Myth: The Future Belongs to Electric Cars
13th September 2010
Do not be surprised if electric cars do not follow the trajectory of personal computers and mobile phones. Leaving aside the prohibitive prices, the infrastructure needed to support wide-scale use of electric cars is nonexistent. How readily will the requisite millions of batteries be available when manufacturers are quick to unveil new, bold electric car plans but slow to commit to massive battery orders? And how will people in large cities, where 30 to 60 percent of cars are parked curbside, charge their vehicles? Mass construction of charging stations must precede mass ownership of electrics outside of the suburbs, where vehicles could be charged in garages. This is why researchers at IHS Global Insight put the share of pure electrics at just 0.6 percent of world sales in 2020, and why any claim that electric cars will soon take over the market is utterly unrealistic.
September 13th, 2010 at 11:26
I just love the look on ‘progressives’ faces when I agree with them on electric cars and then add, “..and we can use nuclear power to generate all that electricity so we won’t affect global warming!”
September 16th, 2010 at 10:05
This is pretty much the same argument for why TVs, or radios, will never catch on. Enough people have to commit to it before there’s any value in providing the service.
I don’t think electric cars will work, but for totally different reasons — electricity isn’t cheaper or easier to get than oil, and often is generated by burning oil. Electric cars are economic (and environmental) losers until electricity is no longer produced by oil and coal.
If America ever advances to the late 20th century and starts building nuclear power plants again, electric cars can be considered seriously. But then, with a much lower drain on oil, gasoline cars will become more economic.