “In freezing charging conditions, lithium ions get lost navigating their way to “work” within the graphite anode. Instead of intercalating, these ions end up plating the surface of the anode. Charging in freezing temps can cause plating, which reduces battery capacity and increases resistance. If enough plating builds up, it can puncture the separator and create a dangerous short inside the cell.” They recommended an upgrade battery. I don’t understand that quote completely other than to know that charging a cold EV in freezing weather is dangerous.

COST OF BATTERIES- MONETERY AND POLITICAL?

When I owned my repair shop in the 1980’s, batteries were not that expensive. Electric car batteries are a different story. I discovered, in a search on Microsoft Bling, that batteries for EV’s range in price from to $5,000.00 to $15,000.00 with some going as high as $20,000.00

We’ve been dealing with cold weather problems, which appear to be significant. Warm weather states aren’t problem free, however. California recently (09/01/2022) requested EV owner’s refrain from charging their vehicles during peak periods to preserve energy availability.

As the government seems to do recently, all of the questions raised by those who are leery of jumping to electric vehicles were ignored and they, the Biden Administration, decreed that by FY23 (Yes, this year) 13,000 light & medium duty zero emission (ZEV’s), which is 4 times higher than 2022, shall be purchased. Biden’s Federal Sustainability plan requires federal agencies to transition to all EV’s (light duty ZEV’s) by 2027 with the remaining larger vehicles coming on board by 2035.

Many questions come to mind. With what we know about how the batteries react to cold weather, what do they plan to do about post office vehicles that are usually parked on a corner while the postal carrier walks that block- these would be terrible conditions for an electric vehicle- to get cold and reheat continually. How about a cold weather war that our military could be required to participate in. How could an all-electric fleet perform in such conditions?

That’s just the tip of the iceberg (pun intended). Sky News (Australia) reported that firefighters complained that lithium-ion car batteries are among the hardest to fight because they burn so hot. The paper reported that Queensland is experiencing an average of one such fire a week. This number will surely go up when Queensland & The United States increase the percentage of EV’s through legislation, not choice.

Fires in landfills and battery recycling facilities have also been attributed to inappropriate disposal of lithium-ion batteries.

Just another point that is not touched on when politicians ramble on about how the transition to electric vehicles will be smooth. How many EV recharging stations have you seen? I’ve seen a spot here and there. When we hit 100% of car sales being EV, as President Biden has mandated by 2035, we will need 1.2 million more public charging centers and 28 million more privately owned charging systems- 20 times more than we have now.

I asked before, but I’ll ask again, has anyone proven that electric cars are necessary or that they will be effective in making the air cleaner? Has anyone touched on the problem of disposing of the lithium-ion batteries? Has anyone addressed the fact that China is one of the top 3 sources of lithium while the U.S., at this time, has only one lithium mine?

I don’t like when the government takes any of our freedoms- I feel that is happening with the EV situation- our freedom to stay with gas powered vehicles. I don’t like when our government interferes with private industry, as they are with the petroleum and automotive industries. I don’t like when my government throws borrowed money that we do not have at problems that don’t exist. I am referring to my belief that there is no “climate crisis” and we don’t need to be giving the rich money to buy their cars- I refer to the $7,500.00 “tax incentive” given for the purchase of electric vehicles.

I believe if there was an interest in EV’s, a transition would have taken place in its’ own time. Perhaps years down the road. I read an article whose author gave his view that Electric Vehicles were “Concept cars” that the government forced into production years before they were ready for release.- That sounds right to me. Sorry, I can’t find the article; at the time I read it I din’t plan to write this.

Thanks for reading to the end. Please comment. If a comment section is not available please tap on the title and one should come up at the end of the blog. Sorry for the inconvenience. I am working on the problem.

Phil