Here is the response I got from my friend who I sent "more information about electrification" as requested.
... and my brief reply... yeah, yeah, I know
where is the beating a dead horse emoji?
It turned out as a fairly comprehensive tome that might be useful for others, so I'm sharing it with y'all too.
Enjoy
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If you would take time to read though this and consider the info I'd appreciate it.
I'm sharing it because you are a friend, not because I'm on a soapbox. I don't have anything to gain by taking time to do this.
You have my promise this will be the last novel you will see about this from me.
If it inspires you to learn more, you will find plenty of information elsewhere.
Electric vehicles:
- Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is less expensive over 5 years than the best selling ICE vehicle (Toyota Corolla)
- have fewer maintenance hassles
- offer higher reliability
- improve throughout ownership with over the air updates (most recalls, performance increases, new features, etc. are automatically updated via software without leaving your garage)
- have better performance (the fastest production vehicles are electric and the least expensive BEVs outperform most of the ICE fleet)
- have more useful features*
- don't require advertising to sell the product**
(edit: not sure why the below got formatted as a quote, it isn't)
Tesla has
never advertised their products. They depend upon word of mouth only. It is difficult to imagine how this one auto maker whose stock has the largest market cap of all auto makers, and whose profit margin is the highest of all auto makers (ICE and BEV) is somehow being "shoved down" anyone's throat. Particularly when all of their profits are being spent on research and development, expanding production, and streamlining their manufacturing processes.
The oil and gas industry:
- spends a significant portion of their profits on advertising and on the lobbying of legislators (as do the legacy auto manufacturers)
- receives more billions in annual subsidies from state and federal government than do all the sustainable energy groups combined
These facts indicate the exact opposite of your statement. They don't call the US Dollar the "Petro-Dollar" for nothing. Oil, and the industries it supports have been the most significant controlling factor of US government policy for decades.
Despite this level of influence and control over the policies and narrative that Big Oil and Big Auto wield, more and more of those shopping for and purchasing new cars are finding a better value offered by electric vehicle manufacturers. This is not a fad. Gas cars are going away. They are going away now. Here's why.
They are going away because there is an alternative that has a lower TCO, is more reliable, and provides a better ownership experience.
As of Q1 of this year the best selling (gas or electric) SUV in the US and Europe is the Tesla Model Y.
The fastest growing segment of the auto industry is the battery electric vehicle. The BEV percentage of all cars sold globally is growing exponentially, not linearly.
Battery Electric Vehicles share of global car market over time:
- 2% share in 2018;
- 4% share in 2020;
- 8% share in 2021;
- 14% share in 2022
This growing trend is
doubling the BEV share of the global auto market every 1 to 2 years. At this astounding rate BEV sales will be at 50% share of new cars sold in only three or four years, and is expected to be 80% of the new vehicle market by ~2030, if not sooner.
The really crazy thing is how, back in 2013, Elon Musk outlined a plan to reach these exact goals and has been spot on with hitting those targets for ten years. This transition away from fossil fuel cars is based upon a decade old plan with an unprecedented success rate over the long haul.
The ICE vehicle manufacturers have been stagnant in their research and development for decades, riding on technology that has not taken advantage of new developments. This is why there was a "chip shortage." The chip manufacturers have significantly reduced production of old technology chips that the ICE OEMs depend upon. The chip manufacturers shut down those lines when the ICE OEMs canceled orders during COVID, and they replaced those aging lines with modern chip production facilities making modern chips for other customers. The ICE manufacturers and their supply chain were using ten+ year old tech and did not have the necessary talent to create replacement modules using current technology electronic components.
Heck, I've been waiting on Ford to deliver a Transmission Control Unit for my car since October of last year for a warranty repair on a 2015 model. They tell me that maybe this month it may finally arrive. I'm fortunate the car can be driven, else I'd have been doing without a vehicle for seven months while waiting on parts from the factory. Legacy OEMs are struggling in this new age.
Electric vehicles are becoming dominant simply because they make sense. Electric vehicles cost less over their lifetime, have 90% fewer moving parts to fail, you can fill it up at home while you sleep, and in the not too distant future they may not even have a steering wheel and will carry us to our destination autonomously. This is what drives sales of BEVs without even mentioning the climate, or the health benefits.
A similar change is happening in the production of energy. Use of solar panels, wind generation, and large scale battery storage are replacing fossil fuel power plants all over the world at a growing pace, simply because it costs less to make power this way. Getting away from the pollution is just a side benefit. Texas and California are the leading states in this transition in the US.
These are facts that are easily verified. Those who are aware of this will be in a better position to benefit than those who won't take time to verify whether there are any actual facts supporting the stories they base their decisions upon.
Hopefully you will see this more clearly as the evidence of this change stacks up around you. The numbers tell the story for anyone willing to set aside preconceived notions and rhetoric such as "gas hating portion of government" and who will give the information an honest look before dismissing it out of hand.
Thanks for taking the time. I'd rather try to share this now than look back someday wishing I had.
Let me know if I can help with more info, otherwise I'll let it be.
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