Latest Reader Question (Nov. 1, 2017)

Here’s the latest reader question, along with my reply: 

Stephen asks: Based on all the (valid) discussion about our being force fed electric vehicles, my conclusion is that we are destined to drive gloried golf carts, but only for 100 mile trips. Anything longer will not realistically be possible without the income to support an evil, highly taxed gasoline version. The more we drive, the more we will be taxed. Ironically, electric trains (not diesel generated), airplanes, buses and trucks (major oil consumers) are not being discussed … because they can never be commercially successful? Tesla Corporation is being heavily subsidized. An electric car is not worth the effort or the support. What is Tesla also doing that the government wants? I suspect it goes back to the teachings of Nikola Tesla.

My reply: There is no doubt – because it’s not debatable, given the state of electric cars as they exist (as opposed to promises about how they will be) that they make no economic sense due to their cost, which negates any savings on fuel (vs. an IC-engined economy car).

This has been made worse rather than better by the mandates – which have encouraged companies like Tesla, which manufacture luxury-sport cars that happen to be electric. Absent the mandates, there would be market incentive to build an electric car that cost less to own and drive than a current IC-engined economy car. To design and manufacture an economical electric car, in other words.

As to why Tesla is being so generously favored: It has to do with the current trend of unreality, in which wishing something to be true makes it true; in which fantasy and desire trumps reality.

That is the benevolently delusional explanation.

The more sinister explanation is that there is a concerted and conscious push going on to get most people out of autonomous, IC-engined cars – as opposed to automated EVs, which will be under the direct control of corporations and the government.

I tend to favor the latter explanation.

I also agree with friends and colleagues who cynically believe that the moment any energy source threatens to be cheap, clean and out of the control of the powers-that-be, that source of energy will be suppressed or regulated out of existence.

. . .

Got a question about cars – or anything else? Click on the “ask Eric” link and send ’em in!

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