BJ Birtwell’s Post

And Jim Farley makes my point here https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jim-farley_as-a-lifelong-car-guy-i-was-surprised-when-activity-7212394354810761216-cKd-?utm_source=combined_share_message&utm_medium=member_ios

ICE vehicles will probably increasingly become a luxury item, much as equestrian sports and leisure have. For those willing to pay the guzzler, CO2, congestion, etc. fees, there will remain choices, whether powered by e-fuels, CNG, DME, or hydrogen. For the rest of us, ICE will become a "back in the day" nostalgia item for antique car meetups, museums, parades, and vintage track days.

Residential solar took off not because of climate concerns, but because of the cost savings. Wind farms on Texas ranches took off not because of climate concerns, but because they make money. As Americans, we're all about $$$ and power. Listening to a neighbor talk about how little they're spending commuting with their EV, and how much more power it has than an equivalent ICE age car has a greater impact than a pile of emaciated polar bear carcasses.

The panel on EVs and politics at Electrify Expo in Long Beach hammered home the point that the environment is not the right marketing angle anymore. The economic benefits are. My story for Auto Remarketing on the panel will be out Monday.

As an automotive journalist who co-created the Canadian Green Car Award a dozen years ago, I have seen the narrative shift that we needed to see. One of my favorite things has been to given someone a chance to drive an experience an EV who has never done so before. Time after time after time, their apprehension turns into enthusiasm once they actually get a chance to experience all the performance-oriented benefits that come from EV ownership. Experiential learning is always the most profound and the more we give people a chance to experience something they have heard many untruths about, the more we will convert people to see why EVs truly are the way of the future.

Absolutely right BJ. Let's be pragmatic and think what will really make EVs becoming the standard: 1/ lower TCO than ICE (Christopher Harper gave a good data point) 2/ broad offering, with models for all needs and all preferences 3/ "charging experience" should no longer be question. Meaning that we're still at stage where the infrastructure is building, with it's ups and downs. But when it's here, your battery gets low, you charge. Wherever, whenever it's needed and period. 4/ Cherry on top: gas price increase plus some local ban of ICE in large cities As mentioned in your post, environmental benefits were at the origin of this transition, so now we need to highlight the arguments that resonate with drivers. 

Exactly why Tesla built their vehicles to dominate the ICE alternatives in performance. Otherwise they could have rolled out a Bolt or Leaf type vehicle 15 years ago. The economics around EVs, ease of use driving dynamics and performance are pushing it forward. The zero emissions is just cherry on top.

Good distinction.

Spot on.

I think you’re onto something with that. EVs are playing ICE’s game and pretending they’re a swap-out. They’re not. They are a different beast entirely and require their own infrastructure. But unfortunately the world is built for ICE vehicles, and replacing them will be hugely expensive. The challenge is going to be how to justify massive spends of taxpayer money for EVs if it’s just updating a driving experience. There have to be very real and provable public benefits if we’re to expect the public to pay for them. Not sure where those benefits are going to come from…