Here are links to some posts on the other ‘Safe-for-Work’ Blog.
Part 1- Fundamental Barriers for Widespread Adoption of Electric Vehicles
For starters- technological, logistical and economic factors and considerations always supersede any attempts to push for adoption of new technologies. No amount of pushing and cajoling could have displaced steam trains and ships unless the alternatives were at least as good, more reliable and cheaper. On land, diesel engines were no competition for steam until diesel engines became more reliable, the diesel-electric drive was developed and diesel fuel was readily available. Similarly electric trains became a threat to steam only after the electric grid which powered them became reliable and widespread after WW2.
Part 2- Fundamental Barriers for Widespread Adoption of Electric Vehicles
For example- by 1900, gasoline-powered engines were a common but still not dominant sight in smaller factories and workshops- and hundreds of thousands of such engine were already being made by multiple manufacturers all over the world. In the same year, total number of automobiles in the entire world still stood at barely 10-20 thousand. However by 1910, there were almost half a million automobiles in the world, with almost 90% of them being in USA. Even in 1939, over 2/3rds of all automobiles in the world were in USA- despite Western European countries having similar income levels.
Part 3- Fundamental Barriers for Widespread Adoption of Electric Vehicles
Residential electric consumption accounts for about 40% of total electricity production, and universal EV usage would increase that by 50-100% (1-2 EVs per household + factoring in transmission losses). In other words, it would be necessary to increase total reliable electricity production by ~ 20- 40%. But why does it have to be of ‘reliable’ kind instead of wind or solar power? The short answer is that maintaining a stable electric grid requires the maximum projected power demand to be readily available from reliable sources. Also, storing generated electricity is far more complicated, costly and dangerous than storing gasoline, diesel, natural gas, coal, water in a dam or nuclear fuel.
Enjoy!
